With a podium finish and two final appearances under his belt, Jason Bleasdale made a strong impression during the Portuguese round of the RallyX series.

While the driver of the spectacular Vauxhall VX220 has established himself as a reference in the UK over recent seasons, Bleasdale made a major impact at Montalegre.

Claiming a podium in Race 1 of the Open 2WD category, followed by a solid fifth place on day two, the British driver capped off what was undoubtedly a successful weekend.

With two Top 3 finishes in the qualifying heats, Bleasdale never dropped out of the Top 8 throughout the event and ended the weekend with the fifth-best overall performance in terms of pure pace.

“To be on the podium in my RallyX debut is simply incredible. The team and I were over the moon—we couldn’t have hoped for more,” said Bleasdale.

“With 19 cars on the entry list, our goal was just to make it to the final and see what we could do from there. But securing a podium definitely takes us into another league.”

Used to competing on British circuits, Bleasdale had to adapt quickly to the unique challenges of the Portuguese circuit.

“Over the last few seasons, I’ve raced in the UK and Ireland, and coming to Montalegre—with its huge kerbs and gravel sections—was a completely different world,” he explained.

“As I mentioned, it was all about learning quickly. We had to adjust the suspension setup because our car doesn’t have much travel.”

“We weren’t sure how aggressively we could hit the kerbs or how high we could ride them. Race 1 was a huge learning experience. I also have to say I was impressed with the Nova tyres—they performed brilliantly. In the semi-final and final, we really pushed hard over the kerbs, and the car handled it beautifully. It caught us by surprise… and I think it surprised quite a few people in the paddock too.”

Though Bleasdale entered the event unsure of how he’d measure up against Europe’s top Open 2WD drivers, his results left little doubt about his capabilities.

“I didn’t really know where I stood compared to the others, but when I compared our Race 1 lap times with guys like Tiger and Johansson, I truly realized the extent of our potential,” he said.

“Hopefully, this momentum continues. The next round at Valkenswaard should suit our car better—it’s flatter and more in line with the car’s characteristics. That should work in our favor, and I really hope we can build on what we showed at Montalegre.”