The Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica (PSCI) is visiting Estoril this coming weekend (29/30 July), for the Cascais Racing Weekend, in which it has the privilege of being the only competition on the track over the two days. This fourth round marks the beginning of the second half of a season marked by a high competitive level and the return to the Autódromo Fernanda Pires da Silva is marked with more than two dozen subscribers.

“After completing the first three races of the season, in a total of six races, on the circuits of Portimão, Aragón and Navarra, respectively, the balance of this Iberian Porsche Sprint Challenge is largely positive, given the expectations that were generated. From the very beginning, P21 Motorsport has always sought to evolve and the partnership established with Porsche Motorsport was the result of the work carried out in the previous two years.

The introduction of new tracks on the PSCI calendar was very well received by the riders who, in general, are pleased with the organization. And on this return to Autódromo do Estoril, I believe that, as happened since the beginning of the season, the two races will be interesting to follow and with the emotion maintained, around the fight for the first places until the checkered flag drops ”, declared José Monroy, manager of P21 Motorsport, regarding the visit of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica to Estoril.

A relevant novelty will be the use, for the first time and starting this day, of the ABS system, following the request of the pilots, “for safety reasons”, which received the green light from the federative body (RFEDA) that oversees the PSCI. With more than two dozen subscribers – Gonçalo Fernandes (AM), Tiago Silva (AM) and Miguel Lobo (AM) are the three debutants –, predicting a “full grid”, this fourth round of the PSCI will once again have as a strong attraction , in absolute terms and in Group 991.2, the duel between Francisco Mora, Pedro Salvador and Manuel Alves, the riders who have so far dominated the Pro-AM category.
There is a difference of 12 points between this trio, with Mora in first place, seconded by Salvador (-6 points) and Alves (-12), while Vasco Barros, ranked fourth, already has a marked disadvantage (66 points), as a result of not having adapted 100% to the new 991.2 and also to some setbacks that it suffered in two races.

In the AM category, Ricardo Costa arrives at Estoril in the lead, against the Spaniard Jorge Ramirez (-39 points) and José Barros (-40), who, after finishing zero in Motorland, due to mechanical problems, fell in the leaderboard to the third position. Briton Chris Hillaby, who will not be present at Estoril, is the current leader of the GD category, undoubtedly one of the most lively and discussed, with a 22 point lead over Aloísio Monteiro, with another British rider, Frank Barrett, in third, 30 points behind the first and highlighted by Manuel Chinchilla. Regarding the Porsche 991.1 drivers, the AM category has Tiago Gonçalves in first place, but adding a short sum (4 points) in relation to second place, Nuno Inocêncio, with Jorge Brioso appearing in third and Francisca Queiroz, the first woman to compete in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica, in fourth position.

In the GD category, Rui Miritta, although the only competitor at the controls of the 991.1, has not failed to rub shoulders with the 991.2 pilots, as happened in the last round in Navarra, where he climbed the podium twice. Returning for this journey from Estoril is BigGorge (Jorge Figueiredo), the only competitor in the GD category with the Porsche 997.2. As in the previous rounds, the two races can be followed livestreaming on P21 Motorsport’s Youtube page. At the same time, an attractive entertainment program is guaranteed in the paddock and beyond, over the two days of the event. The artist RAF – Rui Alexandre Ferreira (winner of the “Best Paint Harley Davidson” award in the European Painting Competition in 1999) will be the protagonist of an Urban Art show, painting live on canvas one of the “machines” participating in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberian.

The motorcycle parade will be another of the attractions, bringing together units of different styles and eras, whose participants will also have the opportunity to accelerate on the track. Model radio races in the paddock between Porsche miniatures will also help the party on this journey of speed in Estoril.

CASCAIS RACING WEEKEND PROGRAM

SATURDAY (July 29)
Collective Training 1 09h00/10h00
Collective Training 2 10:40 am / 11:40 am
Free Practice 1 1:55 pm/2:35 pm
Qualification 1 15:35/15:55
Race 1 (28′ + 1 lap) 17:25/18:00

SUNDAY (July 30)
Free Training 2 09h00/09h40
Qualifying 2 11:00/11:20
Race 2 (28′ + 1 lap) 14:30/15:05