The 2021 season at the Spanish Autocross Championship began on the last weekend of March on the same stage where the short 2020 season had ended in November, the 'Circuit de Lleida'. The first event of the year yielded very good results for Speed Car, with three of its models excelling in three different categories. At Car Cross Junior, Josep Aranda achieved victory with his Xtrem, being accompanied on the podium by Quim González, who finished in third place. In Car Cross, Juanjo Moll won with the Wonder the XC-FIA classification as well as finishing third overall. And in Division III, Eduard Bañeres debuted with a podium finish, being third at the wheel of the TTR.
Ares Lahoz began defending his title by being the fastest in the timed session with the Speed Car TTX and achieving victory in the three qualifying heats. However, a bad start in the final forced her to climb back and, when fighting for second position, she suffered a contact that damaged the rear left suspension of her car, being forced to abandon.
Better luck had Eduard Bañeres in which was his debut in the Division III with the Speed Car TTR. After being fifth in qualifying, Eduard was progressing as he adapted to the greater power of the vehicle compared to the Car Cross he had driven so far. In the heats he got two second places that gave him a spot on the front row for the final. Although he lost some ground in the starting meters, he managed to run at a very good pace to regain positions and finish third, just half a second away from second place.
With more than forty participants, the CarCross division was the most crowded in the opening round of the Spanish Championship. And as has been already common for several seasons, the Speed Car models were in the majority, with eleven drivers taking part in the event at the wheel of vehicles manufactured by Lahoz Industries, nine with the Xtrem and two with the new Wonder. At the wheel of one of the latter Juanjo Moll won the XC-FIA classification as well as finishing third overall in the final, which he had started from fifth place on the starting grid.
Right behind crossed the finish line Joan Salichs, fourth in his Xtrem after starring in a great comeback following a contact at the start, the only negative moment of a weekend in which he was always among the fastest, as shown by his best time in qualifying and victory in his three heats.
Sixth place in the Car Cross final went to Josep Arqué, with the second Speed Car Wonder. He was followed by Arnau Biosca, seventh in his Xtrem EVO.
The Speed Car representation in the final was Completed by the Xtrem of Pau Aulet, which went under the checkered flag in the 12th position, just half a second shy of the ninth place after a close fight in the group that was one of the points of interest of the always lively Car Cross category.
The Junior Car Cross category had ten participants in its first competition of the season, four of them at the wheel of the Speed Car Xtrem, again the most popular model among the youngest drivers of the Spanish Autocross. Three of them filled the front row of the starting grid in the final, a race that was dominated with authority from pole-position by Josep Aranda. The Team Mollerusa driver had been the fastest in qualifying with his Xtrem, as well as winning two of the three heats, and in the final confirmed his speed leading from start to finish.
.Second under the checkered flag was Pol Durán protagonist of a spectacular comeback after losing ground at the start. However, a double drive-trough penalty cost meant he lost six places, being relegated to eighth in the final standings. On the podium ended Quim González, who achieved third place after overtaking in the final laps the other Speed Car driver, Aleix Costa, when he spun in his fight to win a place within the closed fight to be second after the unattainable Aranda
-> CarCross Junior results (pdf file)
Pictures: CEAX RFEdA press service
