Belgian teenager Emilien Allart opened his account in the 2023 FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy this weekend (June 24-25) with victory in the first round of the season at the Matschenberg Offroad Arena near Dresden, Germany.

Allart put the experience gained from competing in the 2022 FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy to good use in order to master the 0.83 km forest circuit.

Undaunted by the experience or the challenges of a venue that is famous for its 30-metre elevation change, the young charger was among a Belgian 1-2-3 after the timed practice sessions, lining up alongside series newcomers Lucas Cartelle and Jordan Genten on the front row of the grid for the first heat.

The second row saw Spanish racer Diego Martinez Gonzalez line up alongside another returning talent to the series, Italian youngster Matteo Bernini. Monegasque Tomas Pregliasco, Belgian Marius Debuisson and Argentinean Juan Manuel Grigera Rossi filled the third row while Germany’s Bryan Neumeyer and Italian Alexander Karim Mancusi held the fourth.

Genten got away fastest with Allart behind him as the field streamed up Matschenberg’s towering front straight and the pair began to pull away as the chasing pack began to jostle for position. On the second lap, third-placed Gonzalez found himself in a tangle with Cartelle which ended their race, allowing Bernini through ahead of the rest of the field.

With the race result deciding the grid order for the second heat, Genten once again bested Allart in a two-way fight at the front while the drive of the race was that of Cartelle, who scythed through the pack from tenth to third. Pregliasco went off on the final lap and Neumeyer’s promising performance was blunted by a 10 second penalty for jumping the start.

The final heat saw Allart get the drop on Cartelle and pull out half a second’s lead which he was able to maintain to the flag as the pair traded fastest laps with Genten third ahead of Gonzalez in a battle which saw Neumeyer drop out with two laps to go.  

This put the three fastest qualifiers back on the front row for the seven-lap final with Bernini all alone in the swarm of Belgians on the second row alongside Marius Debuisson. Gonzalez sat in the middle of the third row between Argentinean Juan Manuel Grigera and Neumayer, with Pregliasco and Mancusi at the back of the grid.

Genten got away fastest from Allart as Cartelle and Debuisson held each other up, allowing Bernini to nip through to third from Gonzalez and Neumeyer. Allart then challenged Genten for the lead on the second lap and came off considerably better than his countryman, who retired. 

Cartelle and Debuisson began to make back some ground, both passing Neumeyer, but could do little to overhaul the leaders. In the end, Cartelle was called before the stewards and disqualified for having overtaken Debuisson under a waved yellow flag.

The victorious Allart said: “I am so happy to have won here in Matschenberg. I have been working hard on my driving since last year and it was a tough fight with Jordan and Lucas particularly but winning feels so good.”

Final results: