Carrera 80 Sets Sprint Pace at Valencia Iberian Racing Festival
Carrera 80 concluded its participation in the Valencia Iberian Racing Festival, held from 25 to 27 September at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with two races forming part of the Campeonato de Velocidad de la Comunitat Valenciana (CCVV) programme.
Over a weekend that brought more than 20,000 spectators to the circuit for a packed programme of racing, the Iberian series organised by Race Ready featured a different format from usual. Instead of the traditional two 40-minute races, Carrera 80 contested two sprint races in Valencia, with no pit stops, on the 4.005-metre circuit.
The experienced Spanish pairing of Luis López and Álvaro Rodriguez was the standout pairing, winning both races at the wheel of the #88 Porsche 968 CS and setting a strong pace throughout the weekend. The German car also has a distinctive competitive history, having originally competed in the Porsche 968 CS Cup, a one-make series promoted by Porsche España between 1993 and 1996. After triumphing in the first race, the #88 Porsche once again dominated the second, completing 13 laps and setting the fastest time of the weekend, with a lap of 1m46.643s.
The #87 BMW M3 E36 driven by Kilian Revuelta Rodríguez and Gustavo Castro Rodríguez, two well known off-road drivers making their Carrera 80 series debut this year, secured two second-place finishes, remaining the main challengers to the winning Porsche.
In Group 2, Jesús Lahoz Martín, driving an Alfa Romeo GTV, and Manuel Ferrão, at the wheel of his historic Ford Escort MkII RS1800, enjoyed an entertaining battle for victory in both races. The Spanish driver came out on top in the first race, after Manuel Ferrão was forced to stop on the start-finish straight at the beginning of the race. In the second race, the Portuguese driver responded in the best possible way, securing victory in the category.
The #57 Porsche 968 CS, driven by Luís Tojeiro and supported by Garagem João Gomes, completed the top five in both races and also finished third in the GT-C category, behind the Porsche and BMW that dominated the overall classification.
Among the T2000 cars, Abel Hernandez Paez, at the wheel of a Hyundai Accent Cup, secured victory in both races. In Group 1/N, Guillermo Velasco, who shared the Datsun 1200 with José Antonio Zorilla, retired from the first race, but saw “El Zorro” secure victory in the second.
With the two Spanish race weekends now completed, Carrera 80 returns to Portugal for the final stage of the season. From 30 October to 1 November, the Iberian series will contest two races as part of the Algarve Classic Festival programme at the Algarve International Circuit. The season will traditionally conclude from 4 to 6 December at the Estoril Circuit, where Carrera 80 will be part of another edition of the Estoril Endurance Party.
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