Just 25 kilometers west of Lisbon, the Estoril circuit hosted a major historic race meeting including the final round of the various series of the Peter Auto season. With Estoril Classics, we were treated to a captivating spectacle despite very cloudy skies.
2.0L Cup: Victory for the Franchitti Brothers
As expected, the 2.0L Cup was won by the legendary Dario Franchitti, three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. This time, he was supported by his brother Marino, who had already shone during the Historic Monaco GP 2024 with his Maserati 250F, where he took an impressive second place in Series B.
In Estoril, the Franchitti brothers once again demonstrated their talent and their complicity, winning without difficulty. Vincent Kolb and Max Moritz took second place, less than 7 seconds behind the Scottish duo, while Britons Kyle Tilley and Oliver Bryant completed the podium with a strong performance.
CER 1: A victory which was decided at the end of the race
In CER 1, Jamie Constable and Steve Brooks took a thrilling victory after starting from fourth on the grid. They took the lead with just three laps to go, just before the race was interrupted by a red flag.
Frédéric Rouvier and Gianluigi Candiani also shone with a great comeback at Estoril Classics, going from 27th to 4th place. Armand Mille, driving his Lola T70, finished an excellent second place, just 2.4 seconds behind the winners, while Max and Andrew Banks, in their McLaren M6B, completed the podium.
CER 2: Zak Brown and Tom Kristensen in the spotlight
At Estoril Classics, in the CER 2 category, all eyes were on the No. 18 Porsche 935 K3, driven by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. This iconic car, owned by Zak Brown, is one of the most legendary of the 1980s endurance racing era. Built for John Paul Sr.'s JLP Racing team by specialist GAACO, it won in 1982 the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. It was the first time that the same car had won both major American endurance races in one season.
In Estoril, victory went to the Lola T286 of Maxime Guenat, followed by the TOJ SC304 of Yves Scemama and the Osella PA5 driven by Roberto Turriziani and Nick Padmore. Carlos Tavares was also present, at his home in Portugal, driving a 1972 Chevron B21.
Classic Touring Challenge: The Alfa Giulia Sprint GTAs beaten
Starting from pole position, the Alfa Romeo of Max and Andrew Banks led this first Estoril Classics touring race for a while, but could not resist the assaults of the No. 791 Ford Mustang. John Spiers and Nigel Greensall ultimately won this 60-minute race by just one second over the pole-sitters. Behind them, four 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTAs completed the top 5.
Endurance Racing Legends: Two races with contrasting podiums
In the fastest category of the weekend, 28 drivers set off for the first race, contested at night. Pole position was taken by the 2004 Reynard Nasamax driven by Sebastian Glaser, who also won the race. Loris and Mike Hezemans, driving their Lotus Elise GT1, finished second, while Dario Franchitti, this time partnered by Joe Macari in a Maserati MC12 GT1, completed the podium.
In the GT2C category, Adrian Newey, future Aston Martin F1 engineer, won with the Ferrari F430 with which he had participated in the 24 hours of Le Mans in 2007. In the second race, Evgeny Kireev triumphed at the wheel of a another Maserati MC12, ahead of the Saleen S7-R of Steve Brooks and the Pilbeam MP91 of Richard Bradley.
Heritage Touring Cup : Ford contre BMW
During the Heritage Touring Cup race, which also honors classic touring cars, two 1969 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAs attempted to compete against the armada of BMW and Ford present this weekend on the Portuguese circuit.
After close qualifying, Yves Scemama finally triumphed at the wheel of his 1973 Ford Capri RS 3100 Cologne, while two BMW 3.0L CSLs completed the podium. The duo Zak Brown/Tom Kristensen, who participated with a 1975 Ford Capri RS 3100, had to abandon mid-race.
Sixties’ Endurance : La domination des Shelby Cobra
It was a long race and we had a good peloton at the start for Estoril Classics even if we are far from the numbers that we can find during the French events. We still saw 31 cars take the checkered flag at the end of the 2-hour event.
Erwin France, pole sitter, brought his 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe to victory, solo, after two hours of racing. Benjamin Monnay took second place, while Armand Mille and Yves Scemama completed the podium. The Lightweight Jaguar E-Type of Marcus Anderson and Mark Blair was the first car to cross the finish line other than a Shelby Cobra, placing 8th.
The Gentlemen Challenge: Place for the oldest vehicles
The Gentleman Challenge, which brings together the oldest cars present this weekend at Estoril, was very competitive, with close races. Luc-Pierre Verquin, who had won pole position, finished 3th in the first race, while he was able to make up for it by winning the second race at the wheel of his Lister Knobbly Chevrolet.
Classic GP – Pre-1986 F1
The Estoril stands were packed to welcome the F1. The fans' memories, whether it was Ayrton Senna's first F1 victory or Alain Prost's successes, were palpable for this race which is not part of the Peter Auto season.
On the track, Mark Harrison took pole with only 9 thousandths ahead of the second place finisher. The first race saw a French double, Ayari winning ahead of Laurent Fort. The second race, more lively, was marked by the arrival of rain, leading to a red flag. Ultimately, Mark Harrison won the race, followed by Katsu Kubota. Laurent Fort completing the podium.
Iberian Historic Endurance
To conclude, the Iberian Historic Endurance, although less known in France, deserves attention. Apart from the first round which takes place in Spa, during the Spa Summer Classic, this category brings together races taking place only in the Iberian Peninsula. Portimao, Jerez, Barcelona, are part of the drivers' playground. On Sunday afternoon, 45 cars were at the start, and victory went to the Ford GT40 of Portuguese driver Paulo Lima, ahead of Olivier Muytjens and Christian Oldendorff.
This time it's over, see you in Lusail at the end of February for the start of a long season
This 2024 Peter Auto season is well and truly over. Despite the fact that the route is not very pleasant for taking photos, this circuit and this event were a great discovery. The mildness of Lusitania contrasts with the winter temperatures which are already raging a week earlier for the Spa Six Hours.
Driving a racing car, this Estoril circuit must be a real treat for drivers. The Peter Auto season coming up in 2025 will see some changes. Exit Mugello, which will be replaced by Imola at the end of July. If we ignore the round in Qatar, which will only be reserved for the CER1 and CER2 categories, the season will open on the legendary Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. There will therefore be two more events than in 2024 if we add to that Le Mans Classic. We can't wait!
Additional photos: Peter Auto / PhotoClassicRacing
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