2026 FIA European Autocross & Cross Car Championships – Vilkyčiai (Lithuania)

After a year's absence, the Vilkyčiai track returned to host a round of the 2026 FIA European Autocross & Cross Car Championship. The event provided a spectacular show, intense battles, and dramatic action in all categories, despite the inclement weather that affected the weekend's finale. 

Junior Cross Car

The Greek driver, Iliopoulos, secured his second consecutive victory after Bauska, confirming his extraordinary form by once again winning at the wheel of his LifeLive TN11. This commanding performance cements his place among the season's leading lights.
He was followed by Germany's Haaf (LifeLive), who, after a difficult weekend in Latvia, finally managed to secure his first podium of the season, demonstrating a clear turnaround.
Completing the podium was Latvia's Grava (Semog). 

Cross Car Senior

David Méat's dominance continues in the Senior category. The Frenchman scores his third consecutive win of the season with his Speedcar, once again impressing with his pace and consistency throughout the weekend.
Moll is extremely pleased, taking second place after a top-level race. After his serious accident in Latvia, Juanjo finally manages to celebrate his first podium with LifeLive. This result is also significant from a moral perspective, especially after a 2025 season that has been anything but easy.
Vincent Mercier takes third place. The Frenchman continues to establish himself as a benchmark in the category: once again, a top-level performance takes him to the podium, a feat that has become a regular occurrence for the Speedcar Wonder driver. 

Junior Buggy

 

Ladislav Hanák Jr. took his second win of the season, leading his Alfa Racing team to victory thanks to a highly mature race.
Behind him was Tinus Franssen, the Dutchman finishing second after an incredible finale: his car's engine failed on the final corner, forcing him to defend his position until the finish line.
Third place went to Lunák and his Trackline. The young Czech driver added another podium to a very positive season thus far, once again demonstrating his speed and consistency. 

Buggy 1600
 

The championship's most spectacular category delivers one of the most thrilling races!
Jakub Novotný triumphs, taking a stunning victory. After a nasty accident on Saturday that forced him to be checked out in the hospital, the Czech returns to the track on Sunday and even manages to reach the top step of the podium.
Second place goes to Malone Feuillade, the undisputed star of the weekend. After taking pole position and dominating most of the heats up to the semifinal, he only has to surrender in the final to Novotný's comeback after a thrilling battle.
Third place goes to Danny Van den Berg, completing a weekend of great character. He too was involved in an accident on Saturday, but managed to bounce back in the best possible way, securing his first podium of the season. 

SuperBuggy
 

Petr Nikodém finally takes victory in the premier category. With his SuperBuggy Caravan Metropol, the Czech driver takes a significant victory, further increasing his lead over Van Asten in the standings.
Robert Theuil takes second place, finally finding the right feel for a particularly fast track and making the most of the characteristics of his turbo buggy.
Marcus Wibbeler completes the podium. It was a positive weekend for the German driver, who nevertheless managed to deliver an excellent performance on a track where the lack of a turbo engine represented a slight disadvantage compared to his main rivals.

A rain-affected finale
The SuperBuggy final did not come to the expected conclusion. Heavy rainfall made the track extremely wet, prompting race officials to interrupt the race for safety reasons. The final standings were therefore determined based on the final starting grid.
Vilkyčiai's return to the European calendar thus concludes with an intense weekend, full of excitement and marked by great displays of character. With consecutive victories, first podiums of the season, and extraordinary recoveries after Saturday's accidents, the Lithuanian round once again confirmed the allure of the FIA ​​European Autocross.

See you in Germany at the end of the month for round four! 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING AFTER ROUND 3

SUPERBUGGY

1 Petr Nikodem 97p
2 Teun Van Asten 78p
3 Robert Theuil 77p

BUGGY 1600

1 Malone Feuillade 97p
2 Nathan Ottink 72p
3 Jakub Novotny 66p

JUNIORBUGGY

1 LadIslav Hanak JR 101p
2 Tinus Franssen 80p
3 Vojtech Lunak 77p

CROSSCAR SENIOR

1 David Meat 103p
2 Vincent Mercier 81p
3 Bob Schanen 79p

CROSSCAR JUNIOR (after 2 round)

1 Vasileios Iliopoulos 69p
2 Bernardo Bitti 52p
3 Henri Haaf 50p