A Renault 12 carried Conrado Gómez Moreno and Diego Luna Espinosa to victory in the 12th Spain Classic Raid. According to the organiser’s post-event report, the crew won both the overall classification and the pre-1980 category after eight stages from Gijón to Zuera, near Zaragoza.
Held from 17 to 24 October 2026, the event attracted 170 registered crews. More than 2,000 kilometres through 14 provinces and five Spanish autonomous communities made navigation, mechanical sympathy and consistency essential throughout the week.
From the Cantabrian coast to mud and sand
Rain played only a limited part, but that did not make the route easy. The organiser describes water crossings, large puddles, muddy sections and loose sand alongside rough tracks and technical passages. Sandy ground among the pine forests of Spain’s northern plateau was one of the memorable challenges.
The route took the convoy through cities including León, Salamanca, Ávila, Palencia, Soria, Logroño, Jaca and Huesca. With cars representing 25 different makes, spectators could see a broad slice of motoring history being used as intended, well beyond the confines of a static display.
A double success for the Renault 12
Gómez and Luna topped the overall standings. David Fernández de Miguel and Beatriz de la Torre Sanz finished second in a Mitsubishi Montero, while Juan Alonso Yerro and José María Campaña Andrés took third in a Volkswagen Vento.
In the pre-1980 category, the winning Renault was followed by the Citroën 2CV of Jaime Pinilla Costa and Miguel Lanzuela de Álvaro. Casimiro Campayo Fernández and Sergio Miravalles García completed that podium in a Peugeot 504 Coupé.
Matching a lap rather than setting the fastest one
A circuit exercise captured the central idea of regularity driving. Crews established their own reference on the opening lap, then tried to reproduce it on laps two and three. Matching the final lap time alone was not enough: their timing at the intermediate checkpoints also had to be consistent.
The finish at the Zuera karting circuit brought the crews together for the prize-giving. The Renault’s team left with two category successes, while the wider convoy had completed a week of shared tracks and changing landscapes. It was a reminder that classic cars can still deliver an adventure rather than simply provide a subject for a photograph.
Source: Spain Classic Raid. Adapted from press information. Photograph: Spain Classic Raid.
