DANIEL TEIXEIRA CONFIRMS PERFECTION IN GTC AND TOURING CARS

The second GTC and Touring Cars race of the Supercars Endurance round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve once again proved to be fiercely contested, but it was Daniel Teixeira who ultimately came out on top, repeating yesterday’s victory.

The JT59 Racing Team driver, at the wheel of the Hyundai Elantra N TCR, proved superior throughout the 23 laps, also setting the fastest lap of the race, a 1:53.638, on only his second lap after crossing the line. The Murça driver confirmed the dominance he had shown throughout the weekend, securing a perfect double and beginning the season in the best possible fashion.

One of the most exciting battles of the afternoon unfolded in the Cup division, where Rui Miritta, driving the Monteiros Competições Porsche 911 Cup, secured second place overall and victory in class. The reigning Cup champion had to fend off Marcus Fothergill and Dave Benett, in the Protech Motorsport Porsche 911 Cup, in the fight for the win, with the British duo eventually finishing second. The podium was completed by Spain’s Ramiro García-Pumarino, in the Lan GP Racing Porsche 911 Cup, who crossed the line eighth overall.

António Almeida and Aubrey Hall claimed victory in GTX aboard the Tockwith Motorsport Ginetta G55, also securing third place overall. Just behind them, Diogo Castro and Jemma Moore, in the sister Ginetta G55, produced an extremely consistent race to finish fourth overall, having at one stage looked capable of fighting for victory. The final step of the GTX podium went to Ángel Santos and Alejandro Iribas in the Chefo Sport by Petrogold Ligier JS2R, confirming the strong pace of the team’s cars and rewarding an intelligent, mistake-free performance.

On the road, Gabriel Caçoilo and Máximo Varela, also in a Chefo Sport by Petrogold Ligier JS2R, were the first GTX crew to take the chequered flag, but they were later penalised for failing to comply with the mandatory handicap time.

Breno Arruda and Tiago Loureiro once again came out on top in GTX Am, extending TRS’s excellent competitive debut. The McLaren 570S GT4 pairing finished tenth overall, confirming with another class victory the dominance they had displayed throughout the weekend. In second place, after overcoming brake issues, Nicole Drought and Lucas Fothergill, in the Protech Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, delivered a solid race after being unable to start yesterday’s contest due to technical problems with their car. Third place in GTX Am went to Santiago Vallejo and Marcos de Jorge, at the wheel of the Veloso Motorsport Ligier JS2R, securing another podium finish for the Spanish duo.

Ivo Prada and Frederico Castro were the unfortunate figures of the day in GTX, being forced to retire in the closing stages after their McLaren suffered overheating issues during the safety car period, which had been deployed to recover Adam Fawsitt’s stricken Porsche 911 Cup.

Francisca “Kika” Queiroz continued her adaptation to the BMW M2 Racing, the first example to arrive in the Iberian Peninsula, finishing in twenty-third place overall and completing the competitive debut of the Bavarian model, which will form the basis of the new BMW M2 Cup Iberia this season.

The next round of the Supercars Endurance season will take place at the Circuito de Madrid Jarama - RACE from 5 to 7 June, in an event counting towards the Campeonato de España de Supercars.