The Iberian Supercars Endurance season is poised to make a comeback this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez, Spain, promising an abundance of excitement and intense battles on the track.
The Andalusian track, which has been the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix for many years, will host the third round of the Iberian Peninsula championship. Once again, it features an extensive and high-quality entry list.
As the second half of the season kicks off, every result will play a crucial role in determining the final standings. The Circuito de Jerez, returning to competition after a year’s hiatus, will be the stage for intense fights for top honors.
In the GT4 Pro category, a thrilling battle has unfolded between Nuno Pires and Elias Niskanen in the Mercedes AMG GT4 and José Carlos Pires and Francisco Abreu in the BMW M4 GT4. They have shared victories in the races so far, with the Lema Racing duo prevailing in Algarve and the Speedy Motorsport duo in Jarama.
However, other teams have showcased their competitiveness, such as Racar Motorsport, which also won the second race in Vila Real with a car from Stuttgart, securing second place overall. For the season’s end, Manuel Gião will have a new teammate, Roberto Faria, who competed in FIA Formula 3 this year. The Portuguese-Brazilian duo will be contenders to watch in the fight for victories.
Both the SMC Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4, driven by Andrius Zemaitis and Alejandro Geppert, and the Batina Racing BMW M4 F82, piloted by Sérgio Azevedo and Orlando Batina, have demonstrated the potential to fight for the podium. The Andalusian circuit may be where they fully realize their capabilities.
The Tockwith Motorsports Ginetta G55 GT4 will be driven once again by Bruno Pires and Fábio Mota. The Jerez circuit layout may work in favour of the Ginetta, making them a podium contender.
Equally motivated Guillermo Aso and Gilles Vannelet, in the NM Racing Team’s Mercedes AMG GT4, aim to return to the podium in Jerez.
In the GT4 Bronze category, the competition is expected to be equally intense, with six teams vying for victory.
Notably, the JC Group Racing Mercedes AMG GT4, driven solo by Gabriela Correia, and the brand new Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 entered by Racar Motorsport to be shared by Ruben Vaquinhas and Alexandre Martins.
Another fierce duel for the wins in Jerez is expected between the Veloso Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT4, shared by José Rodrigues and Patrick Cunha, and the NM Racing Team Mercedes AMG GT4, driven by Alberto de Martín and Nil Montserrat.
Spain’s Alfonso Colomina, in SMC Motorsport’s McLaren 570S GT4, and Luís Calheiros and Paulo Macedo, in Lema Racing’s Mercedes AMG GT4, have been improving throughout the season and are also serious contenders during the weekend.
In the Touring car category, the competition in Jerez will be even more intense, with seven cars entered for the weekend.
Daniel Teixeira, driving a Cupra TCR from JT59 Racing, has been the dominant force among the TCRs. However, at the Spanish track, he will face competition from José Correia and Beatriz Correia in a similar car from the JC Group Racing Team, as well as Manuel Sousa and Luís Silva’s Cupra TCR entered by Grupo TDS
The same goes for the TC division, where Borja Hormigos and Héctor Hernández, in Autoworks Motorsport’s BMW M240I Racing, have shown strength.
Series newcomers PRM Racing will enter two Mini Cooper F56s, one for Alejandro Barambio and Antonio Albacete, and the other for Javier Serrano and Cesar Moreno. One of the weekend’s main points of interest will be to see how competitive the lively English car is against the Munich machine.
In the TC division, the Ginetta G40 from Monteiros Competição will be shared by two promising racers, Spain’s Miguel Romero and Portugal’s Manuel Almeida, who are eager to leave their mark on the track in a positive way.
In the GTX category, Álvaro Ramos and Fernando Soares, in Araújo Competição’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR, start as favorites. However, this time they face new opponents as André Nabais and Miguel Nabais have replaced their Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport with a more high-performance McLaren 570S Trophy, always run by Speedy Motorsport. Although the Nabais brothers will need to adapt to their new machine, they could be formidable competitors for the British-made car.
On the Tockwith Motorsports side, two Ginetta G50s will be in the grid – one for Steve Kirton and Jonathan Elsworth, and the other for Tomás Pinto Abreu and Simon Moore. Both duos are keen to challenge their rivals and secure a podium finish. Additionally, the British outfit will enter the Porsche 911 Cup for Marcus Fothergill and Dave Bennett.
