The Saturday and weekend tickets had been sold out for some time, and that was evident today at the Estoril Circuit, with the crowd filling the paddock and Grandstand A on the second day of the 2024 Estoril Classics.
The racing weekend kicked off with the Classic Touring Challenge, and the thousands of spectators, already adorning the oldest permanent track, certainly felt their time was well spent.
Over the course of an hour, spectators witnessed an intense battle between the nimble Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and the imposing Ford Mustang 289. In the end, the American car, driven by John Spiers and Nigel Greensall, emerged victorious over the Italian contender, shared by Max and Andrew Banks, with the two cars crossing the finish line just one second apart.
In The Gentlemen Challenge, a heated duel unfolded between John Spiers' Lister Costin and Serge Kriknoff's Lotus XI 1500. On the final lap, the Lotus driver, in the car designed by Colin Chapman, gave it everything to claim first place, but the Cambridge-built machine held off the attacks, securing the win by just 0.7 seconds.
The Sixties’ Endurance race was dominated by a "Peaky Blinders" theme, as eight Shelbys filled the top eight positions in this year’s edition of the Estoril Classics race.
Taking the top spot was the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe driven by Erwin France, followed on the podium by Benjamin Monnay in a Shelby Cobra 289 and Armand Mille/Yves Scemama, also in a Cobra Daytona Coupe.
As night fell, the Endurance Racing Legends cars hit the track in a spectacle of thunderous sound and dazzling lights, captivating the large crowd that remained at the Estoril Circuit.
On the track, the Reynard Nasamax prototype, which never claimed victory in its prime, dominated the race. Sebastian Glaser comfortably won the 40-minute race, finishing 29 seconds ahead of the Lotus Elise GT1. The car, driven by Loris Hezemans and Mike Hezemans, secured second place and also won the GT1A class.
Rounding out the overall podium was the Maserati MC12 of Joe Macari and Dario Franchitti, who also topped the GT1B class.
A special mention goes to Adrian Newey (Ferrari 430 GTC), who briefly led the race during pit stops, finishing in tenth overall and second in the GT2C class, earning a podium spot.
Ayari Dominates Once Again with His Ligier in the Classic GP
France's Soheil Ayari, who triumphed in last year's Classic GP, seems to have enjoyed the experience and is well-positioned to repeat the feat in this year's edition. After winning Saturday's race, Ayari is on track for another potential victory.
The French driver and former Macau Grand Prix winner placed his Ligier JS21 in second on the starting grid but had a poor start, dropping to third after Turn 1. However, Ayari was determined to win and, capitalizing on the superior performance of his French chassis, launched an attack, taking the lead at the braking zone of Turn 3.
From that point onward, the Ligier driver set a pace that no one else could match, building a lead of over six seconds. However, as the race neared its conclusion, Olivier Breittmayer’s McLaren M26 came to a halt on track, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car, which erased the gap Ayari had built over his pursuers.
Once the McLaren was cleared, Ayari timed his restart perfectly, pulling away decisively and completing the final lap without any challenges, securing victory in the first race of this year’s Classic GP.
Laurent Fort finished in second place in his Ensign MN181-B, while Katsu Kubota took third in his Lotus 72, also winning Class A, which is reserved for pre-ground-effect cars.
The second race of the Classic GP is scheduled for tomorrow, with the start set for 2:30 PM.
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