Located 50km from Porto, the Circuito Automóvel de
Lousada was established in 1984, and has since become the hub of the Portuguese
rallycross community. Lousada welcomed the FIA European Rallycross
Championship from 1991 until 2008. Following a 17-year absence from the
international rallycross scene, the track will return to the spotlight next season. The event will be
run by the Clube Automóvel de Lousada (CAL) – the organisation responsible for
introducing rallycross to Portugal.
Lousada has also been a regular feature in the FIA World
Rally Championship, with Rally de Portugal visiting the circuit for a
crowd-pleasing super-special stage every year since 2015.
Ahead of World RX’s maiden appearance, the circuit will
undergo the first phase of a comprehensive redevelopment programme. Planned in
two parts to be fully completed before the 2026 event, the initiative will
retain the character and style of the original track while lifting the venue to
World Championship level and includes an extension at turn three, a new joker
lap and a new paddock alongside upgraded facilities.
The 2025 World RX event at Lousada is provisionally
scheduled to take place on 2-4 May.
Arne Dirks, Managing Director, Rallycross Promoter GmbH,
said:
“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the
Clube Automóvel de Lousada for at least the next three seasons. We have seen
first-hand how much passion there is for motorsport in the Lousada region, and
a lot of hard work has gone into putting this deal together. That work will
continue ahead of the first World RX event at the circuit in 2025, with
significant investment into the infrastructure in and around the track aimed at
creating a first-class experience for competitors and fans alike.”
Luís Marinho, President, Clube Automóvel de Lousada (CAL), said:
“2024 will be
remembered in Lousada as a historic milestone in motorsport. The Municipality’s
acquisition of the land occupied by the track and its surroundings will allow
for the modernisation and expansion of the facility, as well as the
construction of a new paddock, and here we are announcing that Lousada is to
host international rallycross events again. It is the realisation of a dream
that few believed possible.”
Pedro Machado, Mayor of Lousada, said:
“Motorsport in
Lousada has a long history, and with its extraordinary capacity for organising
sporting events, CAL has played a fundamental role in the development of the
sport in the Municipality, bringing the track to both national and
international recognition. The Circuito Automóvel de Lousada has become an
important landmark, not just as a venue for competition, but as a symbol of
identity and pride for the community.
The World
Rallycross Championship is indisputably one of the best series around, and to
have reached a multi-year agreement with Rallycross Promoter is testament to a
lot of hard work, willpower, persistence, professionalism and the spirit of
collaboration and cooperation between the Municipality and CAL. 2025 will
represent the start of a new, very promising era that will inspire future
generations!”
*Subject to FIA World Motor Sport approval
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