+20 Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
Masters Historic Racing ends season in the South
For European Masters Historic Racing contestants, the 2021 season ended in the South of Europe. Under the sun? They’d wished.
With two race meetings just one week apart, the European Masters Historic Racing season came to an end in the South of Europe. While the first meeting in Jerez, Spain was every bit the outing in the sun one would expect, the real finale in Portimao, Portugal was held in apocalyptic circumstances.
Untouchable Cantillon
In race one in Formula 1 in Jerez, Irishman Mike Cantillon was untouchable in his Williams FW07C. He led comfortably from the front, with Marco Werner in the ChromeCars-entered Lotus 81. Teammate Nick Padmore (Lotus 77) saw Jamie Constable (Tyrrell 011) grab third place from him.
More bad luck was coming Padmore’s way in race 2, where he held second place behind Constable up until the moment he had to retire on lap 11. With Constable having to manage a slow puncture, Marco Werner came through to grab the win. Miles Griffiths came third in the Fittipaldi 5A.
Longer pitstop
Christophe d’Ansembourg won both rounds in Endurance Legends in Jerez in his Lola-Aston Martin DBR1-2. “I let Marco Werner go”, d’Ansembourg explained after race 2. Werner and Padmore in the Lola-Lotus B12/80 receive longer mandatory pitstops due to their professional driving status, and were indeed not able to overcome that handicap. In race 1, d’Ansembourg managed to just hold off Canadian Keith Frieser’s Zytek 09S for the win.
The 90-minute Gentlemen Drivers Race at Jerez went to Spiers/Greensall in a TVR Griffith, beating the Lotus Elans of Wilson/Pittard and Andrew Haddon. In the sports car race, victory went to Steve Brooks and Martin O’Connell in their Lola T70 Mk3B. Michael Gans took second in his Lola T290, just holding of Smith-Hilliard/Griffiths in a Chevron B19.
Rainy Portugal
One week later, even further South at the Portimao track in Portugal, the contrast could not have been more extreme. Rainy and even stormy conditions for most of the races, on what is already a challenging track in dry circumstances.
Nick Padmore went on to win race 1 in the Lotus 92, keeping ahead of Jamie Constable and Marco Werner. Werner, complaining he had “zero grip” on old wet-weather tyres, made amends in race 2, run in the dry. He kept team-mate Padmore (third) at bay, with d’Ansembourg coming second in a Williams FW07C. The race saw Steve Brooks (Lotus 91) and Jamie Constable (Tyrrell 011) clash, leading to a few laps of safety car.
Darkness sets in
Werner and Padmore teamed up in the ChromeCars-entered Lola-Lotus B12/80 to win both Endurance Legends races. In race 2, Xavier Micheron came back strong towards the end, but the Frenchman had to settle for second in the Riley & Scott-Elan MkIIIC.
The sports car race in the Algarve Classic Festival was won by Pedro Macedo Silva (Lola T70), with Jason Minshaw winning a shortened Gentleman Drivers race in his Jaguar E-Type. The race was shortened with darkness setting in.
