Francisco Calle, the automotive promise that debuted with victory in Las 6 Horas Peruanas

Francisco Calle was born to be a true champion. He is barely 20 years old, but he already expresses himself with the maturity of a veteran. His voice delights with a unique confidence like the one he reflects – without any fear – on the racetracks. The young Lima driver dreams big, but does not rush. He knows that it is best to go step by step. And having won the TC Light category of The 6 Peruvian Hours his professional debut at such a young age means he is on the right track.

His automobile adventure began at a very young age. Adrenaline has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember and for this reason, his passion for race cars accompanied him throughout his childhood. At first it was just for fun, but gradually it became serious business.

. Starting at the age of eight, he began a history of rejoicing with the go-karts that are rented at the Asian kart track. “I had no budget for a real one”, remember.

The only objective at that time was to entertain himself, but in 2015 everything changed for him. He realized that his dream was to be a professional motorist and used karting to train seriously. “Since I didn’t have a license, I had to train in some way”, Explain.

When he came of age, Francisco Calle used all his savings and – supported by his parents – managed to buy the car of his dreams: the legendary Toyota Trueno AE86. And now absolutely nothing could stop him.

“As soon as I got my license, my dad helped me buy the car I have now. In less than a week of having it, I signed up for Autocross. And that’s when it all started “, dice.

A path of overstress

At just 20 years old, Francisco Calle made his professional debut at Las 6 Horas Peruanas and he did it in a big way. .

Hopefully this is the time for a new generation to approach the sport. I would like to see more young riders jump into this sport and well it seems to me to be an invaluable experience. I mean, my first race and being able to win it is something I can’t believe. However, I don’t think this is all. It is an advance for what is to come “, expresses with emotion.

Francisco’s path to success has been bittersweet. He almost always performed well in amateur competition before his professional debut. However, there is a peculiar theme that did not let him fully enjoy these victories.

They are the risks that he takes, but he never feels comfortable with that situation.

“It is a sport that requires demands, not only physically, but also on the machine. In other words, running at a fairly strong pace for long periods of time hurts the engine. That works against you. You have to repair it every time you finish. There are times when you generate so much damage to the engine that you have to take your car out of commission for a season.”, clarifies.

Be that as it may, the countless times that his Toyota Trueno AE86 has broken down has served to set Francisco off on a triumphant journey. It has certainly been worth repairing so many times.

Aim high

The conquest of the Peruvian 6 Hours, the most important circuit race in the country, marks the beginning of many good things for Francisco Calle. In fact, his team wants to continue to count on him for the next challenges that come in 2022 with long-endurance races.

The twenty-year-old pilot aims as high as the Peruvian benchmarks of this sport. He wants to follow the example of Nicolás Fuchs, Raúl Orlandini, Ricardo Dasso, among others, and he does not rule out competing in the future in the rally format such as those mentioned, but his passion is on the tracks.

“I would like to get to run in Le Mans. It is a super race, one of the most important in the history of motorsport. My goal is to one day get to race there and win obviously. But dreams start small “, is excited.

Youth is your great strength to pursue your greatest ambitions. “If at this age I am having good results, in the future I will be able to be better”, Explain. Of course, this can also work against him, since he does not have as much experience as the other drivers who have been competing for years.

But nevertheless, Francisco Calle not afraid of the future. He is aware that he has a long way to go and will do everything he can to achieve his goals. “In five years I see myself with more experience and with more titles under the belt, but always aiming for more”, sentence.

Little support

A fact that Francisco Calle did not tire of repeating in the interview is that motor racing is an expensive sport.

“It is an expensive sport, for which many people have a kind of resentment for not having the means to compete. Fortunately, I have received a lot of support from my family, my mother and my father “, he points out.

This path has not been easy at all. Even Francisco himself has tried to manage to get the money on his own, but his parents have not allowed it. His mission is to focus on his university career – he studies Communication Sciences at the University of Lima-; their parents take care of the rest. “They have always told me to concentrate on my studies and as long as I do well, they will continue to support me”, indicates.

The difficulties in the economic issue have not been lacking. The sport has affected him financially on several occasions. In fact,

“In part, that’s one reason more people are hesitant to get involved. They see motorsport as an expensive sport and say it is not worth it. They prefer not to do it so as not to give heavy expenses. It is a difficult situation (…) Before, it was promoted much more. Now I rarely see a racing ad or anything like that. I don’t see that much enthusiasm anymore. It seems a shame to me “, opines.