PORTUGUESE CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT ESTORIL

The Supercars Endurance series concluded with the final two races of the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade (CPV) at the Estoril Circuit, where the last champions of the 2024 season were crowned.

RACE 1: GT4 Decisions Deferred to the Final Race

The opening race of the CPV's Estoril Circuit finale was dramatic for many title contenders. Francisco Mora and Gonçalo Fernandes emerged victorious, bolstering Mora’s chances in the title fight.

Pre-race tension was high as ominous skies and a few rain droplets led teams to consider wet tyres. However, the track remained dry enough for slicks, which all drivers ultimately chose.

From the outset, pole-sitter César Machado dropped several places, with Portuguese veteran Manuel Gião taking the lead, closely followed by José Carlos Pires, who made a stellar start from fifth, and Gonçalo Fernandes holding his position.

Drama struck when Gião, in a Racar Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, went off at the Curva da Orelha after a distraction from the windscreen wipers, eliminating him from victory contention. Meanwhile, Machado’s struggles intensified due to a gearbox selector issue, forcing a pit stop for a steering wheel change in his Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4. This left him far from the top ten.

At the front, Pires and Fernandes battled, with Pires’ Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 from Veloso Motorsport showing slightly superior pace but unable to overtake. After the pit stops, Francisco Mora took over from Fernandes and executed a decisive move near the finish to claim victory. Pires finished second, taking the GT4 Bronze win.

Francisco Cruz and Roberto Faria secured third place overall in their Aston Martin, with teammates Manuel Gião and Mathieu Martins finishing fourth and exiting the title race. César Machado and Spanish youngster Jan Durán finished 18th, complicating their title hopes against Mora.

André and Miguel Nabais clinched the GT4 Am title with a commanding class victory, while Daniel Teixeira (JT59 Racing Team - Hyundai Elantra N TCR) secured his second consecutivePortuguese Touring Cars title. In TC, João Oliveira triumphed in the FPAK Junior Team challenge, edging Rodrigo Ferreira, whose Monteiros Competições-run Ginetta G40 gearbox issues had earlier derailed his campaign.

The GTX division remains undecided after Duarte Camelo and Pompeu Simões took the win, with title contenders Speedy Motorsports’ Andrius Zemaitis (Porsche Cayman) and the Tockwith Motorsports duo separated by just two points. Sporting Club de Portugal supported driver Henrique Cruz maintained slim title hopes with a fourth-place finish in the Tockwith Motorsport’s Ginetta G55 that he shared with series newcomer Gracie Mitchell.

RACE 2: Thrilling Climax as Titles are Decided

César Machado and Jan Durán claimed the GT4 Pro and overall GT titles of the CPV with a dominant performance in Race 2, as Veloso Motorsport secured the Teams’ title.

Recovering from earlier technical issues, the Speedy Motorsport duo delivered a flawless race. Starting from pole, Durán maintained the lead under pressure from Francisco Mora, who briefly seized the lead in a daring move. However, Durán’s relentless pace ensured Mora couldn’t extend a gap to offset his pit-stop handicap.

After the driver changes, Machado resumed in the lead and controlled the race pace, finishing ahead of Gonçalo Fernandes, whose second-place finish secured Mora the runner-up spot in the championship. Manuel Gião and Mathieu Martins completed the podium, both in the race and championship standings.

In GT4 Bronze, Patrick Cunha and Jorge Rodrigues (Audi R8 LMS GT4) fought José Carlos Pires (Aston Martin) fiercely. Pires led for most of the race but was involved in a late collision with Vasco Oliveira, taking both out and handing the Teams’ title to Veloso Motorsport.

Miguel and André Nabais celebrated their GT4 Am title with another class victory, while Daniel Teixeira capped his Turismo title win with a triumphant final race. In TC, Rodrigo Ferreira won alongside Gabriel Caçoilo, but João Oliveira’s second-place finish with Henrique Ventura secured him the division title.

The GTX division delivered intense final-lap drama. A clash between Andrius Zemaitis (Porsche Cayman) and Simon Moore/Tomás Pinto Abreu (Ginetta G50) resulted in a penalty for Moore, handing the title to Zemaitis. Gracie Mitchell and Henrique Cruz impressed with a debut division win amidst these fireworks.

In the Cup class, Monteiros Competições’ Rui Miritta and Tiago Gonçalves outperformed Veloso Motorsport's João Posser in the Porsche 911 duel to secure victory.

The season concluded with celebrations, dramatic twists, and tight competition across all categories, cementing the 2024 Supercars Endurance season as a memorable chapter in the Iberian motorsport.