Less than one week from the start of the 2014 Stock Car season, the first 2014 stage (23 March at the Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo) will bring exciting news to the Stock Car series!

Besides the new slick tires – taller and wider – the electronic gearbox and the regulation changes, the first race will present a mandatory pit stop with driver change, never before seen procedure in more than 30 years of Stock Car races.

Julio Campos (picture) explains that while it will provide an additional attraction for the public in the stands and viewers on TV , the driver change could even decide the race: “Preliminary calculations indicate that the replacement of driver will take around 40 seconds. But the operation could be five seconds or so faster. And this difference can decide a race” says Campos, who took pole position in the first stage last year.

At Interlagos he will be paired with Fabio Carbone (great rival of Felipe Massa in Formula Chevrolet in 1999): “Carbone knows this system due to his experience in the Super GT in Japan , and his experience will be very helpful to us” Campos added.

Photo: Duda Bairros / Vicar