The ASM organised the seventh event of the National Autocross Championship sponsored by ASM and Pasta Poiatti recently.

Motocross racing was scheduled to be run in this ASM activity but due to a remarkable amount of rain water which collected in a part of the track, the Motocross races were postponed for riders’ safety and security.

The days programme of Autocross races included 14 heats and the spectacular final races that count for the Classes “A” and “B” Chamionship points. These races are run with the best six finalists in each class which are run with six cars abreast and last for nine laps along the 1.1Km track.

Christian Galea on his Fiat Ritmo and Patrick Cassar on his Opel won all the three qualifying Heats thus secured their place on the startline of the Class “A” final race.

On the start of the Class “A” final race, Christian Galea on his Fiat, Patrick Cassar on the Opel, Godwin Martin on a Ford Ka and Melo Zammit on an Escort FWD were running abreast right to the first right hand curve but Christian took the lead ahead of Zammit’s Escort and Cassar’s Opel. The race went on with Galea taking advantage of the situation and building a remarkable margin ahead of his followers Zammit and Cassar.

The battle between these latter two drivers went on to the finish flag with Galea and Zammit of Zanu Race Team winning the best two places ahead of current championship leader P. Cassar.

One can imagine that due to the relative speeds on the track both Cassar and Zammit were under the Referee’s eyes for any unsporty deed but both drivers showed true high skills of fast driving on their well prepared competition cars.

The Class “B” final had a very bad result on Josef Abela on a competitive car. Due to probable personal tension on the start line, Abela had two false starts for which he was penalised back to the paddocks, thus losing  all chances of gaining valuable championship race points.

As the red start lights went off, Philip Joe Vella and Mario Scicluna both on Opel cars blasted off and battled for about three laps. Soon Scicluna took the lead and was followed by Vella and Malcolm Borg whom was catching well on Vella and infact, Borg took the lead on Vella.

Close by racing followed with Vella trying to overtake Borg from every angle. This resulted in Vella side-hitting Borg who overturned off-track. Vella was black flagged, thus gaining penalty points in return. Philip Grima, on another Ford Escort, took over and finished a good third overall in Class “B”.  Scicluna kept his pace to the finish flag with James Buttigieg on a Fiesta and Philip Grima on an Escort finishing in second and third place.

Next Sunday’s 22 January event starts at 11am and is to include both the Autocross and Motocross championship races of different categories.