The weather was far from ideal this Sunday, with overcast skies threatening rain swept by gusty winds. However, the ever-stoic Portuguese fans still made their way to the Estoril Circuit for the final day of the 2024 Estoril Classics. They were rewarded with thrilling races featuring some truly unforgettable machines.
Classic GP – Rain Hands Victory to Mark Harrison’s Shadow
As the Classic GP kicked off, the grandstands at Estoril Circuit were packed, but things quickly turned for pole-sitter Soheil Ayari. After winning on Saturday, Ayari started from the front but dropped to fifth by the first corner.
With rain looming, Ayari in the Ligier JS21 mounted a solid recovery, climbing back to first by the seventh lap. However, as the rain began to fall, race control called for a red flag with eight minutes remaining.
This reshuffled the order, demoting Ayari to third for the restart behind the Safety Car, as he had overtaken the top two during the lap when the red flags were shown.
Struggling with tyre issues, the Frenchman eventually had to retire, leaving Mark Harrison comfortably in control.
The driver of the Shadow DN9B led for the entire race, except for the brief moment when Ayari took the lead. Harrison handled the pressure well and proved himself a worthy winner of the 2024 Classic GP.
Katsu Kubota, driving the Lotus 72, secured second place and claimed victory in Class A, while Laurent Fort, in the Ensign MN181-B, rounded off the podium in third.
Exciting Races Captivate the Large Crowd
The 2.0 Litre Cup kicked off the day's action, featuring intense battles throughout the grid of Porsche 911 2.0s. The thrilling duels kept the large crowd at Portugal’s oldest permanent circuit on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Marino Franchitti led for much of the first half of the race, but a slow driver change left his brother, Dario Franchitti, significantly behind. However, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner didn’t let his reputation falter, making a remarkable comeback to claim victory in the Estoril round of the 2.0 Litre Cup.
Next on the schedule was the Classic Endurance Racing II, a category showcasing cars that competed in major endurance races during the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite the looming threat of rain, and some light drizzle early on, the track remained suitable for slick tyres, delivering an exciting race to the growing crowd in the grandstands. Several cars briefly took the lead, including Sebastian Glaser's BMW M1 Procar and Nick Padmore's Osella PA5, but in the end, Maxime Guenat secured the win in his Lola T286 in the Classic Endurance Racing event.
After a break in the action, which allowed fans to enjoy an impressive Formula 1 demonstration featuring standout cars like the spectacular Yamaha V10-powered Tyrrell 021 and Pierluigi Martini's beautifully original Tyrrell P34, it was time for the final race of the Endurance Racing Legends.
Once again, the machines that competed in endurance races during the 1990s and early 2000s impressed the fans, delivering a thrilling race that was only decided in the final moments. Evgeny Kireev's Maserati MC12 GT1 overtook Mike Newton's Lola MG EX257 to claim victory.
Following the Endurance Racing Legends race, the Estoril Circuit took a nostalgic turn, rewinding almost sixty years for The Gentleman Challenge.
The 40-minute race saw an intense battle between several small British prototypes from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Luc-Pierre Verquin managed to edge out Frederic Wakeman and Patrick Blakeney-Edwards' Cooper T38, finishing twelve seconds ahead in his Lister Knobbly Chevrolet. Dafyd Richards’ Lotus XI secured third place.
Immediately after the Classic GP, the Heritage Touring Cup took to the track, offering fans an intense showdown between Ford and BMW. The crowd, still packing the grandstands, was captivated by the fierce competition.
Yves Scemama emerged victorious, steering his powerful Ford Capri RS 3100 Cologne to first place, although Emile Breittmayer in a BMW 3.0 CSL closed the gap in the final moments, finishing just nine seconds behind. Another BMW 3.0 CSL, driven by Michael Kammermann, completed the podium in third.
The **Iberian Historic Endurance** followed next, treating fans to plenty of excitement, thanks not only to its vast and exotic grid but also to the fierce battle between Christian Oldendorff's Ford GT40 and that of Paulo Lima.
The Portuguese driver, Paulo Lima, triumphed in the 50-minute race, joined on the podium by Olivier Muytjens in a Shelby Cobra Daytona and Oldendorff, who took third.
The Classic Endurance Racing I race brought this year's Estoril Classics to a close, with 35,000 spectators attending over the three days, witnessing thrilling moments as the event drew to a conclusion at dusk.
Jamie Constable's Chevron B19 appeared on course for victory, despite the steady approach of Armand Mille in the Lola T70 Mk.3B. However, with less than eight minutes to go, Constable spun while braking into the Parabolica Interior, relinquishing the lead to the Eric Broadley-designed car. Shortly after, the race was cut short by a red flag as a heavy downpour hit the Portuguese circuit, confirming Mille's win.
Constable managed to hold onto second place despite his error, while Max Banks and Andrew Banks in a McLaren M6B completed the podium.
And so concluded the eighth edition of the Estoril Classics. In addition to the large crowd present in the grandstands and paddock, more than 30,000 people followed the races via the live broadcast on the organisers' YouTube channels.
After a magical weekend of racing with cars that have left a lasting mark on motorsport history, fans are surely already looking forward to the 9th edition of the Estoril Classics, scheduled for the 3rd to 5th of October next year.
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