Team Spain earned the first Rally2 gold medal of the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games by winning the Gravel class, and the host country also holds the Overall category lead.
Entering one crew per discipline, the nation laid down the gauntlet across the first three stages on Friday morning as its drivers surged to the top of the times.
The afternoon schedule consisted of three more legs on the mountainous dirt roads to the west of Valencia before climaxing with the Super Special Stage at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
With the latter deciding the medals in Rally2 Gravel, Spain’s Jose Suárez / Alberto Inglesias Pin (Škoda Fabia) built enough of an advantage during the day to secure the victory, while Team Türkiye claimed silver. Lithuania’s Rokas Steponavičius / Dovydas Ketvirtis took bronze
Spain’s Rally2 Overall line-up of Alejandro Cachón / Borja Rozada ended the day with a perfect record. The Toyota GR Yaris duo won every stage to bank an overnight lead of 1:28.2s over the Ford Fiesta of Türkiye’s Ali Türkkan / Oytun Albayrak.
As propshaft issues slowed Team Great Britain, the top three was completed by Alejandro Mauro Sanchez / Adrian Perez from Mexico (Fabia).
Rally2 Overall contestants now face Saturday’s Tarmac stages in a bid to book a place in the all-important Medals Stage on Sunday.
The Rally action resumes tomorrow, with the first stage scheduled to start at 09:43 local time.