Round 4 of the Portuguese Nationals was held at Leiria in the centre of Portugal. The weather was cloudy and not as hot as we were hoping for, but the rain did not appear so that was the most important part.
Practice sessions were held on Saturday. My car felt very good, and I tried to test some different compounds because of the trackâ™s high grip surface.
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Sunday morning was time for qualifications. The first round was won by Rodrigo LuĂs, followed by me only a few seconds behind. I won the second round followed by Rodrigo LuĂs, and the third and last round was won by Bruno Coelho followed by me. I got TQ followed by Rodrigo LuĂs and Bruno Coelho.
During the first minutes of the semi I was battling with Bruno Coelho for the lead, constantly changing positions until the first fuel stop. After that I took the lead and kept the pace until the end. I made a few mistakes and Rodrigo LuĂs, who won the other semi, got the pole for the A Main.
In the first minutes of the A-Main I was battling with Rodrigo LuĂs for the lead. We were driving very fast and consistently. I was trying hard to pass him without making any mistakes, but his experience and skills prevented me from doing it. A few minutes into the race I managed to pass him and opened a gap that was crucial to save the tires. The rest of the final was mostly trying to keep a good pace without making mistakes and saving the tires for as long as possible.
This win allowed me to claim the 2011 National Championship with still one race to the end. We could not expect a better outcome for this season. Letâ™s now try hard to get some good results at the EUROS, as well the 5th National race in September.
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Final results:
1. Carlos Duraes â“ XRAY 808'11
2. Rodrigo LuĂs
3. Joao Gomes
4. Ricardo Monteiro
5. Miguel Pires
