Photo Jean de Cort
Peter Auto ended its 2023 track season with the Estoril Classics in Portugal. Jean De Cort sent us his impressions from around the track and paddocks.
Estoril is Peter Auto’s traditional end to the classic racing season. Despite the long trip to the south of Europe, most teams signed up for a race weekend on what is still a legendary circuit. Estoril Classics also meant we got to know all the championship winners.
In the Porsche 911 2-litre Cup, Seb Perez managed an almost perfect season in the Elite category, scoring maximum points in all but one race. In Estoril, Perez – assisted by Philip Kadoorie – had to settle for third, behind winners Kireev/Orusbaev and second-placed Ziser/Webb. In the Gentleman category, Bonamy Grimes took the title.
In Classic Endurance GT1 1966 – 1974, Detlef von der Lieck ended the season with a victory in Portugal with his De Tomaso Pantera Gr. IV, enough to net him the title. Classic Endurance Proto 1 (+2 litre) saw Armand Mille come out on top in his 1969 Lola T70 Mk. 3B, despite only coming in sixth after issues arose. Mille held on to a two-point advantage over Henrique Gemperle and Marc de Siebenthal, who tied for second in the Porsche 908/3 (1971) they shared. Toni Seiler finished the season in third place in his Lola T70 Mk. 3B. In the under 2-litre proto class, Serge Kriknoff (Lola T212, 1971) took the title.
In Classic Endurance GT2 (1975 – 1981), Emmanuel Brigand’s bonus points for the final round in Portugal sufficed to bag the title, despite ending the race unclassified in his Porsche 935 K3 (1981). Olivier Breittmayer finished the race in third place in his BMW M1 Procar (1981), bringing second place in the final standings. The race in Portugal was won by Zak Brown and Richard Dean in a Porsche 935 K3 (1981). In the Proto +2 litre class, Maxime Guenat (Lola T286, 1976) won all races and thus took the championship. In the under 2-litre class, Beat Eggimann won the title in a 1976 Cheetah G601.
Endurance Racing Legends saw Olivier Galant take the GT1A title in his Panoz Esperante GTR1 (1998). Philip Kadoorie (Aston Martin DBR9, 2006) was crowned champion in GT1B. In GT2A, Paul McLean was the best of the Porsche 993 GT2 Evo (1999) brigade. In GT2B, Janos Santa won the championship in his Ferrari 360 Modena GTC (2002), despite missing the two final rounds of the season. In GT2C, John Emberson (Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 2010) beat Lee Maxted-Page (Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, 2009) for the title.
In the prototype class – still with Endurance Racing Legends – Marc Jully saw a late-season charge rewarded with the LMP1A title. David Hart (Courage C60, 2005) had the LMP1B already in the bag by Paul Ricard. Mike Newton in his Lola-MG EX257 (2001) finished the LMP2B championship in first place.
Fifties Legends saw the triumph of Eugène Deleplanque (Austin-Healey 3000 Mk 1, 1959), whereas Simon Nobili (Austin Mini Cooper S 1275, 1965) took the Performance Index. In Group C, James Thorpe was crowned Class 1 champion in the Jaguar XJR-9 (1988), with Thomas Dozin finishing first in Class 2 in his Spice SE88C (1988).
In the Heritage Touring Cup Group A, the BMW 635 CSi is the tool to have. All bar one in the top-ten campaigned one, with Jean-Lou Rihon winning the title. The TC1 class saw Peter Joos (Ford Falcon Sprint, 1964) come out on top. And in TC2, Armand Mille finished a strong season in the 1974 Ford Capri RS 3100 with another championship title. The T2 under 2-litre class was Bart Blommaert’s in the BMW 2002 Ti (1971). Eric Sechaud and Guy Fabrie Mestrot took the honours in the post 1972-class in his 1972 Ford Escort RS 1600.
Furthermore, Sixties Endurance had a strong champion in Richard Cook (1963 Shelby Cobra 289), despite a lesser performance in Estoril. The -2.5-litre class was Simon Evans’ in his Lotus Elan 26R (1965). The Pre-63 GT title was John Emberson’s, with a clean sweep in his 1962 Morgan Plus 4, Serge Kriknoff (1956 Lotus XI 1500) taking the Performance Index.
Finally, Peter Vögele (1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS) ended up champion in the ‘The Greatest’s Trophy’, with François Fouquet-Hatevilain and Luc Bousquet winning the Performance Index in their 1958 DB HBR5.
The Classic F1 race in Estoril saw Soheil Ayari triumph in both races in the pre-1986 class in the Ligier JS21.
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