Originally conceived as a 7km parkland road course, with the added danger of tram lines and sand, the circuit had been revived in 4km format utilising 4,600 two-tonne concrete blocks and had enjoyed significant investment from the Municipo do Porto. Dauntingly narrow in parts and with a “village” area where overtaking was forbidden, competitors likened it to a combination of Monaco and Pau which would reward smooth, highly accurate driving.

The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association provided a significant proportion of the weekend’s grids but there was also opportunity for more modern, locally owned machinery to race, complemented by two Endurance Races for the “Gentlemen Drivers” series and a GT race.

Much has been written about the races elsewhere and www.circuitodaboavista.com is worth a visit. These were the highlights:

• In the Pre-War Motor Racing Legends 80 minute Endurance – Shell Historic Challenge regular and ex-British Hillclimb Champion David Franklin was teamed with historic ace Martin Stretton in Ken MacMaster’s BMW 328. They set a scorching pace against their main rivals Roger Saul and British GT driver Callum Lockie in Saul’s Alfa Romeo P3. Saul encountered gear selection problems early on and, with his relay to Lockie and the car now stuck in top gear, Stretton was now almost a lap ahead. However Lockie was in serious pursuit, almost 10 secs a lap faster than the diminutive BMW, but with seemingly not enough laps left to catch them. Sadly, with nine minutes remaining and David Franklin now at the wheel the BMW came to a halt in the escape road with a blown rear brake seal. Saul and former Ferrari GT racer Lockie won the race and celebrated in fine style.

• Trofeo Nacional de Classicos – had an eclectic mix of classics, largely Portugese entered and containing without doubt the world’s fastest Ford Escort Mk1! With two races over the weekend, Saturday saw a race long dice between International Supersports regular, and local hero, Carlos Barbot and former Daytona racer Miguel Amaral in Chevy powered Lola T70s. Their pace was such that they reached backmarkers after just three laps and were never more than two car lengths apart. The 600bhp cars thrilled the crowds and those in the grandstands were on their feet throughout the race with Amaral taking the flag some three secs ahead of Barbot. Group 4 series organiser and racer Jonathan Baker (March 74S) had engine maladies in Race 1, but in Race 2 he provided the drive of the weekend. From the rear of the grid he passed 39 cars to catch Barbot and Amaral with three laps remaining. Barbot was so shocked he "clipped” the chicane tyre barrier and retired, but Amaral made it two wins from two starts as the red flag appeared with one lap remaining due to a more serious incident in the village area.

• Masters GT – long time followers of the PMFC will remember Klaas Zwart as a determined driver of a rapid 308GTB. Now Monaco-based and with a race resort under construction in Ronda, Spain, Klaas also manufacturers the Ascari KZ supercar. In an eclectic group of GT cars which included two 360 Modenas, he finished 3rd in race 1 and 2nd in race 2 against a superbly driven, gruff sounding Mosler and numerous Porsche GT3 RSR’s.

• F1 pre ’61 HGPCA – the biggest cheers of the weekend from the sizeable crowd were reserved for the type of cars that raced on the original circuit. Shell Historic Challenge regular Stefan Schollwoeck (Maserati 6CM) drove a smooth, controlled race to win from Mac Hulbert (ERA R4D) and Brussels-based classic car dealer Paul Grant (Cooper Bristol). In a race full of incident Charles Dean (Bugatti Type 51) caught the wall exiting the Village, Graham Burrows (Cooper Bristol) rearranged the tyres at the chicane and Allan Miles (Maserati 250F) collapsed with heat exhaustion with one lap remaining. Proof if it were needed that this is a serious track that demands respect and total concentration.

Elsewhere, congratulations must go to:

• Irvine Laidlaw and emergent "historic hotshoe” Simon Diffey (Porsche 904/6), who won the Gentlemen Drivers' 1hr Endurance by just under a minute from father/son team Denis and Jeremy Welch (Austin Healey 3000)

• Howard Redhouse and Stuart Wright, who brought the oft-troublesome Lotus 30 home first, to win the Gentleman Drivers' Sporting Challenge Endurance by over a minute from Danny Wright, driving Phillip Walker’s Fintail Cooper Monaco solo.

• The most successful driver of the weekend, and no stranger to the top step of the podium, Michael Schryver who won the Pre ’66 F1 HGPCA race in his Lotus 18 and the Lurani Trophy in his Lotus 22.

Off-track, the Clube Portugues de Automoveis Antigos displayed 50-plus cars at the base of the Avenida Boavista straight. Mixed in with numerous MGBs, Jaguar XKs and Austin Healeys was a Ferrari 250GTE, an extremely rare Fiat 1900 and a Freccia D’Oro Alfa Romeo. Rarest car of the weekend was undoubtedly a 1956 Volvo P1900 on the FPAG stand - right hand drive, with column gear change and superbly presented, it attracted significant attention.

Elsewhere, local crafts and produce were displayed in the “social paddock” alongside more conventional race memorabilia and the Serrano Ham sandwich man was doing a roaring trade! The atmosphere was inviting and friendly…..where else could you sit by the beach and enjoy lunch al fresco with the roar of Chevy-powered Can Am cars ringing in your ears!

On a weekend when several cars were damaged, commiserations must go to Shell Historic Challenge regular and arch Ferrari enthusiast Carlos Monteverde, who dramatically re-arranged the front of his 250LM against the retaining wall and broke his leg in the process. Thankfully Carlos had suffered a clean break and enjoyed the balance of Saturday’s race action live on Portugese TV. Humour was evident as Matt Grist took the wheel of Carlos’s 250 SWB in a subsequent race and clipped the retaining wall, whereupon the commentator described Monteverde’s incident without realising he was already in a nearby hospital bed!

With English commentary and summaries from Autosport’s Marcus Pye, welcome support from Ford Premier Automotive Group and superb flag marshalling, Oporto Mayor Rui Rio and organiser Francisco Santos are to be congratulated for their first event…….remember Goodwood 12 years ago! Review and refinement is what is now required. In an overcrowded Historic calendar, the Grande Premio do Porto definitely has a place alongside the Monaco Historique on an alternate basis, and with flights to its new airport being plentiful and inexpensive the lure of the ancient city of Oporto and its most famous export, not to mention the beach and the excellent “Super Bock “ local beer, should see it have a permanent place in the calendar …. roll on 2007!

Meanwhile, for many European enthusiasts the season highlight will be the International (ex-Coys') Historic Festival at Silverstone in late July. Now renamed the “Silverstone Classic” and with 17 oversubscribed races planned for the weekend, along with a Bonhams auction and an FOC presence on the infield, it's just a fortnight away….see you there!

Oh, and get well soon Carlos [from the whole FOC webteam - Ed.].

Roger Saul and Callum Lockie's race winning mount - the gorgeous Alfa P3	Carlos Monteverde's Ferrari 250TR practiced by Simon Hadfield	Fiat Abarth needed all the cooling it could get!	Local hero and Supersports/Group 4 regular Carlos Barbot's immaculate Lola T70

Click here to view a picture Galleria of cars on-track

Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.