A record-breaking forty-three entries have been confirmed for the Algarve round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in the Iberian Supercars, Supercars Jarama RACE, and Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade, with plenty of new developments and fresh cars on the grid at the Autódromo Internacional de Portimão.
As the season enters its final stretch, many key decisions are yet to be made, while some teams and drivers are already evaluating their options with 2025 in mind.
One of the standout announcements for the Algarve event is the addition of a second Mercedes AMG GT4 in the GT4 Pro category from Team VRT. The Spanish team will field another car for Nigel Greensall and Harry Barton, two experienced and fast drivers who have contested various GT4 races this year.
In Portimão, the Spanish outfit will also introduce a new driver in the car that has been competing all season, with experienced Frenchman Jeremie Lesoudier taking over from Luis González, joining Salvador Tineo, who is in the fight for the Supercars Jarama RACE title.
Another exciting development is the entry of Pompeu Simões and Duarte Camelo in a Porsche Cayman Clubsport operated by Speedy Motorsport. Simões, who raced in the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade last year with the FPAK Junior Team, steps up to the GTX division. This marks Pompeu Simões’ debut in the competition, following his participation in the Carbon Neutral Cup in 2023.
As for returning teams and drivers, there are several, contributing to what is the strongest entry list of the season for the Algarve round.
Portuguese veterans Nuno Batista and Francisco Carvalho are back on track with their usual Mercedes AMG GT4 run by Veloso Motorsport, after skipping the Valencia round last month.
The JC Group Racing Team returns in full force – Gabriela Correia will be back behind the wheel of her Mercedes AMG GT4, which hasn’t competed since Jarama, while Beatriz Correia and José Correia will finally make their season debut in their Cupra TCR.
The father-daughter duo will face competition in the TCR division from Daniel Teixeira, who returns with his JT59 Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR after missing the Valencia round to compete in the TCR Europe.
RX Pro Racing will also be back in action in the TCR class, after competing in the Jarama round of the Race Ready series. Samuel Goméz will again drive the Hyundai i30 TCR, this time teaming up with Busián Fontán.
After a brief outing at Jerez, Art of Speed is also returning to the Iberian Peninsula’s premier racing series, fielding their Porsche 911 in the Cup division for Frederico Formiga and Frederico Castro.
In addition to the new pairings and returning entries, there have been several changes across various duos, with a bit of a "musical chairs" scenario unfolding.
Araújo Competição has made changes to both of its cars. In the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, with Gonçalo Araújo unavailable due to work commitments, Bruno Pereira will team up with Bailey Voisin, a driver from the Aston Martin GT Academy who has competed in the LMP3 class of the European Le Mans Series this season.
In the Araújo family-run Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, Vasco Oliveira will also have a new teammate, as Duarte Pinto Coelho steps in, having left Lema Racing to take over the seat previously held by Guilherme Lemos.
The Slovenian team Lema Racing will also field a new driver alongside Bruno Pires – Mark Kastelic – in their Pro-class Mercedes AMG GT4. The seventeen-year-old is making his racing debut this year after a karting career, competing in the GT4 Italia, where he is currently fourth in the standings, and having taken part in the Monza round of the GT4 European Series.
After sustaining an injury in Valencia while attempting to jump over a tyre wall, Miguel Lobo is still recovering and will not participate in this upcoming weekend. Francisco Mora will therefore have a new teammate – Gonçalo Fernandes, a driver with experience in rallying and more recently in circuit racing, taking another step forward in his career.
Tockwith Motorsports’ Steve Kirton, who is in the hunt for the GTX title in both the Iberian Supercars and Supercars Jarama RACE, will team up with Henrique Cruz. The youngster driver from Leiria, a former FPAK Junior Team driver, returns after his last outing at Estoril, where he partnered with Aubrey Hall, also driving a Ginetta G55.
There will also be a change in the FPAK Junior Team, with Rodrigo Santos stepping aside for Gabriel Caçoilo, who was part of the Portuguese federation’s initiative last year and has shown promising potential.
The official programme for the Iberian Supercars, Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade, and Supercars Jarama RACE round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve kicks off on Saturday with free practice and qualifying sessions, which can be followed via the competition’s official Instagram. On Sunday, the races will take place, with the first starting at 9:00 am and the second at 4:55 pm. Both races can be watched on Spain’s DAZN and Portugal’s A Bola TV and the official YouTube channel.
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