This weekend (Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July) the third round of the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe will take place on the evocative street circuit at Porto in Portugal. The competition will gather drivers from six countries. The Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe is one of three new championships for the identical-specification 500 Abarth Assetto Corse racer that are being run this year, and this series is guaranteed prestige and exposure as it is supporting the FIA World Touring Car Championship.

After the opening two races of the Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe held at Valencia in Spain and Brno in the Czech Republic, Italian driver Manuel Villa (61 points) leads the championship standings and he is fifteen points ahead of Frenchman Benoît Perret (46), while Spaniard Lucas Guerrero (43) and Czech Peter Fulin (38) are the next two up. Two very young Italian drivers, Enrico Fulgenzi and Simone Monforte, are also well placed. They are fifth and sixth respectively in the points classification.

In Portugal, the drivers of the 190bhp Abarth 500 Assetto Corse racers will face each other on a particularly spectacular and demanding 4,720m long street track winding around the Boavista Park. This historical circuit had hosted the Grand Prix of Portugal in the 1950's. The Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe features a very heterogeneous field where young beginners and more experienced drivers alike can race together. Two free practice sessions are scheduled for today (Friday 3 July) at 2:15pm and 5:15pm. Tomorrow (Saturday 4 July) qualifying will take place at 10:30am while Race 1 will start at 5:30pm. Race 2 gets underway on Sunday at 1:15pm.

The Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe will be writing itself into a great history when the runners take to the Boavista circuit which has witnessed car racing since 1931 when the “flying kilometre” events were held for several several years. However it was 1950 marked the turning point at the Boavista Circuit, which was redesigned and re-dimensioned, with a new 7,775-metre track. Despite the changes, this first Porto International Circuit still included the mandatory Avenida da Boavista and the Circunvalação Road as well as several of the old glories that pumped spectators adrenalin in the 1930s. However the main novelty of the 1950s was the international nature of the circuit, which meant that the great drivers of the day were attracted to Porto. 1958 marked one of the highest points of the history of the Boavista Circuit with the arrival of Formula 1. In a year in which Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss strove to win the champion’s sceptre, Porto witnessed a thrilling race, with Moss beating his rival and continuing in the duel for the title. Early in the 1960s the Boavista Circuit hosted the 9th Grand Prix of Portugal, an event that marked the circuit’s farewell to the national and international motor racing stage. Nonetheless, it was a magnificent farewell, for the spectators were able to watch Jack Brabham’s fifth straight win of the year, which meant that he won his second world title.

Forty-five years after those past glories of the Boavista Circuit, the motor-sport passion of a group moved mountains and was successful in putting together a project of national and international scope: the Historic 2005 Porto Grand Prix. The physical structure remained firmly rooted in the Boavista and Circunvalação zone where new infrastructures were built for the purpose. Porto City Hall played a fundamental role, through mayor Rui Rio, in turning a dream into reality. It took 16 months of round-the-clock work to allow the new Boavista Circuit to once more host racing cars of the most varied classes, from the HGPCA F1 Pre-1961 – Front Engine, HGPCA F1 Pre-1966 – Rear Engine, Pre-War Motor Legends, HGPCA GT/Sport – Drum Brakes, Lurani Formula Junior, Gentleman Drivers GT and Sports Endurance, Gentleman Drivers Sports Racing Challenge, as well as the Datsun Trophy, the National Classics Speed Championship and, in closing, the Masters GT/FPAK Cup. From July 8th to 10th emotions were at boiling point and many of the outstanding drivers of past eras responded to the call and felt the adrenalin of an unforgettable event. The stands were filled with spectators, a response to the organisation's need to be sure that this event would be one to be repeated again.

As a result, in 2007, the Boavista Circuit underwent a number of improvements designed to improve safety and to ensure that more, and better, events could be held. There were several changes to the course to accommodate the requirements of the WTCC (FIA World Touring Car Championship) cars, while the capacity of the stands was almost doubled to provide 24,000 seats. As well as all the categories that had been present at the 2005 Boavista Circuit, 2007 marked the première of eight new events, which brought even more life and vibrancy to the circuit, which once again attracted a great number or motor-race enthusiasts from July 8th to 10th. The thrills of the WTCC began in Portugal in 2007 at the Boavista Circuit, with the 11th and 12th stages of the World Touring Car Championship. This marked the high point of the year’s organisation, and well-known figures of motor racing appeared, including Alessandro Zanardi, Alain Menu and the best-known Portuguese driver, Tiago Monteiro. Over the three days of the competition, other events attracted the interest of the public, such as the National Speed Championship (PTCC), the National Classics Trophy and Championship, the Sports Racing Masters (prototypes up to 1964), Touring, GT and Sports Classics (Classics up to 1981), the World Sports Masters (GT and Prototype cars up to 1974 that were formerly at Le Mans) and the Grand Prix Masters (F1 Pre-1978), in addition to the categories that had been included in 2005.

Trofeo Abarth 500 Europe provisional standings (after two rounds and four races): 1. Manuel Villa (I), 61 points; 2. Benoît Perret (F), 46; 3. Lucas Guerrero (E), 43; 4. Petr Fulin (CZ), 38; 5. Enrico Fulgenzi (I), 37; 6. Simone Monforte (I), 36; 7. Michael Vorba (CZ), 30; 8. Noel Jamal (E), 28; 9. Alex Campani (I), 27; 10. Javier Macias (E) and Jorge Rodrigues (P), 20.