Leonel Pernía was suspended for two years and fined a million-dollar amount.

This Wednesday, the Asociación Corredores Turismo Carretera (ACTC) made official the definitive sanction against Leonel Pernía, who was suspended for two years and must pay a fine of 30 million pesos. The measure comes after a conflictive episode in the last race of the 2024 championship of the Clase 3 of Turismo Nacional.

The Comisión Asesora y Fiscalizadora (CAF) of the ACTC issued a statement detailing that the suspension extends from the date of the announcement until April 26, 2027, and prevents the driver from competing in any category under the entity's supervision. Additionally, it stipulates that the financial penalty must be deposited in the Favaloro Foundation within the next 30 days, then notifying the ACTC's Sports Department.

The official statement reads as follows: "Apply to the Driver Leonel Pernía, the Sanction of 2 Years of Suspension from the Date of April 23, 2025, with its fulfillment on April 26, 2027, with the Prohibition of Competing in any of the Categories Supervised by the ACTC. Plus the Fine of Pesos 30,000,000 (Thirty Million), which must be deposited by Account and Order of the ACTC within 30 days of Notification, to the Favaloro Foundation, Communicating its Compliance to the ACTC Sports Department".

The sanction caused immediate reactions in Pernía's environment. His son Tiago, also a driver, expressed his outrage through social media: "You can shoot at a race car with a driver inside and threaten someone at a racetrack. But you can't make a mistake in an interview and apologize publicly and privately... It's clear they measure with a different yardstick for those they favor", he stated.

The origin of the sanction

The conflict that led to this sanction took place in the last date of the TN calendar. Pernía, representing the MG-C Pergamino team, arrived with chances to be crowned champion, but he had to win on the Trelew track. In the last lap, while fighting for the lead against Andrés Jakos, he suffered a collision that ruined the chances for both. The victory went to Jonatan Castellano, while Alfonso Domenech took the title with his Volkswagen Virtus.

Once the race was over, Pernía went directly to Jakos, grabbed him by the neck and confronted him harshly in front of the cameras. "This is not how you race, kid, because this way you ruin my championship. What I fought for all year you ruin with a dirty move, because you're a dirty driver", stated the Super TC2000 champion.

The scene led to his immediate exclusion for "inappropriate conduct", preventing him from continuing in the next series. Later, in an interview on Carburando TV, he launched harsh criticisms at the CAF: "The CAF can kiss my a…", which further aggravated his situation with the ACTC, which finally imposed the most severe sanction.