VALENCIA, SPAIN (Thursday, October 24, 2024) – A trio of Cross Car categories will bring a healthy dose of off-road action to the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia this week, with nations going for honours across Senior, Junior and Mini categories for the first time.
A total of 53 competitors from 29 different nations will take part across the three classes, each using powerful off-road buggies with a host of autocross and rallycross aces vying for glory. The competition will be held at the Aspar Circuit, located 40km south of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
In Senior, 25 nations will gun for glory. Drivers must be aged 16+ and each will handle purpose-built, rear-wheel-drive buggies powered by 600-890cc 3- or 4-cylinder motorcycle engines. Drivers will do battle across a series of heats and semi-finals before a seven-lap final on Sunday afternoon will decide the medals, contested by the 10 fastest entries.
Top of the list is 2022’s gold medallist Team France, which returns with its winning driver David Méat, and he will also face renewed competition from Team Spain driver Ivan Piña, who pushed Méat all the way in the last final in France two years ago. Team Sweden arrives in Spain hoping to add to the bronze medal it scored in 2022, with three-time Swedish champion Sebastian Enholm joining the team this year.
The ladder of progression from the Junior class to Seniors is shown in great effect by entries from the Netherlands and Türkiye, both of which feature drivers graduating to the Senior category for the first time. Gold medallist from 2022’s Junior field Nathan Ottink steps up to represent the Netherlands, while Can Alakoç takes over for Türkiye.
Cross Car Jr
The Junior field is strongly represented with 14 different nations, with talented teenagers aged between 13-15 handling 690cc twin-cylinder-powered buggies. The contest runs to the same format as the Senior, with qualifying, heats and semi-finals used to whittle the field down for the medal-deciding final on Sunday.
With its winning driver graduating this year, Team Netherlands now calls on Pim Vlassak to keep up its winning streak. Of the 2022 field, only one driver returns, with Team Spain sticking with Diego Martinez Gonzalez, who finished fifth in France two years ago and will have eyes set higher this time around.
Silver medallist from the last Games, Team Sweden brings Josefin Holmqvist, while bronze finisher from two years ago Team Belgium has Lucas Cartelle at the helm.
The Mini category makes its debut at this year’s Games, rounding out the trio of Off Road categories, and operates for drivers aged 8-12 all racing identical FIA-supplied Level 1 non-gearbox 2WD Mini Cross Cars. This contest takes place as an elimination tournament, with two drivers from different nations racing head-to-head to progress through a series of qualifying and semi-finals, before an A Final decides the gold and silver medals, and a B Final dishing out the bronze to its winner.
Considering it’s a new addition for this year, it will be an open field for the 14 competing nations, which range from as far afield as Mozambique, Brazil and Peru to European heavy-hitters France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Finland. The field also has the distinction of featuring an almost even split between male and female competitors, showing diversity in the next generation of off-road racers.
Of the female entrants, Alisha Dos Santos Costa handles the Team Mozambique entry, Célie Perrichot represents Team France, Lena Straub races for Team Germany while Merel Hoogstra represents Team Netherlands. Straub and Hoogstra will be the youngest drivers of the whole field at the FIA Motorsport Games being aged 8 years and 1 month, and 8 years and 2 months respectively. Some of the boys to watch include Iivari Männistö for Team Finland, Team Spain’s Hugo Fuertes Hernandez, Michal Hrčka for Team Czechia and Edwin Gjedtjernet Høgberg for Team Norway.
Action for all three Cross Car disciplines gets underway at Aspar Circuit from Friday, 25 October building to the series of finals on Sunday.
Timetable
Entry list Cross Car Sr
Entry list Cross Car Jr
Entry list Cross Car Mini
CROSS CAR MINI
Category Info:
For drivers aged 8-12 years old, racing identical FIA supplied Level 1 non-gearbox 2WD Mini Cross Cars. Elimination tournament, with two drivers from different nations racing head-to-head, through to a B-Final to decide the bronze medallist, while the A-Final will set gold and silver.
Format:
Free Practices: 3 sessions min. of 2 laps each
Qualifying: 2 sessions of 2 laps each
Semi Final: Round of 32 – Round of 16, Quarter Final, Semi Final – 2 Laps
Race: A-Final – 4 laps (Gold and Silver); B-Final 4 Laps (Bronze)
CROSS CAR JUNIOR
Category Info:
For drivers aged 13-15 years old, racing 690cc twin-cylinder 2WD Junior Cross Cars. The 7-lap Final decides the medals.
Format:
Free Practices: 3 sessions of 4 laps each
Qualifying: 3 heats of 5 laps each
Races: 1 Semi-Final of 6 laps + 1 Final of 7 laps
CROSS CAR SENIOR
Category Info:
For drivers aged 16+ years old, racing 600 to 890cc 3- or 4-cylinder 2WD Senior Cross Cars. The 7-lap Final decides the medals.
Format:
Free Practices: 3 sessions of 4 laps each
Qualifying: 3 heats of 5 laps each
Races: 1 Semi-Final of 6 laps + 1 Final of 7 laps