Former F1 driver to debut in the series
Several cars that have marked a golden era in Iberia
Exciting duels in prospect
After three years during which the pandemic did not allow it, in partnership with Race Ready, the Jarama Circuit is re-editing the Jarama Classic this weekend, one of the biggest motoring events in the city of Madrid. It will feature the heterogeneous grid of Carrera Los 80.
After starting the season at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, the revamped Carrera Los 80 returns to the Jarama track with a starting grid of 20 cars. The Jarama Circuit was the home of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix from 1969 to 1988 and was also one of the favorite stages of the European Touring Car Championship in the 1980s. Additionally, it witnessed the revival of GT racing in the early 1990s. A diverse range of GT and touring cars will be present, promising to delight the many spectators expected at this family-oriented event.
The variety of cars is simply spectacular. For example, in the Group 1 category, Marc Mayoral Arnay will be driving a VW Scirocco MK2, Guillermo Velasco/Eugenio Fernandez will be driving a Datsun 1200, and Nuno Breda and João Mira Gomes/Nuno Afoito will be driving their Ford Escort RS2000. Francisco Moreno, on the other hand, has entered his Group 2 Ford Escort MKI, where he will compete for the honors of the category against César Freitas in a BMW 323i.
Luis Delso and Carlos de Miguel will be putting on track one of the favorite cars among the public, a BMW 635 CSI. Apart from its strong presence, this model has written several chapters in the history of motorsport in the 1980s, including winning the 1986 4 Hours of Jarama.
In this journey back in time that is the Carrera Los 80 starting grid, the T2000 category brings together an interesting range of more recent Touring cars. The Eficar team will line up with the ever-popular Honda Civic, driven by Juan and Gonzalo Alonso. RRB Competición will present the coveted Renault Clio 16v, to be driven by Javier Rodriguez-Rey and Victor Rodriguez-Rey. The category will be completed by debutant Arlindo Beça, who will participate with a Toyota Carina E, a car from the highly successful Portuguese trophy of the late 1990s.
The unquestionable winner of the two races held in Portimão, Pedro Bastos Rezende's Porsche 911 RS, will face a much stronger opponent this time, the other 911 RS prepared by Aurora Motorsport, driven by the duo Bruno Santos/Claudio Vieira. Another notable car in Carrera Los 80 is the BMW E36 M3 of Paulo Vieira, who secured pole position in the race at the Estoril Circuit last year.
In a true Iberian duel, the opposition to the three Portuguese cars comes from four Spanish Porsches and one BMW. Carlos Beltran, a former Spanish GT Championship driver, will line up with his Porsche 964 RS NGT, a car prepared by Nou Onze, with which he celebrated a podium finish at the 2022 Espiritu de Montjuic. Gonzalo Mateo and Francho Echegoyen will return to Carrera Los 80 to share the driving of their Porsche 928. Lucas Gonzalez/Jorge Lopez and Antonio Castro will drive two Porsche 968 CS cars that will evoke memories for many spectators of the first trophy of the Weissach brand held in the Iberian Peninsula. Finally, Teodósio Palomo will race with his BMW 325i E36, a car that brings us nostalgia from the 1990s.
The entry list is completed with two luxury "guests." In the "Invitational" class, Bruno Lima and Ricardo Pereira will race with a Citroen Saxo Cup, a car from another nostalgic Portuguese one-make cup.
On the weekend of the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Pedro Bethencourt will team up with former Formula 1 driver Teddy Pilette in his Porsche 934. Teddy Pilette, who has participated in the French classic on eight occasions and won the 1978 Spa 24 Hours, will make his debut in Carrera Los 80. Teddy, who made his Formula 1 debut in the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix for the Brabham team under the management of Bernie Ecclestone, has fond memories of the Iberian Peninsula. He won the 1970 Vila Real 500 km driving a Lola T70 MK3 (with legendary story claiming his car completed the race using red wine as cooling).
For the CEO of Race Ready, Diogo Ferrão, "presenting ourselves at the Jarama Classic with this starting grid, with a huge variety of cars, makes us proud and with the confidence that we are on the right track. They will be two very disputed and interesting races that the public will have the opportunity to watch from those, which without doubt, are the classics of the future."
The two races, each lasting 40 minutes and requiring a mandatory pit stop, will take place on Sunday, June 11. The race schedule is set for 10:15 am and 5:10 pm (local time) and will be broadcast live on Race Ready's social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube.