Portimão Algarve Classic Festival

Held at the Portimão Circuit, qualifying had Andrew Beaumont (Lotus 18) and Michael Gans (Cooper T79) with a healthy lead of nearly 2 seconds over Justin Maeers in Tony Ditheridge’s Cooper T45, after he had gearbox problems with his own T53.

5 6 4

1: #34 John Spiers, Maserati 250F, #248 Klaus Lehr, Maserati 250F, #38 Cliff Gray, Cooper T43 2: #34 John Spiers, Maserati 250F. 3: #51 Rod Jolley, Cooper T43/51, #99 Mark Shaw, Lotus 21, #34 John Spiers, Maserati 250 F 4: #19 Paul Grant, Cooper Bristol, #64 Ben

Maeers, Cooper T51, #34 John Spiers, Maserati 250F, #248 Klaus Lehr, Maserati 250F 5: #6 John Emery, Brabham BT4, #28 Fritz

Burkard, Alfa Romeo Monza 6: #51 Rod Jolley, Cooper T43/51, #89 Stephen Banham, Cooper T45, #27 Christian Dumolin, Maserati 250 F

In the first race, Gans took the lead just after the start and held on to it to the chequered flag. He finished 11 seconds ahead of Richard Wilson, who revelled in the wet conditions that suited his Ferrari 246 Dino. Also impressive was Lukas Halusa a last-minute entry in his Bugatti T35B. Front-engined cars finished fourth and fifth – again with the conditions helping – with Guillermo Fierro ahead of John Spiers, both driving Maserati 250Fs. 7

8

Sunday proved no drier, but it did provide an overall win for the front-engined car. Spiers took victory from Halusa by less than a second. Halusa also set the fastest lap – a remarkable 3 seconds faster than the winner.

Wilson’s Ferrari stayed in contention and was only 1.7 seconds behind Halusa by the end. Fierro made it a 1–2–3–4 front-engined sweep with a fine fourth place. Gans spun early on and, despite clawing his way back into contention, retired on the last lap.

7: #89, Stephen Banham, Cooper T45, #87 Tony Lees, Cooper T53, #36 Eric Staes, Cooper Bristol T23 Mk 2 5 8: #1 Lukas Halusa, Bugatti T35B, #27 Christian Dumolin, Maserati 250F 9: Pushing hard in the wet

9