Three-way battle for the overall crown between Spanish, Italian and Czech talents
The young runners prepare to close a season marked by camaraderie and close competition
First African competitor joins newcomers to the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy in preparation for the FIA Motorsport Games
The FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy reaches its climax in Catalunya this weekend (October 8-9) as the field of teenage drivers, all hoping to reach the senior level in rally, rallycross or autocross competition, celebrates the final event of its season in Mollerussa, northwest of Barcelona.
Ending its second season, the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy features a field of identically prepared 75-horsepower LifeLive TN5 buggies. The LifeLive professional team, led by Belgian autocross and rally prep expert Yannick Neuville, provides the vehicles, engineers and training support to ensure each driver has the best platform from which to develop towards their long-term goals. .
With four of the five rounds completed, the scales are finely balanced in the championship battle between points leader Miguel Gayoso Vazquez of Spain and his Italian challenger Valentino Ledda.
Each young man won two rounds of the series each, Ledda winning the first round of the series in Matschenberg, Germany, with Gayoso Vázquez in second place. The Spaniard then triumphed at Toldijk in the Netherlands for the second round with Ledda third.
Another victory for Gayoso Vázquez followed at Prerov in the Czech Republic, while Ledda’s car suffered damage in the pitched battle for position across the field, leaving him in a must-win situation at home in Maggiora, Italy two weeks ago. . After completing a muscular pass over Gayoso Vazquez for the lead, Ledda duly complied.
Just 10 points now separate these two drivers at the top of the points table, but they are by no means the only championship contenders. Stanislav Brousek of the Czech Republic has delivered a sublimely consistent season in 2022, reaching the podium at all but one of the rounds so far. He currently sits just five points behind Ledda in the points standings and, if the two drivers in front of him have a poor weekend, he could be a dark horse for the title.
“I am still the leader of the championship,” said Gayoso Vázquez. “It has been quite a beautiful season, I am very happy with my year so far. We have had very, very good races this year and I feel very positive coming home at the end to race against Valentino and Stanislav and seeing my friends here at the Cross Car Academy Trophy again.”
The tangible camaraderie between the multinational participants in the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy has been another important feature of the year along with the close racing. After each session on the track, the drivers, all aged between 13 and 16, immediately gather to celebrate, commiserate and share their experiences.
A pitched battle for points remains between fourth and eighth in the standings, which currently sees young German Samuel Drews leading the chase for the championship big three. Both Draws and Belgium’s Romauld Demelenne have finished on the podium this season in Prerov and sit one point behind in the standings.
Just behind them, another single point separates young Norwegian Erik Steinholt from Belgian Emilien Allart, with Allart no doubt keen to pick up his pace at the last event in Maggiora, where he won his first heat but crashed out of the final on a roll. spectacular.
Italian Matteo Bernini has come a long way in the series this season, being the only driver to have seen his scores consistently improve from one race to the next. If this trajectory continues, an imminent podium challenge should be expected.
Cypriot racer Tara Laconico has had to relearn almost everything she knew about the sport, having landed in the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy after a successful career on kart circuits. Her suave style marks her out on the court, while her ability to evoke time from one session to the next has never failed to impress and she hopes to end the year on a high note.
Joining the usual contenders in Spain will be two new faces. Diego Martínez is a regular competitor in the national Cross Car competition in Spain and is hoping to make a big impression before representing his country at the FIA Motorsport Games at the Circuit Paul Ricard in le Castellet, France, which will take place at the end of the year. of this month.
Another contender for the World Motor Sport Games is the young Kenyan Amaan Altaf Ganatra, being the first African competitor to participate in the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy. He is highly regarded among his peers and will use the European mileage to prepare to race the same LifeLive TN5 buggies from October 29-30.
ASNs are encouraged to act quickly to secure a place in the 2023 FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy to help promote their rising stars of the future. Priced for the 2022 season at a highly competitive price of €21,250 per driver for all five practice events, qualifying, three heats, a semi-final and a final along with the full support of LifeLive drivers, the value of the series as a showcase for up to 20 drivers is clearly illustrated.
Part of the learning process for the drivers is sharing the stage with the FIA European Autocross Championship and playing to crowds at the region’s top off-road venues. This weekend in Mollerussa, the FIA Cross Car Academy contenders will be on the billboard supporting the biggest names in the FIA European Autocross Championship as they decide their own title battles.
For more information on how to get a place on the grill, contact [email protected]
The latest news and information from the FIA Cross Car Academy 2022 can be found here: https://www.fia.com/events/european-autocross-championship/season-2022/classifications
Full championship information can be found here https://www.xcacademytrophy.com
