Manuel Fernandes will compete in the Vila Real non-championship round of the Iberian Supercars Endurance, driving a Peugeot 308 Racing Cup for Team VRT, with hopes of achieving a good result in front of his hometown crowd.
The local hero makes his return to the Supercars Endurance sister series Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade, ready to face the eager local audience in a weekend that is bound to be filled with intensity and emotion.
Manuel Fernandes will be driving a Peugeot 308 Racing Cup in the TC division, which is part of the Tourism category, under the entry of the Spanish team, Team VRT. The team will also run a second Peugeot 308 Racing Cup for Carlos Tavares and Jean-Philippe Imparato.
The Portuguese driver acknowledges that participating in "his hometown race" is always a desire and that the current high level of the most important circuit competition in Iberian Peninsula motivated him to seek a drive for the event on the streets of Vila Real.
"It was an opportunity that I couldn't let go! I walk the streets of the circuit every day, and we think about the race weekend all year round. Besides, I have family and friends to support me, as well as the public, who always hold me dear because I'm from Vila Real. The Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade is highly competitive, with great cars and excellent drivers, which allows me to gain pace for my Twingo Eurocup program," said Manuel Fernandes.
Manuel Fernandes comes from a long line of drivers from Vila Real and is the cousin of Manuel Fernandes, the National Group N Champion in 1990 and 1991, and Manuel Pedro Fernandes, the Portuguese National Diesel Champion in 2000.
He added, "We know that the GT4 cars are more competitive than our Peugeot 308 Racing Cup, and the competition is very strong. But we will give our best, and we have confidence in the team, which has a lot of experience with this car. I believe that if everything goes well, we can be among the top five contenders and, of course, win our category and division.”
This year's edition of the Circuito Internacional de Vila Real is the third round of the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade and will take place on July 14th to 16th.
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