The scenery of the Centre region was the perfect stage for the D. Carlos I Rally
The third edition of the D. Carlos I Rally took almost six dozen classics to some of the most beautiful roads and natural scenery in the Centro region. The historic regularity test of ACP Clássicos was thrilling until the end in the sections of Lousã, Castanheira de Pera, Góis and Arganil.
Once again, the ACP Classics put on the road a test that perfectly blended the competitive aspect with the discovery of the national territory, behind the wheel of some models that made the history of the world automotive industry.
Almost six dozen teams headed to the Centre region for a two-stage route of about 300 kilometres in length, starting from Lousã and crossing areas with a strong tradition in rallies in Portugal. The squad of the Rally D. Carlos I included machines built between 1958 and 2000, which provided beautiful images in breathtaking scenarios, mixing history and contemporaneity.
During the Saturday and Sunday stages, the balance marked the 15 special events of the race (divided by Absolute Regularity, Regularity by Sectors and Regularity to the Figure). In the decisive phase on Sunday, the duo Gonçalo Pinto/ António Machado managed a slight rise with the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSi (Category G), obtaining the lowest rally score, with a mere 6.2s ahead of the 1960 Volvo PV544 of Edgar Botelho and Rui Martins, who, in turn, won Category F.
Frederico Valsassina, sailed by Vasco Mendes, led his 1960 Jaguar MK II to victory in Category E, while João Rodrigo Santos and Alfredo José Santos won Category H with a 1984 Autobianchi A112 Abarth. Among the cars of the FC category, victory for the Mini Cooper 1300 of 1991, driven by Jorge Pais and sailed by Raquel Pais.
With the D. Carlos I Rally, the season of events organized by the ACP Clássicos has come to an end, which is already preparing the 2025 calendar.
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