A new name is emerging in national rallies: Danny Carreira, a young driver based in Switzerland, who won the inaugural edition of the Clio Trophy Portugal.
At the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal, he was not only the fastest in two of the nine stages contested in the regions of São Pedro do Moel, Alcobaça, and Pombal. Despite arriving at the final race of the calendar with chances to win the title, Gil Antunes and Pedro Pereira Jr. secured the other podium spots in the competition promoted by Renault Portugal.
An inaugural edition marked by immense success, not only due to the balance but also due to the competitiveness and reliability shown by the Clio Rally 5, with zero retirements due to technical problems.
At just 23 years old, Danny Carreira reached the highest point of his (still) short career with his victory in the inaugural edition of the Clio Trophy Portugal. Based in Vernier, in the Swiss canton of Geneva, his passion for rallies led him to split his time between Portugal and Switzerland in pursuit of a dream. He started in 2018 as his father’s co-driver, Nuno Carreira. His official debut behind the wheel occurred in 2022 with the FPAK Junior Team project, aimed at launching new talents in national rallies. The following year, he immediately stood out in his first experiences with the Renault Clio Rally5. This year, he focused on the Clio Trophy Portugal, where he was the only driver to win three events: Rally de Castelo Branco / Vila Velha de Ródão, Rally da Água – Transibérico Eurocidade Chaves / Verín, and the decisive Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal.
“I am very happy,” Danny Carreira highlighted (once again accompanied by Marco Vilas Boas) at the time of his recognition as the winner of the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal and, above all, as the champion of the Clio Trophy Portugal. Struggling to hide his emotion, he continued: “This is the result of a lot of work, not just mine, but also of the co-drivers who supported me, my team, and my family. It was a spectacular season, with great battles and a fantastic atmosphere among everyone. Honestly, at the beginning of the year, I didn’t think I had a chance to win the trophy. This is the realization of a dream, but I still haven’t fully grasped what I have achieved.”
With the second place secured at the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal, the duo Gil Antunes/Diogo Correia achieved the same result in the Clio Trophy Portugal. “Danny deserves congratulations, as he is champion with all merit. Unfortunately, for this stage, we chose a setup that didn’t prove the best for the conditions in which the rally was contested, which prevented us from challenging Danny. Racing is like that. Sometimes we hit the mark, other times not so much. But the balance is positive. The trophy was spectacular, very competitive, with an excellent atmosphere and organization, and a fantastic car,” emphasized the driver from Sintra.
Competing “at home,” the duo Luís Caetano/David Monteiro finished the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal in the final podium position, achieving their best result of the season: “I am very happy. This was the event I prepared the best for, and together with the experience gained throughout the year, it allowed me to be so competitive. Now, it’s time to prepare for the future with even more optimism,” stated the young driver from Leiria, who also celebrated his first victories in stages.
Pedro Pereira Jr. (with Tiago Silva as co-driver) arrived at the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal with hopes of winning the Clio Trophy Portugal title. However, since the first day, the young driver from Mealhada wasn’t as competitive as in previous rallies: “Things didn’t go well, I had some scares and drove without confidence. Only today (Saturday) could I be faster, but it was already too late. Congratulations to Danny, who is a deserving champion. He managed to set times on par with some Rally4 cars, which is fantastic. Congratulations also to Luís Caetano for the excellent event he had,” highlighted the fourth-place finisher and third in the final Clio Trophy Portugal standings.
After three consecutive podiums, Nuno Coelho (accompanied by Ricardo Cunha) secured fifth place at the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal. “I am devastated by having lost two positions in the last stage. I was surprised and angry with myself. I didn’t want to end a season that I enjoyed a lot like this, especially since the trophy was spectacular in every way.”
With sixth place at the Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal, Paulo Barata (accompanied by Joaquim Alvarinhas) secured the same result in the Clio Trophy Portugal. “I was a bit stagnant, and the trophy was an excellent way to regain my rhythm. Although I couldn’t keep up with the pace of the younger drivers, the car proved to be spectacular, and I learned a lot throughout the season.”
After retiring in the opening rally of the calendar, Henrique Azenha (with Hugo Marques as co-driver) finished, for the fourth consecutive time, a Clio Trophy Portugal event. “I am very happy. I had a lot of fun throughout the season, learned even more, and next year I will be back to repeat the experience,” he emphasized at the end of the Rallye Vidreiro-Centro de Portugal.
Classification – Rallye Vidreiro – Centro de Portugal
1st Danny Carreira / Marco Vilas Boas, 1h13m28.3s
2nd Gil Antunes / Diogo Correia, at 57.4s
3rd Luís Caetano / David Monteiro, at 1m13.6s
4th Pedro Pereira Jr. / Tiago Silva, at 1m16.4s
5th Nuno Coelho / Ricardo Cunha, at 1m22.6s
6th Paulo Barata / Joaquim Alvarinhas, at 3m08.0s
7th Henrique Azenha / Hugo Marques, at 9m15.1s
PEC winners: Danny Carreira (6), Luís Caetano (2), Nuno Coelho (1)
Rally leaders: Danny Carreira (PEC1 to PEC3), Gil Antunes (PEC4), Danny Carreira (PEC5 to PEC9)
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