3 hours of racing
6 driving stints
Team of 2 to 6 drivers
Post-1990 cars eligible
The Autódromo do Estoril will once again serve as the stage for the grand finale of the 2023 Portuguese racing season. On the weekend of December 2nd and 3rd, forty-five years after its inaugural edition, Race Ready will reintroduce the "500 km do Estoril", a symbolic event that goes beyond being just a race. It brings together drivers, families, fans, and sponsors to celebrate their shared passion: motor racing.
Race Ready will leverage its extensive experience gained from organizing the 250 km Estoril, the flagship race of Iberian Historic Endurance, and the 2 Hours of Group 1 Portugal, to host this race for contemporary cars (built after 1990).
Similar to the inaugural Estoril 500 km held in May 1978, which was part of the European Touring Car Championship, the emphasis will be on team strategies and pit stops. Each participating car will be required to make five "visits" to the pit lane during the race, each lasting at least 120 seconds.
As a season-ending celebration, the race will feature an innovative rule aimed at making it even more captivating and strategy-focused. The organizers will provide special petrol pumps, eliminating the need for additional equipment or personnel for refueling. With this equipment from the organization, a rule will be in place, limiting refueling to 50 liters per stop. Consequently, the highest-performing cars will need to refuel more frequently than others, adding greater significance to the management of pit stops and driver changes.
This race, which will last a maximum of three hours and will utilize the track's challenging Curva do Tanque, allows each team to consist of between two and six drivers. With the objective of combining fun with competitive driving and camaraderie, the Estoril 500 km roster will be as inclusive as possible within the national car park, excluding only single-seaters and prototypes.
The starting grid will consist of six different categories, featuring cars from the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade, the Iberian Supercars Endurance and popular one-make cup cars in Portugal.
Diogo Ferrão, CEO of Race Ready, said, "The Estoril 500 km has always held the tradition of being an almost Christmas-like event. Instead of gathering family and friends around the table, car enthusiasts come together in a team, trying out new cars, teammates, and challenges. This event has been incredibly successful in the classics, and now, responding to the requests of modern teams, we're extending this tradition to the modern cars with a similar event on the same weekend."
The sporting program for the Estoril 500 km begins on Saturday, December 2nd, at 9:00 am with a 30-minute private practice session. This is followed by the hour-long qualifying session scheduled for 1:40 pm, which will determine the starting order for the race. The three-hour race is set to take place at 11:05 am on Sunday, December 3rd.
CATEGORIES:
➡️ Trophy 1000 – One-make cup 1000cc cars according to the series of the entered car.
➡️ Trophy 1400 – One-make cup 1400cc cars according to the series of the entered car.
➡️ Trophy 2000 - One-make cup 2000cc cars according to the series of the entered car.
➡️ GTC – According to the CPV regulations, including the Balance of Performance (BOP) of the race.
➡️ Turismo - According to the CPV regulations, including the Balance of Performance (BOP) of the race.
➡️ GT - According to the CPV regulations, including the Balance of Performance (BOP) of the race.
➡️ Invitational - Cars that do not belong to any of the above categories, or whose characteristics are not in accordance with the Technical Passport or the Homologation Form. A certain car may be considered eligible in its own category if the organising committee considers that it will benefit all the competitors, the show and the organisation.
