Diogo Cavaco and Paulo Lima shared the victories in the Carrera Los 80 over the weekend at the Algarve Classic Festival held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Returning to the Algarve event, the Carrera Los 80 grid, an Iberian competition promoted by Race Ready, once again joined forces with ANPAC competitions, as they had done at the Jerez Classic, sharing the starting grid with entries from the Portuguese Classic Speed Championship and the Portuguese 1300 Speed Championship.
In the first race of the weekend, Diogo Cavaco surprised everyone by winning the race held on a wet track after a rain shower hit the circuit just minutes before the start. Behind the wheel of a BMW E36 with a 2500cc engine, Cavaco was not only the first to cross the finish line but also took victory in the GT Copa class.
In the following positions, in a one-two finish in the T-MAX class, came the two spectacular BMW 635 CSIs from the Mr Wheeler Motorsport team, with Pedro Oliveira crossing the chequered flag six seconds ahead of Miguel Garcia. The class podium was completed by Paulo Lima’s BMW E30 M3.
On Sunday, with favourable weather and a dry track, the second 25-minute race took place. This time, Paulo Lima dominated in his BMW E30 M3, just as he had in the last Carrera Los 80 race at Jarama, securing yet another victory in the T-MAX class.
The two BMW 635 CSIs from the Mr Wheeler Motorsport team completed the class podium, finishing in the same order as Saturday’s race. Jean Marc Finot and Carlos Tavares, driving a Group A BMW E30 325i, took fourth place, repeating their result from the first race of the weekend.
The French newcomer Xavier Chereau won both races in the Gr1/N class with his BMW 325i, entered and prepared by RodaClássica, while Diogo Cavaco retired on the fifth lap. Less fortunate were enthusiasts Jean-Philippe Imparato and François Wales in their BMW E30 M3, as they were unable to classify in either race.
The Carrera Los 80 returns to its original standalone format at the end of November. As part of the second edition of the Estoril Endurance Festival, the Carrera Los 80 will feature two 40-minute races, with a starting grid expected to be filled with cars that graced the tracks in the 1980s and 1990s.
According to Diogo Ferrão, CEO of Race Ready, “there is great enthusiasm to boost this Iberian competition, and we have received numerous expressions of interest from drivers who want to join us. Returning to the Estoril Circuit in four weeks in the original format will offer our drivers more time on track and better conditions. At the same time, it’s a great opportunity to begin preparing for the 2025 season.”
The Estoril Endurance Festival will run from 29 November to 1 December, serving as the grand finale of the national racing season.
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