Rallycross veteran Lane Vacala and BAK40 Motorsports will team up once again, this time in RallyX, starting with the series’ Euro League opener at Circuito Internacional de Montalegre on March 29-30. Vacala will continue in the First Corner FC2, joining a deeply talented Open 4WD entry list with its sights set on Portugal, and returning to RallyX for the full Euro League season after focusing on the United States for the past few years.
“I’m excited to come back to the RallyX series!” says Vacala. “The last time I raced overseas was in 2020 and that was only my second year of racing rallycross. So I’m excited to come back with a lot more experience in these cars and chase some wins. I have unfinished business in this series.”
Vacala and BAK40 have been one of the most formidable combinations in their class in American rallycross for the past few seasons. On their first weekend together after joining up mid-season, Vacala scored back-to-back podiums. In 2023-24, they started off the season with three straight wins on the way to finishing second in points in a battle that came down to the season finale.
“It’s extremely helpful to be with the same group, (and I’m) extremely thankful for Eric bringing me in and to the mechanics who work hard to give us competitive cars,” he says. “I’ve had my most successful seasons with this team and I look forward to building on that. know what to expect with this group and it just makes it easier to focus on the task at hand.
“I’ve made things tough on this crew a few times and they didn’t blink an eye and got my car ready for the next heat and kept me competitive. I have a chance to win or be on the podium every race.”
After numerous years competing with the SuperCar Lites platform, Vacala stepped up to the FC2 with BAK40 last fall and immediately podiumed in his first race with the new car at Richmond Raceway. While the upcycled nature of the new car makes a lot of it familiar, he admits that the FC2 is “a whole different kind of beast.”
“The familiarity of it being essentially the same chassis but with a whole lot more power and attitude has made the transition pretty smooth,” he explains. “There are a few more tools in the FC2 car that the drivers can utilize which just adds another exciting element. The biggest difference that I had to adjust was the shifting change in from the Lites to FC2. Just a muscle memory thing at first but it was an easy adaption.”
While Vacala hasn’t raced at Montalegre yet, he’s kept plenty busy while waiting for another chance to race. Behind the wheel, he’s been keeping his skills sharp with Legends cars; away from it, he’s been studying the track online, working out, and watching footage from his most recent races at Richmond and Utah Motorsports Campus.
“This will be my first trip to Portugal and I’m honestly just most excited to get back behind the wheel and go racing,” he admits. “This break has felt like an eternity and I just want to get back to competing for wins again.”
Tickets for RallyX of Portugal, coming to Circuito Internacional de Montalegre on March 29-30, are on sale now at https://www.rallyx.se/tickets/.