After Saturday’s first heat, the field of identical LifeLive TN5 machines formed a fresh grid based upon their finishing order early on Sunday morning. Heavy overnight rain had meanwhile waterlogged the loose clay surface and made for treacherous racing conditions.

The first casualty of the conditions was none other than Gayoso Vazquez, who spun out of second place at the end of the first lap and proceeded to attempt to make a u-turn, causing two more cars to come off as they tried to miss him.

Italy’s Matteo Bernini and Belgians Emilien Allart and Romauld Demelene would all join Gayoso Vazquez in not completing a lap. They were soon joined by Norway’s Eirik Steinsholt, who fell on the second lap, leaving Valentino Ledda in a healthy lead from local hero Stanislav Brousek.

Ledda, winner of the opening event at Matschenberg in May and just one point off the championship lead coming into the Prerov fixture, looked imperious early on. Then Brousek began to close on the Italian, reeling him in before diving past to take a dramatic victory on the final corner.

Behind this thrilling lead battle came the 2022 FIA Cross Car Academy’s only female racer so far, Cypriot Tara Laconico, who threaded her way through the carnage in the early laps and then drove to the conditions brilliantly to record a confidence-boosting heat result in third.

The final heat took place in less extreme conditions after the track had been dried by action from the various classes of the FIA European Autocross Championship and national series runners. Brousek and Ledda shot off in front of Laconico, with the rest of the pack jostling behind.

Brousek would prevail to take his second heat win, with Ledda once again second while in third place was Gayoso Vazquez after a scintillating recovery drive after battling though the rest of the field.

All eyes were on the front row for the points-paying final as Brousek, Ledda and Gayoso Vazquez lined up alongside each other, the three youngsters having been the class of the field throughout the weekend.

Ledda just squeezed through into the early lead while Gayoso Vazquez had to lift momentarily, finding himself fighting German youngster Samuel Drews through the first lap.

Soon the three front-runners were back together, with Drews in close attendance, and in the pitched battle Ledda was forced wide and suffered a puncture, dropping him back through the field. Brousek mounted a stern challenge but Gayoso Vazquez was not to be denied, pulling clear on the final lap to take the winner’s pyrotechnic display.

Brousek’s second place elevated him to second in the overall points for the season, with Ledda’s misfortune dropping him to third. Drews did enough to keep the leaders in his sights with the points for third place, while Allart put in arguably the drive of the day in climbing from seventh at the start to fourth at the finish.

Demelene and Steinsholt put their troubled heats behind them to finish fifth and sixth respectively, in front of Matteo Bernini, the luckless Ledda and Laconico.

“It was a very difficult race,” said Gayoso Vazquez at the finish. “It was raining, the conditions were very difficult but finally I am very happy to win here, I love this circuit. All the jumps and uphill and downhill… it’s something very special.

“With two races left in the championship it is good to be at the top of the points, but it won’t be easy. I can’t wait for the next event because the atmosphere between the drivers and the LifeLive team is fantastic. I’m delighted just to be part of the Cross Car Academy.”

The action will continue in Italy, where Valentino Ledda will be keen to claw back some ground in the points table on home soil at Maggiora on September 24-25 before the final showdown in Spain at the Mollerussa facility on October 8-9.

For full points standings please visit HERE (https://www.fia.com/events/european-autocross-championship/season-2022/classifications)

For live timing and results from Prerov, please visit HERE (https://www.chronomoto.hu/fiaautocross/onb/index.php?event=AX_2022_07)

For further information on the FIA Cross Car Academy please visit HERE (https://www.xcacademytrophy.com)

To watch highlights from the first round of the 2022 FIA Cross Car Academy season, please visit HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC6f6A-rxgg)

To watch highlights of the second round of the 2022 FIA Cross Car Academy season, please visit HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmgS2cS7keU)

Credit: Vera/Mirek Benes