The Algarve Classic Festival, which took place this weekend at the Autódromo Internacional, in Portimão, proved why it has gained increasing international notoriety, being already considered one of the biggest and best classic car racing events in Europe.
With weather conditions tailored to the participants who traveled from various parts of Europe to the Portimão circuit, four hundred competitors composed a poster of twenty races, which included the various disciplines of motor sport, from Formula 1, passing through the Sport-Prototypes in style -Le Mans, Tourism and Grand Tourism.
In terms of sports, the victories in the main races of the weekend were achieved by cars that, in a way, marked the history of motorsport in their period of time.
In the races of the Iberian Historic Endurance championship, it was the Ford GT40 – a car that has a rich international record, including victories in the 24 hours of Le Mans – that triumphed. The first race was won by the German duo Georg Nolte/Frank Stippler, while the English duo Miles Griffiths and Philip Walker won the second race.
In the Algarve Sports Car Pre-1975 race, he won a Lola T70 MK3B, a car that is a landmark in the Sport-Prototype races and which, in its time, faced the cars of major manufacturers such as Porsche, Ford and Ferrari on the great stages of the races. resistance.
The Greek-English duo Leo Voyazides and Simon Hadfield triumphed ahead of Jason Wright, also in a Lola T70, and Belgian Guy Peeters' Chevron B23.
In the GT & Sports Car Cup GT Pre-1966, it was the turn of a trio of Portuguese drivers, consisting of Joaquim Jorge, Rui and João Pedro Macedo Silva, to shine in the face of international opposition. And this victory was also achieved by a car no less iconic, in this case, an AC Cobra.
In Pre-1 Formula 1966, both races were won by “formulas” that wrote the first chapters of what is now the premier class of motor sport. Spaniard Joaquín Folch-Rusinol, in a Lotus 16, the first single-seater built by Colin Chapman for Formula 1, won the first race, while Rod Jolley triumphed in the second race with a Cooper T45/51, the first single-seater in Formula 1 with rear center engine.
At the end of the event, Diogo Ferrão, the head of Race Ready, did not hide his satisfaction at the positive way in which the 2017 edition of the Algarve Classic Festival went: “I have a very positive assessment of the weekend, as it was a huge challenge to get an event of this size upright. By our accounts this will have been the third event held this year in Europe with the largest number of classic cars, which makes it one of the biggest festivals of its kind. We know there is room for improvement, but it is a huge pride for everyone involved to organize such a successful event in Portugal”.
Winners List – Algarve Classic Festival 2017:
Algarve Sports Cars Pre-1975
Race 1 – Leo Voyazides/Simon Hadfield (Lola T70 MK3B)
National Legends Championship
Race 1 – Paulo Sousa (BMW M3)
Race 2 – Paulo Sousa (BMW M3)
National Championship of Classic Circuits
Race 1 – Joaquim Jorge (Ford Escort)
Race 2 – João Macedo Silva (Porsche 911 RSR)
Junior Formula
Race 1 – Stéphane Rey (Lola MK5 A)
Race 2 – Stéphane Rey (Lola MK5 A)
Formula Ford Portugal
Race 1 – Hugo Hernandez (D&D F01)
Race 2 – Hugo Hernandez (D&D F01)
GT & Sports Car Cup GT Pre-1966
Race – Joaquim Jorge/Rui Macedo Silva/Pedro Macedo Silva (AC Cobra)
HGPCA Formula 1 Pre-1966
Race 1 – Joaquín Folch-Rusinol (Lotus 16)
Race 2 - Rod Jolley (Cooper T45/51)
HTCC & DTT
Race – Pierre-Alain Thibaut/Eric Mestdagh (BMW 3.0 CSL)
Iberian Historic Endurance
Race 1 – Georg Nolte/Frank Stippler (Ford GT40)
Race 2 – Miles Griffiths/Philip Walker (Ford GT40)
Lotus Seven 60th Anniversary
Race 1 – Gonçalo Inácio (Caterham)
Race 2 – Richard Ainscough (Caterham)
MRL 50's Sports Car
Racing – Chris Ward/John Young (Lister Costin)
U2 CT
Race 1 – Andrew Banks/Richard Banks (Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA)
Race 2 – Steve Soper (Ford Cortina Lotus)
To see all the results of the event, simply access the link – AFC - Test Results
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