Biondo y Caggiano took the chequered flag before qualifying

The first move of the weekend was already on Saturday afternoon at the Roberto Mouras circuit in La Plata. The official practice sessions for the ninth round of Procar 4000 produced a familiar result: Nicolás Biondo in Class A and Ronnie Caggiano in Class B. Different classes, same script. The grid, however, has not been written yet.

Class A: Biondo took the flag by 91 thousandths

Biondo was the quickest in the first session, with a time of 1m37s411 driving the Dodge prepared by Guarnaccia Motorsport. Gastón Rossi, the champion, was only 91 thousandths behind, also in a Dodge. Leonardo Nowak completed the podium with a Chevrolet, 95 thousandths off the best time. For the rest of the field, Oscar Sánchez, Alan Guevara, Emanuel Pérez Bravo, Germán Pietranera, Juan Farabello, Ramiro Dailoff and Fabrizio Maggini completed the top ten.

The numbers say that the pace was close. Very close. That is where the interest begins: a single tenth of a second can change the order, and qualifying can still alter the picture. The champion is there, right behind Biondo. Nothing is settled, despite what the times may suggest.

Class B: Caggiano confirmed the Friday order

In Class B, Ronnie Caggiano led both Saturday sessions and posted his best time of 1m41s692 in the Dodge of José C. Paz Racing, sharing the car with Carli Bava. Joaquín Pasquale was 235 thousandths away in a Chevrolet. Germán Pietranera, driving a Ford alongside Roque Caggiano, completed the top three, 414 thousandths behind the leader.

• Santiago Pasquale was fourth in the combined times, with a Chevrolet.
• Ariel García, Mario Andreoli, Gabriel Villalba, Santiago Florio, Francisco Florio and Francisco Tamagno completed the top ten.
• Qualifying for both divisions was scheduled for Saturday at 14:07, with the order still open to surprise.

My reading is simple: the favorites arrived with the strongest times, but the gaps are small enough to keep the weekend alive. Biondo has the advantage in Class A and Caggiano in Class B; Rossi, Nowak, Pasquale and Pietranera have every reason to believe they can still shake things up. The repechage will decide whether Saturday's dominance becomes Sunday's result or just a preview of what was to come.

“Who do you think can surprise in qualifying and change the order of the weekend?”Matías Chocobar, Deportes

To Biondo and Caggiano: enjoy the weekend, but do not get comfortable. The chequered flag is waiting, and the next battle is just around the corner. May the best-prepared driver, not the one with the best Saturday story, take the final win.