Published 20.05.2026

From Vienna to Porto: A Last-Minute Fix Before the Race

When Lukáš Keller’s Mitsubishi differential failed just days before Falperra, X Shift CEO František Macho personally flew to Porto with gearbox parts in his luggage to keep the FIA European Hill Climb Championship campaign alive.

In motorsport, sometimes weeks of preparation make the difference. And sometimes, just a few hours.

Only a few days before the legendary Falperra hillclimb in Portugal, Lukáš Keller found himself in a situation that could have meant the end of the entire race weekend before it had even started. During an event in Spain, the internal part of the differential was damaged, and without a rapid repair there was no chance of preparing the car for the next round of the FIA European Hill Climb Championship.

On Tuesday evening, the final decision was made on how to solve the situation.

There was no waiting around. No excuses. It was simply time to act.

Shortly after midnight, X Shift Gearboxes CEO František Macho boarded a flight from Vienna to Porto carrying 16.5 kg of parts in his luggage. Meanwhile, Lukáš arranged a workshop in Portugal so the work could begin immediately after arrival.

As soon as František landed, Lukáš was already waiting outside the airport on a scooter.

From that moment on, everything moved quickly. His Mitsubishi gearbox was completely disassembled, the damaged differential parts replaced, and the entire assembly carefully checked once again to make sure the car was ready to get back into battle.

Because this is often what motorsport really looks like behind the scenes. Long nights, improvised workshops, pressure, logistics, and people willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the car gets to the start line.

Because when people truly want to make something happen, they find a way.

And in the end, Falperra made it all worth it. Against a very strong European field, Lukáš Keller finished in an impressive 25th place overall.

Congratulations!