The second round of the 2019 Spanish Autocross Championship was held the weekend of the 13th and 14th of April at Lleida with close to 100 competitors entering the six categories inclued this year in the national series.
There were Speed Car representatives at three of them, with a win for Joan Enric De María in the division III at the wheel of a TTX, a second position in Junior for Eduard Bañeres with a Xtrem and no less than eight drivers with an Industrias Lahoz bult car among the 15 classified for the CarCross final.
The category for the powerfull 4WD singleseaters produced a weekend of mixed feelings for the two drivers of the Speed Car TTX, the young Ares Lahoz and the six times national champion Joan Enric De María.
Ares set the fastets lap in the qualifying session but could only race in two of the three heats and was unable to enter the final. De María, back to the championship in his home race, was only fourth in qualifying but then won the three heats and scored a commading win in the final, crossing the finiahs line at the wheel of his Speed Car TTX almost five seconds ahead of his closest rival.
More than half of the drivers who got the final of the always very closed fought Car Cross category did it at the wheel of a Speed Car Xtrem. They were eight out of fifteen, showing once again how competitive and popular is the Car Cross designed and built by Industrias Lahoz.
The best result was scored by Jordi Puigvert, who fought until the very last moment for a podium finish to end up fifth, just sevent tenths shy of third position. Right behind him finished three other Speed Car Xtrem drivers, from sixth to eight. Sixth was Joan Salichs, followed closely by Juan José Moll, who was seventh, while eight second later crossed under the chequered flag, in eight position his team mate at Escudería Mollerusa Arnau Biosca.
The other four drivers in the final with a Speed Car Xtrem were Pol Pujol and Pol Catalá, 10th and 11th, who closed the group of drivers completing the 8 laps of the race, Eduard Montalbán, 12th, one lap behind the winner, and Joaquín Fontan, 14th and 3 laps down. The fastest lap of the race was also for a Speed Car driver, Juan José Moll, who now is waiting for the appeal from his team to know if he can keep the win scored in the first race of the year, which is now under study.
Eduard Bañeres recovered from his bad luck at Motorland, when he was out the race in the first lap. This time, the Speed Car driver completed the final in a great second position that puts him firmly as one of the main contenders in the category for the youngest drivers of Spanish Autocross.
Good results also for the other two drivers at the wheel of the Industrias Lahoz built Xtrems in the Lleida round of the series. Josep Aranda won a close fight for fifth position and Laura Lista completed the eight laps of the final in the seventh place.
-> CarCross Junior results (pdf file)
Pictures: Press CEAX RFEdA
