The always spectacular José Ramón Losada circuit hosted the fourth round of the 2023 Spanish Autocross Championship during the first weekend of August. The classic event in Arteixo registered the highest entry of the season so far and produced very different results for the drivers who competed in four of the categories at the wheel of models built by Industrias Lahoz. The second A Coruña event of the season was a resounding success for Pol Durán, who dominated from start to finish with his Speed Car Wonder in the 'Car Cross Series', a category in which Josep Aranda finished fourth. In the 'Buggy' category, Sabino García won the 1.6 Trophy and finished fifth overall with his TTX, while the rest of the Speed Car drivers were less fortunate in the prestigious event in A Coruña.
After setting the second fastest time in the timed session and starting second in the final having won two of his three qualifying heats, Eduard Bañeres was on his way to a well-deserved victory when an unfortunate gearbox failure in his TTR left him with no options, relegating him to eighth position. Three places ahead was Sabino García, who crossed the finish line sixth with his TTX but moved up to fifth place after a penalty for false start to one of the riders in front of him and also took the victory in the Trofeo 1.6, a competition in which he is now at the top of the overall standings.
In Arteixo a third Speed Car competed in the Buggy category, the TTR of Iosu Alberdi, which registered the seventh fastest time in the qualifying session but, after completing the first qualifying round in a promising fourth place, was left out of the competition in the next one.
The Car Cross category was once again particularly competitive in Arteixo with more than forty participants in search of one of the fifteen places in the final. Of the six drivers present with the Speed Car models, the Wonder and the Xtrem, only Pep Arqué managed to get through the demanding qualifying rounds, although being eighth, sixth and fourth in his three heats meant that he had to win his place in the B Final, which he dominated with ease. In the Final A, starting from the penultimate row of the grid, the Speed Car Wonder driver gradually made up positions to cross the chequered flag in ninth position.
Pol Durán took his second victory of the year in the Car Cross Series in Arteixo. The Catalan Speed Car Wonder driver also won in a resounding manner, being the fastest in the timed practice sessions, winning his three qualifying rounds and leading the final from the start to the chequered flag. A total domination that places Pol as leader of the championship with three rounds to go until the end of the season. His closest challenger is his teammate Josep Aranda, who arrived in Arteixo tied on points with Pol but, after being third in the time trial and second in the first two heats, he was affected by a yellow flag in the third, finishing ninth, which sent him to eighth place on the starting grid for the final, from where he came back to finish fourth.
The usual trio of Junior participants in the Speed Cars was completed by Juan Manuel García Pandiella, who continues to add points and experience in each race. On this occasion, the driver from Asturias qualified in eighth position in the final after having been third in his three qualifying rounds.
After having been second twice and third once in his two qualifying heats, Quim González started from the front row of the final but a bad start made him lose positions and although he fought to the maximum during the whole race he could only cross the finish line in seventh position. A result that, in any case, allows the Speed Car Wonder driver to keep the lead in the overall championship, although his advantage over the second classified driver has been reduced after the race in Arteixo.
The other Speed Car representative in Junior was Joan Aranda, who completed the top ten after starting from eleventh position in the starting line-up for the final, which he reached with a fourth and two sixth places in the qualifying rounds.
Pictures: CEAX RFEdA press service
