Caçoilo inherits dramatic victory as ‘Kika’ Queiroz takes the lead in Turismos

The opening GTC and Turismos race of the Jerez Iberian Racing Festival ended in dramatic fashion, with late retirements completely reshaping the title battles in the Campeonato de España de Supercars. Gabriel Caçoilo and Máximo Varela inherited the overall GTC victory and won the GTX division, while Francisca ‘Kika’ Queiroz capitalised on Daniel Teixeira's retirement to win the Turismos race and take the championship lead.

The 50-minute race at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, which also counted towards the Iberian Supercars and the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade, began with Daniel Teixeira defending his pole position. The JT59 Racing Team driver made a strong start in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR and held the lead, with Gabriel Caçoilo close behind in the opening stages. However, from around the middle of the first stint, Teixeira began to pull away from his pursuers, building an advantage that appeared to put him on course for a hugely important victory in the Turismos title fight.

After the pit stops, the driver from Murça continued to extend his lead. However, with the finish line in sight, a gearbox problem forced him to return to the pits and retire. It was a major blow to his title ambitions and opened the door for Francisca ‘Kika’ Queiroz to take the championship lead.

Gabriel Caçoilo and Máximo Varela were the first to take the chequered flag, securing an important overall GTC victory after a race in which the young Portuguese driver was among the leading protagonists from the start. At the wheel of the Ligier JS2R entered by Chefo Sport by Petrogold, Caçoilo stayed close to Daniel Teixeira in the opening stages before delivering a consistent performance that allowed him to capitalise on the events towards the end of the race. The victory represents a significant step forward for the pairing in the GTC title fight in the Campeonato de España de Supercars, which they lead heading into this round, and also secured them the GTX division win.

António Almeida and Jemma Moore finished second overall and also claimed second place in GTX in the Tockwith Motorsports Ginetta G55. The Portuguese-British pairing once again demonstrated the competitiveness they had shown in qualifying, with António Almeida matching the pace of the division's fastest drivers to secure an important result.

Alba Vázquez and Himar Acosta completed the overall GTC and GTX podium in another Chefo Sport by Petrogold Ligier JS2R, ahead of team-mates Ángel Santos and Alejandro Iribas, who finished fourth.

The Cup division also produced an unexpected outcome. Sebastián Villadary, making his debut in the category at the wheel of Monteiros Competições' Porsche 911, led for much of the race but eventually retired, missing out on a victory that had appeared within his grasp.

Ramiro García-Pumarino, from Lan GP Racing, seized the opportunity to take the division win, finishing fifth overall. Team-mate Ángel Lanchares was second, while Dave Bennett and Marcus Fothergill completed the Cup podium in Protech Motorsport's Porsche 911.

In GTX Am, Nicole Drought secured victory in Protech Motorsport's Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, finishing tenth overall. António Duarte took second place and strengthened his lead in the division in the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade.

The Turismos race was defined by Daniel Teixeira's retirement, which allowed Francisca ‘Kika’ Queiroz to move into the lead and emerge as the leading contender for the title.

The LOB Motorsport driver also won the BMW M2 Cup Iberia race at the wheel of her BMW M2 Racing, delivering a consistent performance to finish first among the Turismos. The three leading drivers battled for victory right up to the chequered flag, with Diego Sirgado and Bernardo Passanha, from FPAK Junior Team, finishing second, followed by team-mates Nathan Corbet and Gonçalo Moura, who completed the one-make series podium. For ‘Kika’ Queiroz, this result means much more than a race victory, as it puts her at the top of the championship standings heading into the final race.

The Befast Motorsport Audi RS3 LMS TCR, driven by Guilherme Silva and Paulo Silva, finished fourth among the Turismos, immediately ahead of Dutch driver Valentijn Greven in Promotion Motorsport's BMW M2 Racing. Art of Speed's SEAT Leon Supercopa Mk.2, driven by Frederico Formiga and João Castanheira, had an impressive first half of the race, at one point running ahead of the BMWs, but eventually finished sixth in the Turismos category.

The opening race in Jerez has therefore brought a major turnaround in the Campeonato de España de Supercars Turismos title fight, while Gabriel Caçoilo and Máximo Varela have strengthened their bid for the GTC crown. The battle continues tomorrow with the second race of the weekend, with Saturday's results leaving plenty still to be decided.