by Rod Hughes

Those who move to Costa Rica have no need to mourn the loss of watching auto racing. Although there never has been a “Gran Prix of Costa Rica” and a Formula-1 car has never set tread in this country, international Grand Touring cars race at the twisty course at La Guacima frequently.

Sunday, GT-1 and GT-3 class cars will vie for points in the Istmus championship in the “Three Hours of Costa Rica. Guatemala’s Cromwell Cuestas has only to earn 11 points to nail down the Central American championship in GT-1 but Costa Rica’s Emilio Valverde and Javier Quiros have a chance to frustrate his hopes.

In GT-3, Costa Rica’s Amadeo Quiros and two drivers from Panama, Luis Corbillon and Enrique Pretelt, all have a chance for an Istmus championship in their class.

Some 18,000 racing fans are expected at the course Sunday. (Ironically, this site was closed a few years ago to make way for a more lucrative housing project but the outcry of fans was long and loud. Today, the course boasts covered stands and attendance is growing.)