The Sprint Race 2 of the penultimate round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica 2021, held in the early afternoon of this Sunday at the Jerez – Ángel Nieto Circuit, was a spectacle of intensity and emotion from the first to the last minute. With mild weather, a bit of sun and a dry track, the conditions were ideal for the 20 minutes plus one lap of racing, and the drivers did not disappoint: there were battles for practically every position, confirming the balance and competitive level that has marked this season.

Dylan Pereira dominates and sets the fastest lap

The Portuguese-Luxembourgish driver Dylan Pereira (AF & V Motorsport) returned the favor to Manuel Alves in Saturday’s race and had a perfect Sunday. He took pole position, led from start to finish and also set the fastest lap of the race, with a record of 1:46.205. He achieved the triple: overall victory, in Category 2 and in the PROAM Class. Without errors and with an impressive pace, Pereira controlled the race from start to finish, crossing the finish line more than seven seconds ahead of his rivals and again reducing the gap to just two points between him and Manuel Alves in the fight for the Category 2 title.

At the start, Pereira maintained the lead and Alves defended second place. For a few moments, the Portuguese driver from LOB Motorsport tried to pressure the leader, but without success. Behind them, Borja García (GT Corse) was surprised by Jorge Ramirez (RGB Racing Team), but responded immediately, regaining the position on the opening lap. As the laps progressed, Pereira increased his lead, while Alves began to feel strong pressure from García. The two engaged in an intense and clean duel, but, with five minutes to go, García managed to overtake the Portuguese driver, establishing himself in second place.

The two crossed the finish line separated by less than three seconds. Further back, the battle for fourth place was lively between Jorge Ramirez (RGB Racing Team), José Barros (AF & V Motorsport) and Frenchman Sacha Barucq (GT Corse). Ramirez defended well until the final laps, but a spin caused him to drop to sixth. Barros took advantage, securing fourth place, followed by Barucq, who completed the Top 5 with an excellent performance. Barros also won the AM Class, while Daniel Garcia (RGB Racing Team), 9th overall, was the best GD in Category 2.

Chloe Grant shines: wins in Category 1 and the Ladies Cup

While Pereira and García dominated the action at the front, further back the spotlight was on women. Chloe Grant (Monteiros Competições) delivered the best race of her season, with decisive overtakes and a consistent pace that led her to finish in the overall Top 8. The young British rider overtook Francisca Queiroz (LOB Motorsport) in the opening minutes and held firm until the end, achieving a double victory: she triumphed in Category 1 and also in the Ladies Cup – ahead of the cup leader – in addition to winning the AM Class within her category. The Category 1 podium featured a strong female presence, with Laura Campos (a Catalan debutant) delivering an exemplary performance, finishing 2nd in Category 1 and 3rd in the Ladies Cup, and Filipe Carvalho (Monteiros Competições) completing the podium in 3rd place, being the best in the GD Class.

Hernández and Inocêncio had a troubled race

For the two main contenders for the Category 1 title, Sprint Race 2 was one to forget. Pablo Hernández (Fenix ​​Racing) retired in the first few minutes due to technical problems with his Porsche 991 GT3 Cup. Shortly after, Nuno Inocêncio (Monteiros Competições) was involved in a multi-lap collision, suffering damage that forced him to stop on the final lap. Despite retiring, Inocêncio finished fourth, earning points that could be crucial in the title fight with Hernández, who maintains the category lead. This marked the end of Sprint Race 2 of the penultimate round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica 2021, but the spectacle wasn’t over: in the late afternoon (4:50 PM), the drivers returned to the track for the 50-minute Endurance Race, a race that promises to be one of the most exciting moments of the weekend in Jerez de la Frontera.

Official Program – Round 5 – Jerez
Sunday, November 2nd
16:50 – Endurance Race (50 min)
*Spanish Time Zone (-1 hour in Continental Portugal)