Carrera 80: Iconic Venturi Returns to Jarama

The 2025 Carrera 80 season kicks off as part of the Jarama Classic programme, from 30 May to 1 June, with a major highlight: the return of a GT car that, in its day, celebrated a memorable victory at the Madrid Jarama-RACE Circuit.

Veteran Spanish driver Jordi Puig will take part in both races of this Iberian competition, organised by Race Ready, which brings together Touring and GT cars from the late 1970s through to the early 1990s. He will be behind the wheel of a rare Venturi 400 Trophy.

Powered by a 3-litre PRV engine, weighing in at just 1,020 kg, this car is one of only 73 units built by the French marque between 1992 and 1994. These cars originally formed the basis for the popular one-make series first known as the Gentleman Drivers Trophy, later renamed the Pasha Drivers Trophy by Cartier.

Now supported by the Spanish team Skualo Competición, this particular Venturi 400 Trophy, chassis no. 67, boasts a rich and varied motorsport history, remaining active until 2001. Built in 1993, during the early revival of GT racing worldwide, it initially competed in the single-make series designed for affluent amateur drivers. Following the series' demise, the French GT went on to race in the GTR Euroseries and later in the FFSA GT Championship.

The highlight of this Venturi's racing career took place on 23 March 1998, right on the Jarama circuit, during the Gran Premio Repsol – GTR Euroseries / 4 Hours of Jarama. In a surprising result, French drivers Olivier Leclére, Michel Laville, and Jean-Louis Ricci claimed victory in the GT3 category – quite different from today's FIA GT3 class – beating the favoured Porsche 993 Supercup entries.

In just a month's time, this highly anticipated weekend for Madrid’s motorsport community will also mark the return of Jordi Puig to the Jarama Classic – an event where, in 2023, he scored two victories in the Iberian Historic Endurance, driving a Ford GT40 alongside Fernando Navarrete.

As is tradition at the Jarama Classic, the Carrera 80 grid will be eclectic, featuring a variety of standout machines.

Among the confirmed drivers are Jorge López and Lucas González in their regular Porsche 968 CS – a model that once competed in the now-defunct Porsche one-make series in Spain – and Jaime Artajo, racing a BMW E30 325. Portuguese driver Carlos Vieira also plans to take part with his always-spectacular-on-track Porsche 911 RSR, a car prepared by the historic Garagem Aurora.

2025 Calendar

• 31 May / 1 June – Jarama Classic – Circuito de Madrid Jarama RACE 🇪🇸

• 13 / 14 September – Valencia – Circuit Ricardo Tormo 🇪🇸

• 25 / 26 October – Algarve Classic Festival – Autódromo Internacional do Algarve 🇵🇹

• 29 / 30 November – Estoril Endurance Festival – Autódromo do Estoril 🇵🇹