THE OUTSIDER GOT THE PODIUM

It seemed that we`d have come back to Spain empty-handed, but all the team’s efforts were rewarded ath the limit when the final classification of Race 2 gave us the third place on AM class. We continue on the top.

The Circuito de Estoril received us for the 4th round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberica. The last two races before summer holidays. It was the second and last event at Portugal before next two rounds on Spain and we went there with just one car, Jorge Ramirez’s Porsche #88. The Spanish driver was as never before an outsider.

Sorrounded by only Portuguese drivers, crews and public, the unique Spanish driver came to Estoril with no knowledge of the circuit. Jorge is a classic driver who improves on the track and learns its corners lap by lap. As he confesed to us, he’s not a “one lap driver”, he likes to be on the action and climb positions on races, and that’s something we can just verify after following him on this championship, his first one official challenge and where he has been fighting for the podium in all the races, despite all kind of incidences.

This time the sessions were divided on two Race Days with Free Practice, Qualifying and Race each day. Saturday was first contact with the track and when he got used to it Jorge began enjoying this famous portuguese circuit. P7 was his AM position for each chrono session, moving between P16 and P12 on overall positions. By those sessions we could have imagined it was hard to be on the top, but not for our outsider who loves race action.

On RACE 1 he started with rythm but an early spinning around caused by yet cold tryres made him lose positions and his race strategy suddenly changed: fight for positions risking track limits. Not bad after all: he got a P4 on the AM class and P11 overall. He lost the podium but he knew he got the pace to get it.

RACE 2 was not bad but there came the mechanical problems. In the middle of a beautiful fight for P1 on the AM class Jorge noticed some gear box damage that made him lost speed. He could continue but lost the chances for the AM victory. At the end of the race he was P7 overall and P4 on his class, but after some race reviews by Race Direction the AM driver Leandro Martins was disqualified by technical infringements. That moved Jorge Ramírez #88 to P6 overall and P3 on the AM class, which means a Podium for our driver! We congratulate Jorge for his efforts and for his fight. He never gives up on track and this is his reward. Finally the outsider got the podium.

This is a great result not just for the driver, but for the whole team. They have worked hard this weekend and this trophy is also for the mechanics and engineers who take care of the driver and bring him to the checkered flag.

Here you have the final results of the weekend. We’ll be back racing soon, this time on our country, for the 5th round of the championship at Jerez on 22nd September. Stay tuned.