Chefo Sport is one of the newcomers to Iberian Supercars this year, fielding an exotic and competitive Ligier JS2R, with which it is fighting for victories in the GTX division, and the ambition of the Spanish outfit is clear and there could be news soon.
The Jarama-based team has been a force in Spanish motorsport for thirty-four years, having raced in numerous disciplines, from rallies to speedway, mainly in touring cars and now in GT.
Nico Abella is now the driving force behind the Madrid-based team, after his father and founder, ‘Chefo’, stepped down. The team's new helmsman saw Iberian Supercars as an opportunity for Chefo Sport to show its competitiveness and he took it: “I met Paulo (Ferreira) and Diogo (Ferrão) in 2020, as we took part in the last Iberian TCR race. They struck me as two people with the vision and motivation to create this championship. In 2021, I ran my first Supercars race in Jarama, with a Peugeot 308 Racing Cup, winning twice, and we realised that the championship had a lot of potential. With motivation and good methods, they managed to have one of the best grids in Spain and become the benchmark championship on the Iberian Peninsula.”
Chefo Sport's entry into Iberian Supercars was a spectacular Ligier JS2R, and the head of the Spanish team is thrilled with his new machine. "What a great bet! We owe it, among other people, to Luca Pregliasco, who was behind everything in offering us this product, and it was right from the start. I think there's no better price/quality ratio on the market at the moment. It's a super-reliable and lightweight car, something that these days is almost forgotten... It makes you feel what a real racing car is like,” said Nico Abella.
The French made car has a tubular chassis powered by a Ford V6 engine capable of developing 350bhp for a weight of just 1055kg, which guarantees impressive performance.
Spanish drivers Álvaro Vela and Sebastién Villadary have performed well throughout the season, taking two pole positions in Jerez, where they also secured a second place in the second race, and a third place in the second race in Estoril, always in the GTX division.
The head of Chefo Sport believes that these results come from the intrinsic qualities of the car: “I think the Ligier has many qualities, but if I had to highlight two of them, it would be the cornering pace and the tyre management. It's a car designed for endurance racing and that means it has very good tyre management. All in all, it's a very balanced car, with a centre-rear engine and little weight. Everything is just right.”
Nico Abella also highlights other strengths of the car that carries his team's colours: “I think the big difference with the GT4s is that these cars have low maintenance requirements and parts costs are affordable. This makes the price per race more affordable.”
In addition to the qualities already mentioned, the Ligier's ease of driving has been a major factor in the adaptation of the Chefo Sport drivers, allowing them to fight for the GTX division title, where they are up against the Ginetta fielded by Tockwith Motorsports and the Porsche operated by Speedy Motorsport. “We're very pleased! Everything happened at the last moment, but we're very happy. Our drivers have adapted perfectly to the car and we're continuing to work to stay in contention for the championship,” said Nico Abella.
After two events - Jerez and Estoril - Álvaro Vella and Sebastién Villadary are in fourth place on the GTX championship standings, twenty-eight points behind Andrius Zeimatis (Porsche Cayman GT4 - Speedy Motorsport), the leader, trailing Simon Moore and Tomás Pinto Abreu (Ginetta G50 - Tockwith Motorsports) and having the same number of points as Henrique Cruz and Aubrey Hall (Ginetta G55 - Tockwith Motorsports).
Clearly in contention for the title, Nico Abella is demonstrating just how important Iberian Supercars is to Chefo Sport and is determined to strengthen his commitment: “We want to be present with our two Ligier JS2Rs for the rest of the championship and stay in contention for the title,” said the Spaniard team manager, who added: “We'd like to have two or three of these cars in the championship, as we believe this is the perfect competition for it.”
Chefo Sport started the season with two pole positions, demonstrating its determination to win. However, the team's leader has even greater ambitions, viewing Iberian Supercars as the perfect platform to showcase their worth and establish themselves as one of the top teams on the Iberian Peninsula. Meanwhile, they are energizing the GTX division with a competitive car that adds to the championship's exotic appeal.
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