300 km Algarve Sports Cars – The Return of the Golden Days

With the staging of the first-ever “300 km Algarve Sports Cars”, the Algarve Classic Festival aims to pay tribute to the golden era of national and overseas motorsport from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The event will feature an endurance race for prototypes and GT cars that defined a generation and continue to captivate motorsport enthusiasts to this day.

On a weekend when the roar of classic engines will once again echo around the magnificent Portimão circuit, the headline race of the programme promises spectacle, rivalry, and plenty of nostalgia. Lasting 120 minutes, or 300 kilometres, the event — which includes mandatory pit stops for refuelling and driver changes — will feature some well-known names from the historic racing scene, both national and international, such as Nigel Greensall, Oliver Bryant, Steve Brooks, John Sheldon and Pedro Macedo Silva. They will take to the track in legendary machines from marques such as Chevron, Lola, Lotus, McLaren, and Porsche.

In the “H-1969” class, reserved for the oldest cars, excitement is guaranteed with the Crosslé 9S of Bernard Foley and Lewis Dunlop, the Chevron B8s of the Mitchell family and of Joel Hopwood/Nigel Greensall, and the Lotus 47 of Portuguese driver Manuel Ferrão — a car of great historical significance, as it was originally a factory entry and later raced by Team Palma. These small but mighty machines will take us back to the golden age of lightweight prototypes, capable of challenging far more powerful cars.

But that’s not all: Marc Devis will line up with his Lola T70 MK3B Spyder, an open prototype designed for the Can-Am races in the United States and Group 7 competition in Europe — a similar concept to the McLaren M1B, with its fibreglass bodywork and 5,725 cc engine, with which Richard McAlpine and Nigel Greensall will be aiming for victory.

The smaller but extremely agile Lotus 23B of Jeremy Welch and Doug Muirhead will bring a touch of 1963 British charm to the fight against newer machinery — intriguingly, it was originally prepared by Jeremy’s father, Denis Welch, whose name now adorns the team.

In the “H-1972 under 2000” category, reserved for prototypes up to two litres, the battle promises to be just as intense between the Chevron B19s of John Emberson/James Bellinger and Kyle Tilley/Oliver Bryant — two almost identical cars, both with remarkable records in the discipline. The Chevron B16 of John Sheldon (a driver with more than a dozen appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and Paul Cope emerges as a strong contender, combining lightness and agility, while Steve Brooks’ Lola 290 could well surprise with its impressive straight-line speed.

Among the “heavyweights”, in the “H-1972 over 2000” class, line up some true monsters from the history of endurance racing, including three Lola T70 MK3Bs — perhaps the most iconic model from the marque founded by Eric Broadley and naturally one of the crowd favourites. On the undulating Algarve “rollercoaster”, they will be driven by David Kelly/Stephen Doyle, Bruno Pereira/Michel Speyer/Charlie Hyett, and Pedro Macedo Silva/José Monroy.

The starting grid will be made even more spectacular by the presence of a Ford GT40, the ultimate symbol of this golden era of motorsport, driven by Olivier Muytjens and Brice Pineau. The same duo will also share the wheel of their Porsche 911 RS, another unmistakable icon of the period.

With qualifying scheduled for Friday afternoon, the start of the inaugural “300 km Algarve Sports Cars” is set for 16:50 on Saturday, concluding later the same day. The two-hour race promises pure excitement, evoking the historic memory of endurance racing on street circuits such as Vila Real, Novo Redondo, or Moçâmedes, as well as on the “modern” autodromes of Luanda, Benguela, or Estoril, and the visits of the South African Springbok Championship Series to the Autódromo de Lourenço Marques.

For all spectators wishing to embark on this unforgettable journey through time, filled with memories and a unique soundtrack, tickets are now available via MEO Blueticket and at the circuit box office, with several options: the “Main Grandstand” ticket grants access only to the corresponding stand; the “Paddock” ticket allows entry to both the paddock and the main grandstand; and the “VIP Tower” option provides access to the VIP Tower, the paddock, and the main grandstand.

Entry is free for children and young people aged three to sixteen. For more information on club parades or to purchase tickets, please visit the event page at algarveclassicfestival.org.