On the day that the “paddock” of the Terródromo de Fronteira was filled with teams that will compete in the bp Ultimate 24 Horas TT Vila de Fronteira, a group of people with disabilities had the opportunity to jump into the copilot and live an experience equal to the pilots who will participate in the 26th edition of the marathon off-road. It was a special day with many emotions to mix.
Telmo Pinão, a Paralympic athlete who participated in the last three editions of the Olympic Games – Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 – had the idea, to gather partners and about 30 people with disabilities to have the opportunity to live a unique experience: ride in a racing car, on a variant track of the Terródromo de Fronteira, with the help of the national multiple champions, Miguel Barbosa and also pilots, Luís Portela de Morais and João Silvestre.
The pilots gave their best to make their passengers feel these strong emotions and they vibrated during the experience. The little jitters that they couldn’t hide before getting into the car were quickly replaced by a mixture of adrenaline and emotion, in which fear was not allowed to make this trip.
“It was a happy day for many people. That’s what we set out to do from the beginning. Being a person with disabilities, and living in the world of disability for a long time, logically I also liked to live this. Three years ago, I had the pleasure of being in Fronteira to compete. This year, we could come back and we are doing something that is not only for me but also for others. It was a spectacular event, I’m very happy and glad that these people could all be here and live this experience”, said Telmo Pinão.
For the promoter of this initiative, it was only possible because it had the support of the Automobile Club de Portugal and the Municipality of Fronteira who, together, created all the conditions for this initiative to materialize. In addition, the experience was a reality because it also counted with the cooperation of CERCI Portalegre and the Salvador Association.
On a day reserved for technical and administrative checks, the engines have already worked, even without the purpose of recording the fastest times on track. The great victory was to cause many smiles in these special co-pilots.
The competition itself starts tomorrow, Friday.
Time of bp Ultimate 24 Hours TT Border Village
- Friday, 6 December
09:30/11:30 – Free practice (all categories)
14:00/17:00 – Timed Workouts (Ultimate, Stock, Challenger, SSV and Promotion E categories)
15:00/17:00 – Timed training (categories Promotion A, B, C and D)
17:15/18:30 – Free training in all categories - Saturday, 7 December
09:00 – Departure from bp Ultimate 4 Hours SSV Vila de Fronteira
15:00 – Departure from bp Ultimate 24 Horas TT Vila de Fronteira - Sunday, 8 December
15:00 – Arrival of the bp Ultimate 24 Hours TT Vila de Fronteira
16:15 – Podium ceremony
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