25 and 26 March 2017 are two dates that will live long in the memories of Alfa aficionados across Europe and especially in Portugal.
Because on these dates, every Alfa Romeo club in Portugal came together for the first time in history to compete in the 48H Alfa Romeo. The competition is reserved for the most passionate and performance-minded Alfa Romeo enthusiasts, who get to test themselves and their classic cars over a demanding circuit: Leiria – Ansião – Castanheira de Pêra – Lousã Miranda do Corvo – Penela – Pombal – Leiria. The 250-kilometre course includes an overnight stop in Penela, where drivers, mechanics and support staff stay in the prestigious Duecitânia Design Hotel.
The route mainly comprises trunk roads and takes in the famous sights and scenic beauty of central Portugal, although it also includes race tracks such as the hillclimb course at Castanheira de Pêra. The streets along this very technical 4.5 km uphill stretch are closed to the public thanks to the invaluable cooperation of the NDML (Leiria Motorised Sports Centre), so as to ensure everyone's safety while the Alfa aficionados unleash their passion for racing. In addition, the competition route includes three full laps of the karting track at Leiria.
Competing in this year's inaugural contest were no fewer than 49 Alfa Romeo cars. The eye-watering lineup included a GTV 2.0 Twin Spark, 4C, 1600 GT Junior, Giulia GTA, Spider Duetto, 33 1.7 16v and many other models besides! The competition event is organised by the Lizitália Alfa Romeo dealership run by Marco Charepe, in partnership with Nuno Domingues and Orlando Ferreira. Thanks to the efforts of these people, Portugal now has a racing event that unleashes fans' passion for Alfa Romeo while uniting every Alfa enthusiast club in the country for the first time.
