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Joan Vinyes i Jordi Mercader (Citroën C3 Rally2) van aconseguir la quarta posició al Rallye de Cáceres, prova puntuable per al Campionat d’Espanya de Ral·lis de Terra, signant així el seu millor resultat de la temporada. L’equip andorrà va lluitar pel podi fins al darrer tram. Excel·lent inici…
La delegació de la Federació Motociclista d’Andorra (FMA) ha tancat la seva participació al Trial de les Nacions d’Arteixo, a Galícia, amb uns resultats que confirmen una bona progressió
El cap de setmana (dies 26 i 27 de setembre) va permetre veure novament els dos Toyota GR86 de l’equip andorrà a la pista.
With one race left, last weekend Joan Vinyes Dabad mathematically secured the title in the senior category after finishing second on the podium at the Los Arcos circuit (Navarra).
This second place also consolidates his position as the overall second-placed driver in the championship, ahead of the last event of the season at Jarama.
The weekend of the Toyota GR Cup Spain at Los Arcos had two faces for the Vinyes Dabad team. Mechanical issues prevented Joan Vinyes from fighting for the top spots in the first race, but his reaction the next day (yesterday, Sunday) was decisive: a second place that allowed him to mathematically secure the champion title this season.
With the support of Andbank and Toyota Motors Andorra, the veteran driver completed a demanding weekend marked by his ability to overcome adversity. It is worth noting that the Navarra result allows him to arrive at the last event of the calendar well positioned in the overall second place.
The first day began with good prospects for the experienced driver of the Vinyes Dabad team. The driver from Andorra la Vella achieved the third-best time in qualifying practice, a position that opened the door for him to fight for the leading positions.
The start confirmed the driver's good feelings, maintaining a comfortable third position behind Marcos de Diego and Marco Aguilera.
Everything seemed to be on track for a good result, but the situation took an unexpected turn on the third lap when the Andorran began to experience serious problems with the gearbox. Faced with the inability to change gears, the driver was forced to pit. After checking the gearbox, the Eficar team confirmed the worst possible scenario: the breakage of a joint in the actuation mechanism. This meant the end of the race for him.
The positive note for the team came through his son Joan Vinyes Jr. The young driver was able to improve his performance compared to practice, where he had not managed to find the rhythm he needed.
Fortunately, in the race, Vinyes Jr. gradually gained positions until he crossed the finish line in a hard-fought eighth place.
The second day started very similarly to what happened on Saturday. Joan Vinyes again placed third in qualifying practice, while Vinyes Jr. obtained the tenth position.
When it came to the real deal, Joan Vinyes delivered an excellent start that allowed him to move up to second right from the beginning. However, the race was soon affected by an incident between two participants, which forced the race to be neutralized with the deployment of the safety car.
The intervention allowed the removal of the involved vehicles, but it also considerably reduced the time available (11 minutes) to complete the race.
Marco Aguilera, leading the pack, gradually increased his advantage, while Vinyes focused on defending the second position.
In the final stretch, the Andorran driver had to manage problems with the front tire pressure, which was complicated given the continued attacks from Daniel Losada, the champion of the previous season. Despite this, Vinyes kept his cool and managed to fend off Losada until crossing the finish line in second place.
As mentioned, thanks to this result, Joan Vinyes was mathematically crowned senior champion of the Toyota GR Cup Spain 2026, a title that rewards the consistency and competitiveness of the driver throughout the championship.
In contrast, this second race was not easy at all for Joan Vinyes Jr. The young driver started strong, in fact, he was able to gain three positions quickly. Unfortunately, in his case, the incident at the first corner irreparably affected him. At the moment of dodging the vehicles that remained in the middle of the track, he almost went off the track. In the end, he managed to avoid it, but the maneuver relegated him to the last positions, just as the SC entered.
Once the race resumed, Vinyes Jr. started a comeback, but the remaining time of the race didn’t allow for much. He eventually finished in tenth place.
Jarama will close the season
The Toyota GR Cup Spain will reach its last event of the season at the end of October at Jarama (Madrid). Joan Vinyes will arrive with the peace of mind of having secured the senior title, but also with the objective of defending the overall second position in the championship.
