The closing event of the 2022 FIA European Autocross Championship could not have dreamed of such a tempting final act: after a breathtaking season, the two strong men of the premier category, SuperBuggy, presented themselves in Mollerussa as co-leaders –equal on points. This duel was also a clash of generations, between Bernd Stubbe, 37-year-old legend of the discipline and 10 times European Champion, and the young Petr Nikodem, 23, who successfully passed through the JuniorBuggy school, then the Buggy1600.

If the two drivers were again close in performances during the qualifying heats, it was the mechanics that decided the fate of the championship and deprived the spectators of a tug of war that they would have all wanted to see continue until the final race of the season.

Stubbe was leading his semi-final and was on his way to a front row qualification for the final when, with two laps to go, a disturbing smoke emerged from the exhaust of his buggy and forced him to abandon. The way was now clear for Nikodem, who nevertheless made it a point of honour to win the final with panache, thus claiming his first European SuperBuggy title.

Regular finalist throughout the season, and winner at home last summer (St-Georges-de-Montaigu), the Frenchman Johnny Feuillade finished the season in third place.

The suspense was also sustained in the Nations Cup, where the ranking is based on the best scores of the first drivers of each country, all categories included. Undefeated since this competition was created 22 years ago, the Czech Republic felt the breath of the French in its wake until the end of the season. Only two points, out of a total of 846, separated the two nations at the threshold of the last round in Spain. In a final burst of pride, the Czechs proved to be unstoppable to reaffirm their hold on the trophy that they have jealously guarded for more than two decades.

The Spanish event was also decisive in the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy, where all drivers aged between 13 and 16 compete on an equal footing on identical equipment provided on a turnkey basis by the company LifeLive. Although he was beaten in the final by Valentino Ledda, his main rival during the season, Spain's Miguel Gayoso Vazquez won the overall final classification.

In the other three categories, the names of the 2022 Champions were known before this final meeting in Spain.

In the Buggy1600 category, Kevin Peters from Luxemburg was impressive, so much so that he was assured of his first European title in the last round of the season. In the final ranking, he finished ahead of Holland’s Styn Jaspers, France’s Thomas Christol, Czech Jakub Novotny, winner in Mollerussa, and Andrei Maxian from Moldavia.

The Czechs monopolised the podium in the JuniorBuggy category, with Arnost Florian, Daniel Pytloun and Filip Durt in order. Two female drivers, Eliska Pytlounova and Malone Feuillade, were in the final Top 10.

Finally, in the Senior Cross Car category, Frenchman David Méat has succeeded himself with seven podiums (including five wins) in eight races.

Link to the final standings of the 2022 FIA European Autocross Championship: here.

Link to the photo gallery of 2022 FIA EuroAX last round in Spain: here.