Cameron McLeod's return to the European GT4 stage at the Algarve International Circuit did not go according to plan, hampered by an early race incident involving his co-driver during the opening weekend. Piloting the #61 Academy Motorsport Ford Mustang, McLeod faced an uphill battle from the start after co-driver Erik Evans struggled with qualifying pace, settling for an 11th-place start for Race 1.
As the field compressed through Portimao's notoriously tight opening complex, Erik Evans lost ground following a sluggish getaway and found himself locked in a midfield battle with Edvin Hellsten's #27 Porsche. The situation escalated dramatically when Erik Evans misjudged his braking zone into the Turn 3 hairpin, diving down the inside and making heavy contact that forced the Porsche wide into Lucas Cartelle's #87 Toyota Supra, sending it spinning.
While the rest of the pack managed to dodge the stranded Supra, both Hellsten and Erik Evans limped back to the pit lane with terminal steering damage, prematurely ending their Race 1. The retirement stood in stark contrast to Cameron McLeod's promising European debut at Monza earlier in May, where he secured a seventh-place finish and a podium appearance.
Bouncing back for Sunday's Race 2, Cameron McLeod started down in 16th position but carved his way forward into the top ten during a frantic opening phase. Staying clear of trouble, he latched onto the back of a multi-lap duel between Cedric Fuchs and Kiano Blum, eventually locking into eighth place.
Executing a smart strategy when the pit window opened with 35 minutes remaining, Cameron McLeod stayed out longer than most to gain track position, handing the car over to Erik Evans from third place. Benefiting from late pit cycles and a drive-through penalty for rival Yani Stevenheydens, Erik Evans crossed the finish line in eighth to wrap up a challenging weekend.
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