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Category: Cross Country Rally
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Two-time winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi tops bumper motorcycle entry
Amman (Jordan), 8 Feb. 2022: Riders and Drivers from 20 nations are set to storm the 2022 Jordan Baja, organised by Jordan Motorsport from Tuesday which will culminate next weekend counting for the FIA World and Middle East Cups for Cross-Country Bajas and the FIM Bajas World Cup.
The Saudi Arabian duo of Yazeed Al-Rajhi and last year’s winner Yasir Seaidan top the FIA T1 category, where they line-up alongside Czech veteran Miroslav Zapletal and fellow Saudi Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri.
The fiercest competition is likely to come in the FIA T3 and T4 categories: 12 Can-Am Mavericks will contest the T3 lightweight prototype section and a further seven will line-up in T4.
Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif may see himself as the pre-event favourite to win T3 but rivals from the UAE, Spain, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Portugal include Dania Akeel – the 2021 T3 World Champion in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies – Fernando Alvarez, Filipe Nascimento, Pavel Silnov and Thomas Bell.
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri will arrive in the Hashemite Kingdom straight from competing in this weekend’s Qatar International Rally. He will replace a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X for a less powerful Can-Am all-terrain vehicle and faces the likes of the experienced Dutchman Kees Koolen, Brazil’s Cristiano de Sousa, Lithuania’s Valeiša Egidijus and Spain’s Eduard Pons across some of the most spectacular and challenging terrain in Jordan’s world renowned Wadi Rum and Wadi Araba.
Twenty-three motorcycles, six quads and two SSVs will tackle the opening round of the FIM Bajas World Cup. At the head of the two-wheel field, two-time event winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi (2019 and 2021) lines up against the likes of local rider Abdullah Abu Aisha, Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti and additional bikers from Australia, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Saudi Arabian riders dominated last year’s FIM Bajas World Cup and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri, Hani Al-Noumesi and Faisal Al-Suwayh top a six-strong field that also includes local entrant Saif Al-Abbadi on his Yamaha 450 YF.
Jordan Motorsport is also running a National status rally behind the main FIA Baja. A dozen crews have entered this category, with Al-Mashna Al-Shammeri leading the way in his Nissan Patrol from competitors representing Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Gaith Qubti, Al-Hassan Khatib and Hashem Kalbouneh represent the host nation.
The Jordan Baja will be based at the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort, while the start and finish will take place at the Old Port in Aqaba City on the Red Sea.
Support for the 2022 Jordan Baja comes from Mountain Dew, Budget, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), Hala and Bliss FM.
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Mathias Walkner fastest at Yas Marina SSS
Abu Dhabi (UAE), 6 Nov, 2021: Austria’s new FIM Cross-Country Rallies World champion Matthias Walkner was fastest on this afternoon’s Yas Island Super Special Stage, the first action in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
Competitor comments from Yas Marina Circuit after Press Conference
Autos
Yazeed Al Rajhi / Michael Orr (SAU / GBR)
“Everyone is here to win this race, and I am no different. I have a good feeling going into this one as it is such a pleasure going over the dunes. We need this good feeling and I think I have a nice taste going into this one, and that’s very important for an event like this.
“I hope all will go well for everyone and we can all come out of this safely after five days. Nasser is a worthy and tough competitor and we need to push maximum going against him. We will step forward with our best as we look ahead to getting prepared for Dakar.”
Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi / Wouter Rosegaar (ARE / NLD)
“I think as a family we are all really glad to be back after this pandemic. We’ve done well to contain this, and all credit for this goes to our leaders.
“I am happy to be in my home event. It’s been a while since I last drove, so you can imagine the feeling inside of me just heading out into the desert and taking in the beauty and being out there on the dunes. No doubt, it’s a different car this time, but we need to continue evolving and promoting this new car with the future in mind.”
Nasser Al Attiyah / Mathieu Baumel (QAT / AND)
“My heartfelt thanks to the organisers led by Mohammed Ben Sulayem for keeping this event alive and active for the past 30 years. Thanks also to the Abu Dhabi Government for putting all measures in place so that everyone can be safe and secure during this pandemic time.
“Personally, I love to come to one of the best races in the world as it also doubles up as an ideal preparation for Dakar.”
Yahya Al Helei / Khalid Al Kindi (ARE / ARE)
“I have been part of this rally for the past 30 years, and it is a matter of pride that I have been able to represent my country every time I have been out there in the desert. This in itself is a big challenge.
“At most times, I have been my sponsor, and when I look behind I think it is money well spent for a genuine cause.
“The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the toughest rallies in the world, and I have known some of the top drivers waiting to follow me over the dunes due to my knowledge of this terrain.
“That said, I have been fortunate all my life. I raced first with a champion team, and over the years I have been blessed to mingle and meet some of the best drivers from across the world. I have learned a lot and this has been the biggest positive of my career.”
Jakub Przygonski / Timo Gottschalk (POL / DEU)
“I cannot explain to you the thrill I feel at being here again. It’s one of the nicest sand in the world, and at times I wish we could have this sort of sand back home in Poland.
“Secondly, it is the unique atmosphere and experience that keeps me going here. I started with the bikes, but now I am with the cars. This is a unique challenge for me, and I will try to be competitive here as the field gets bigger and bigger and nicer and nicer.”
Mansour Al Helei / Abdulla Dakhan (ARE / ARE)
“I am really happy to be back here as this event holds a special place for me as I made my debut here in 2010. I have talent, but I only need a bit of support from everyone so that I can achieve what I dream of.
“I am still in my 20s, and I want to improve and I want to leave a mark in my sport over the next few years. ADCB has been a huge support for me in this event and I am glad to be part of their vision.
“My dream in the future is to be one of the top drivers in the world. I give myself another ten years to achieve this goal.”
Motos
Mohammed Al Balooshi (UAE)
“I’m very excited to be part of the 30th edition. This rally is unique, it is abig challenge. You cannot find any of this terrain anywhere in the world.
“I’m very proud to be an Emirati participating in this rally and it is a boost for my Academy. I believe it falls on my shoulders and it’s my responsibility to passon my knowledge to the new generation. This is how I would like to beremembered, my legacy.
“Riding bikes is an experience that keeps you on the edge and this is what helps me feel most alive and drives my passion for the sport, Nothing can compare to this feeling, not fast cars or rally cars.”
Adrien Van Beveren (FRA)
“I’m really excited to be here. It’s my first time in Abu Dhabi but I know a little bit about the area, the dunes, because I have been training for a few weeks inDubai.
“Sand dunes are my favourite surface because I was born in the North of France where
we used to ride in beach races so it’s super cool for me to be racing here.
“I’ve had a good year of races. I was third in Kazakhstanand fifth in Morocco recently. I feel ready for this rally and of course the Dakar Rally next year.
“It’s been a long time without racing due to the pandemic, but now I feel likeengaging with my sport again. I’m currently in the third position and will try to do my best to end the year on a high note.”
Rafal Sonik (POL)
“The UAE desert has always been very, very challenging. My first rally here was in 2009 in March and it was the biggest challenge in the desert for me besides theDakar.
“I had to learn a lot and I’m still learning after 12 years. There is a balance of pleasure and challenge coming here year after year, I feel privileged that we can do it again. Because I’m probably one of the oldest participants (55) this unique privilege has grown and grown.
“Quad is my focus in off-road because I think that the bike is like a camel or a horse. I know some motorbikers don’t like my theory but the Quad is the mostevolutionary vehicle. It requires a lot of care and respect. It has the smallest wheels and smallest shock so you have to be gentle be careful.
Leading times (provisional):
1. Matthias Walkner (AUT) / KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica / 1 5:10.4
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS) / GASGAS 450 Rally Factory Replica / 1 5:12.0
3. Ross Branch (BWA) / Yamaha WR450 F01 Rally / 1 5:12.4
4. Franco Caimi (ARG) / Hero 450 Rally / 1 5:18.0
5. Andrew Short (USA) / Yamaha WR450 F01 Rally / 1 5:18.4
6. Sebastian Buhler (DEU) / Hero 450 Rally / 1 5:22.0
7. Joaquim Rodrigues (PRT) / Hero 450 Rally / 1 5:25.2
8. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA) / Yamaha WR450 F01 Rally / 1 5:34.0
9. Aaron Mare (ZAF) / KTM 450 Rally / 1 5:38.8
10. Konrad Dabrowski (POL) / KTM 450 Rally Replica / 1 5:38.8
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J Rod to spearhead Hero Motosports challenge
Abu Dhabi (UAE), 4 Nov 2021: Indian Hero Motosports team will launch its campaign in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with 39-year Joaquim Rodriques spearheading a three-rider team at the 30th anniversary team that begins on Friday.
More accomplished 33-year Franco Caimi of Argentina, who finished 8th overall in Dakar 2020 will join the Baja India 2018 winner J Rod, who went on to win the Pan Africa Rally in 2019 and youngster 26-year Sebastian Bubler of Portugal, the reigning 2020 FIM Bajas World Cup winner. The Hero team finished in top-10 in the recent outing at Rallye du Maroc.
The team will not have the popular Indian face in CS Santosh, who suffered a major crash in Dakar 2020. However, he wished the team in an Insta post on Thursday. “Reborn today! It’s almost like that after making my way to Abu Dhabi to see the team get ready for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and seeing the bikes being unboxed for the first time again after 2013 when I did the Desert Challenge as a privateer with @probikesdubai ! Great to see my family again for the first time this year after the Dakar Rally! I love all these guys and I definitely love the privilege I have to race Cross Country Rally with them,” the ace cross country rider and, the first Indian to finish Dakar said tagging his team Hero Motorsports. The Red Bull athelete has taken a recovery time of over six months and had only started training recently and is yet plan his competitive activities and is hoping to kickstart his work for Dakar 2022.
Khalid Al Qassimi, whose victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge four years ago propelled his rallying career in a new direction, says the event can help attract more young Emirati talent into motorsport in the years ahead.
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge provided the perfect platform for Al Qassimi’s switch from the World Rally Championship to cross country, and winning his home event in 2017 proved to the UAE star that he could mix it with the best on a new world stage.
“I wanted to try something different, so having the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to turn to was perfect,” said the Abu Dhabi Racing founder and former FIA Middle East rally champion, who lines up in the 30th anniversary event starting on Saturday alongside Dutch co-driver Wouter Rosegaar in a PH-sport Zephir T3. “Winning it showed me I had what it takes to go to the top level in off road rallying.”
Al Qassimi’s 2017 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge victory was the first by a UAE driver since Mohammed Mattar in 1992, and led him to FIA World Cup 2WD title. He wants to see new UAE talent on the podium in the future, and backs plans by the Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO) to use the rally as an important part of motor sport development.
Khalid Al Qassimi – “If we’re smart, we’ll find more drivers.” “There is talent out there, and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge can help bring more young people into the sport,” he says. “It shows them there’s a chance to compete at world level, just like the Dakar Rally is doing in Saudi Arabia. If we’re smart, we’ll find more drivers.”
As the the cars, buggies, bikes and quads sweep across the dramatic Al Dhafra dunes next week, ADNOC Distribution, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will play a vital role, with mobile refuelling bases, as well as fixed refuelling stations at the rally bivouac, keeping the rally flowing.
Bader Saeed Al Lamki, CEO, ADNOC Distribution, said: “We are delighted to again support the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, an event that truly showcases the vibrancy and diversity of the UAE’s landscape. Our expertise in providing quality fuel for a wide range of vehicles ensures that the engines are well equipped to handle the challenges faced, as riders battle the elements in this fantastic event.”
ADNOC Distribution also supplies fuelling facilities for the Abu Dhabi Aviation helicopters to provide potentially life-saving aerial Search and Rescue support for the medical crews on permanent standby to be taken to the aid of competitors needing attention.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the EMSO and FIA Vice President for Sport, said: “We’re very grateful to ADNOC Distribution for being a loyal and vitally important supporter of the rally over the years. Added to the fuel and facilities they deliver throughout the event, we appreciate the genuine enthusiasm they show for each edition of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.”
No driver starting the penultimate round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies knows the event as well as veteran UAE competitor Yahya Al Helei, who marks his own unique Desert Challenge 30th anniversary.
He maintains his 100% appearance record with Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick Up, and no-one takes more pride in Al Helei’s incredible run in the event than son Mansour, who started rallying as his father’s co-driver.
Mansour was given his break as a driver when Khalid Al Qassimi launched the Abu Dhabi Racing junior team in 2014, sending a group of young Emiratis into the Middle East Rally Championship, and the Junior World Rally Championship.
The mentor and his protégé were team-mates again at this year’s Dakar Rally, Al Helei finishing inside the top 30 on his first attempt while Al Qassimi grabbed seventh place.
With Mansour starting the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge alongside Abdulla Dakhan in a T4 CAN-AM Maverick, the EMSO hopes to see more young Emiratis following his pathway.
That’s a sentiment shared by top Emirati rider Mohammed Al Balooshi, the multiple Arab moto cross champion who runs his own academy in Dubai and in 2018 became the first winner of the FIM Bajas World Cup title from the GCC region.
The KTM rider enters another Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge a week after seeing his bid for a second World Cup crown reduced by mechanical problems in Portugal to fourth place in the standings.
“This is my home event, and I love what it has done for my development as a rider, and the chance it gives to young Arabs to test themselves against the best in the world,” said Al Balooshi.
Among the young Emiratis relishing such an opportunity this time is Yamaha quad rider Abdulaziz Ahli, who takes on six-times FIM World Cup quads champion Rafal Sonik as the Pole seeks his third Desert Challenge crown.
The 30th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes place under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region. The rally is supported by the Ruler’s Representative Court Al Dhafra Region, the UAE Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Aviation, National Ambulance, Abu Dhabi Police, ADNOC Distribution, Yas Island, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Al-Ain Water and Tadweer.
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Aishwarya raring to go: MRF Mogrip Bike rally Nationals
Bengaluru, 21 October 2021: World Cup winner Aishwarya Pissay along with TVS Racing teammates R Nataraj, Rajendra RE and Abdul Waheed, all in the feature event, will lead an array of riders in Rally de Bengaluru, the second round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI National Rally Championship 2w – 2021 here on Sunday.
The National Rally Championship for bikes organised by Ace Events, Puttur returns to Bengaluru amidst much excitement as it attracted about 80 riders from all over the country. The 2019 Overall champion Rajendra RE, who began the season with a bang in the first round at Hampi will have to ward off challenge from defending champion Nataraj and Waheed. Former champions Imran Pasha, Sachin D, Samuel Jacob will be fighting out in Super Sport 260cc Class. Local star Yuvakumar and Satyaraj Arumugam of Combatore, both from Hero Motosports, along while Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram and experienced Venu Ramesh Kumar from Coimbatore, Jatin Jain and Badal Doshi from Vashi, all privateers, will start favourites in their respective classes.
Aishwarya Pisssay, the 2019 FIM World Cup Baja winner, leads the championship table ahead of youngster Tanika Shanbagh of Satara and Ryhana Bee of Chennai. “I have important upgrades to my bike and with such a well-tuned RTR Apache, I feel confident going into the rally,’’ said Aishwarya, who came back after an injury layoff, winning her class and a creditable 5th in the Rally of Himalayas and continued to dominate the Rally Nationals in Round 1 at Hampi. Tanika, showed glimpses of her talent finishing ahead of Sprint champion Ryhana, who will be looking to bounce back here.
Of the total distance of around 100km, the Special Stage rally distance would be around 51km with two physical stages of Jupiter (11.53km) and Mars (8.1km) run thrice each at MotoFarm, near Kanakapura, in the same direction, alternately on dirt roads closed to traffic. The Ceremonial Start will be held on Saturday at 4.30pm at MotoFarm, Kanakapura. The competitive stages kick-off at 8am on Sunday. Riders garner points in each round and there will 11 classes which will count for National titles apart from the Overall rider and Team champions after all six rounds. There will also be a Star of Karnataka, the support race and close to Rs.2 lakh prize money and Trophies are awarded.
“All safety precautions were taken care of and we are strictly following the Government’s COVID19 protocol. The route will be closed for general public and trained Marshals and HAM operators will be at key points to oversee the rally. We have also made RTPCR test mandatory for all outstation riders,” said Aakash Aithal, Clerk of the Course.
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Nostalgic Nazir Hoosein memorial drive brings Himalayan fraternity together
New Delhi, October 16: Two years into a pandemic that has brought the world to a grinding halt, nostalgia is the one thing that has endured. With systems slowly coming back to normal and sporting events slowly finding their feet in a new landscape, a desire to travel, relive and experience the great outdoors has never been more palpable. Motorsports in India is slowly getting back in gear, with events lining up for a new season and kicking things off is one that is as much rooted in the past as it is a signifier of the way ahead.
The Nazir Hoosein Memorial Drive by Team Firefox was officially launched today in a virtual press conference with former winners, participants and dignitaries sharing their memories of an event and a pioneer who reshaped Indian motorsport.
“Once we saw things slowly opening up, some of us involved with the motorsport community decided that we should do a drive, something to hark back the good times,” Rajan Syal said. “That idea snowballed into doing something to commemorate Nazir Hoosein.”
Hoosein was a founder member of his club, the Indian Automotive Racing Club (IARC) and was former President of the Federation of MotorSport Clubs of India (FMSCI) in 1984/85. While his pioneering administrative work paved the way for many motorsport enthusiasts in the country, Hoosein is perhaps most fondly remembered for founding an event that reshaped Indian motorsport — the Himalayan Rally.
Hoosein’s original desire, that the event showcase Indian motorsport as well as the diaspora of the country remains the driving motivation behind this memorial event too. Gaurav Gill, a multiple time FIA Asia Pacific Rally champion remembers the Himalayan Rally shaping his interest in motorsport in his formative years. “I heard about it as a young child and it really drove my passion for rallying. I am very happy to see this tribute to the iconic rally route in the Himalayas seeing such good participation and look forward to its great success.”
The first edition, held in 1980 was based on a safari rally format. Since then the concept stuck, with international participants supporting the format and the course itself. The Himalayan Rally would form the spine of the Indian motorscape in the 80s, and winners — most notably Jayant Shah — often turning into overnight celebrities in the country.
“Nazir was a man of vision, and the Himalayan Rally brought international rallying to India,” Farokh Commissariat said. “This year we also celebrate the 50th year of the IARC and it is fitting that the rally will allow us to pay tribute to him in a manner deserving of his stature.”
NHMD will follow the original route from the 1981 edition, with a 100 car field kicking off from Greater Noida on November 8th. The first stop will be Lansdowne (8th), followed by Mussoorie (9th) and Kufri (10th). On the 11th, drivers will tackle the iconic route of the original rally — the Jalori Pass before halting in Manali. The final day will see participants cross over the Rohtang pass before concluding the drive in Manali. “The idea was to recreate the original route, for various reasons. In 40 years, a lot of the landscape has changed, and it will be interesting for former participants as well as fans to experience it,” Syal said.
“I am delighted to be part of this wonderful tribute to Mr Nazeer Hoosein,” Mohan Nagarajan, Chairman Sidvin Energy Engineering said. “Going back and tracing the iconic Himalayan Rally route will be a wonderful experience not just for me but for all members of the motorsports community of India.” -
Harith Noah successfully completes Rally of Morocco
Zagora, 13 October 2021: Ace Indian rider KN Harith Noah successfully completed the tough Rallye du Maroc after finishing the last stage 23rd, for a creditable overall 20th to brush aside his rustiness and start preparations for Dakar 2022 in right earnest. The Kerala rider, who became the top-Indian finisher in Dakar, is backed by Sherco TVS factory team. Noah clocked 19hours, 05minutes and 31seconds for the overall timing with a 1:52:11sec in the shortened fifth stage, just 12:59sec off the leader P Quintanilla of Monster Energy Honda team.
Meanwhile, despite this last stage being shortened for logistical reasons, it was no stroll in park ! The profile of this final loop resembled that of the first stage with the same start and finishing point. However the route through the Chegaga Erg was all new. Warned rally boss David Castera: “The rally’s not over yet. Save some strength for the end”.
ROAD BOOK
Stage 5
Distances : L1: 142 / SS: 166 / L2 : 143 – Total : 412
ON TRACK
In the bikes, the last 166 kms of the 2021 Rallye du Maroc went more or less as anticipated. Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) started third on the road this morning to win the special and with it the rally, second time out with his new team. Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) started 2nd kept his podium position and win the FIM World Championship. And opening the piste this morning Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas Factory) managed to limit the damage to an absolute minimum to finish third on the special and overall. All of course much easier said than done, when you have riders of the calibre of Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) ready to pounce at the slightest opportunity. In Rally2 Bradley Cox (BAS Dakar KTM) confirmed all the promise he has shown this week by winning his first ever rally raid special just 1:20 ahead of fellow rookie Mason Klein (BAS Dakar KTM) who wins the class by a more than comfortable 54:58 ahead of the Italian Paolo Lucci. In Enduro Cup Afriquia the Moroccan Amine Echiguer (KTM OCP) took yet another stage victory to win is class. Fastest Rally2 quad was Manuel Andújar (Team 7240) while in Enduro Cup Afriquia it was Axel Dutrie (Yamaha Drag’on) who takes the honours.
In the cars Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) took his 6th Rallye du Maroc victory and with it the lead in the FIA World Cup Championship. In the T3 class for lightweight prototypes the win went to the Russian Pavel Lebedev (Moscow Rally Team). In T4, contender Michal Goczal (Energylandia) woke up to a surprise this morning, rival Aron Domzala’s CanAm (Monster Energy Can-Am) stripped down to its bare bones. Psychological warfare that appears to have paid off with, Goczal breaking his rear suspension and ‘gifting’ Domzala the class win (7th overall at 2h20:02). In Open Patrick Prot (Revival Aventures) takes the top spot while in the trucks victory goes to Gerrit Zuumond (Man TGA).
RADIO BIVOUAC
The Toyota Auto Body entered the Open class for this edition of the Rallye du Maroc to prepare for the future and carry out tyre tests under race conditions before the next Dakar. This will be the last appearance in Morocco for the two diesel powered Land Cruiser VDJ 200 Auto Body cars. They will race in T2 in Saudi Arabia in a few week’s time before retiring and giving way to the new Land Cruiser 300. Farewell to the V8 diesel.
STAT OF THE DAY : 1506
That’s the number of special stage kilometres that the FIM and FIA drivers covered on this edition of the Rallye du Maroc. In all those kilometres the new Toyota Hilux Gazoo Racing T1+ that was being tested by Erik Van Loon suffered zero puintures! Equipped with new 37-inch wheels, the four future official Toyota Gazoo Racing cars for the next Dakar should spend much less time stopped by the side of the track.
THE RALLY DU MAROC AND ME
Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda)
Where ?
“It was here in Zagora.”
When ?
“2015, my first season with KTM, it was my 5th rally-raid. I was doing all the world championship rounds.”
How ?
“I broke my wrist on the last special. It was my second crash in my rally-raid career, my first in the world championship, Since then I’ve come here every year. My best result up until today was 2nd in 2019.”
QUOTES
Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) : 1st
“It feels really nice to win. It was a tough race for everybody with difficult navigation. This is my second race with the Monster Energy Honda team and I’d like to thank them for doing a great job. We know we are in a good way for the Dakar in January.”
Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) : 2nd and FIM World Champion
“Feels amazing to win the world championship. I always liked racing here. The track is good and the organisation is super cool. It is a tough and tricky rally so to finish 2nd here and win the world championship is super cool. As you get old you think more about the danger but you compensate with navigation and I think the key is I really like to be on the bike.”
Mason Klein (BAS Dakar KTM) : 1st overall in Rally2
“Coming out here for my first rally I didn’t have big expectations. That changed a little after day 1 and there was a bit more pressure to do good. It has definitely been hard but I’ve been learning patience, to take your time. Slow and steady wins the race and that’s what I’ve been doing this whole week and its worked out pretty good.”
Bradley Cox (BAS Dakar KTM) : 3rd overall Rally3
“To finish off the week with a stage win on my first rally is just awesome. So excited now for Dakar. I learnt so much. The most important lesson was it doesn’t matter how fast you go if you can’t navigate you lose so much time. Great to have my Dad here. He’s so knowledgeable.”
Amine Echiguer (KTM OCP) : 1st Enduro Cup Afriquia
“It’s thanks to my mental attitude that I made it to the end. From the second stage onwards I thought about quitting. Cyril Despres had warned us, but I didn’t think it would be so hard. Yet I do sport: cycling, swimming, I often go running in the morning before going to work and in the afternoon. What reassures me is that I heard the pro riders also complain about the difficulty of this edition. But despite that, I found myself thinking that now I would like to be a Dakar finisher !”
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) : 1st
“Toyota Gazoo Racing have done an amazing job. We was winning the race since the beginning. Today I enjoy a lot this 166 kms because we take really good time from everybody and now we are the leaders of the championship. This is our last race in the T1. It has been an amazing car and we’ve won a lot of races with it including the 2019 Dakar. Now we’re looking forward to racing the T1+ and I think the team have built us an amazing car.”
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Resilient Aishwarya Pissay stunning show silences her critics: Rally of Himalayas
Manali, 10 October 2021: Cross Country FIM World Cup Baja winner Aishwarya Pissay, who returned to the track courageously once again, after a serious accident that saw fractures on both her wrists, silenced all her critics with stunning resilience that made the connoisseur sit-up and take notice as she beat many of the male riders to come clinch a creditable fifth place and a second on the podium in her M2 Class of 250 to 450cc bikes in the inaugural FMSCI approved Rally of Himalayas, which concluded on Sunday.
For the record, the Rally which brings back the Himalayas as a terrain after Raide de Himalayas is off the Indian rally calendar saw about 100 participants, with about 30 taking part in the bikes category won by Aman Prabhakar Pawde in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 21.100 seconds over three days of tough terrain in Kullu-Manali region.
But it was the ladies who caught the eye, and as one focuses on the South Indian lady riders, INDIAinF1 makes a special mention of the young Tanika Shanbagh, who excelled beyond expectations to finish in the top-10 in her first attempt at the mother of all rallies and one of the highest-altitude rallies in the World. Tanika Shanbagh from Satara, the daughter of former rider Sanket Shanbagh, will be looking to consolidate her new-found love from here on and if nurtured well has a bright future.
The other only lady-pair of Dr Shivani Pruthvi and co-driver Deeksha Balakrishna too successfully completed the rally beating many a male driver in the Cars section.
Final unaudited (provisional) Classification:
(Legend: Position, Class, Competition number, rider name, time taken)
Overall Bikes: 1. M2 #103 Aman Prabhakar Pawde (2hrs, 55min, 21.100sec); 2. M4#135 Santosh Vishnoi ( 2:58:31.600); 3. M4#110 Mohit Thakur (03:02:11.600); 4. M5#120 Suhail Ahmed (03:04:50.800); 5. M2#103 Aishwarya Pissay (03:08:47.300); 6. M12#150 Nitish Bharadwaj (03:10:10.500); 7. M4#126 Saurabh Handa (03:10:31.400); 8. M1#101 Jatin Jain (03:11:03.800); 9. M9#132 Tanika Shanbag (03:11:49.500); 10. Invitational#176 Happy Verma (03:12:49.100);
Car results are awaited
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Harith Noah successfully completes the tough SS4
Zagora, 12 October 2021: Ace Indian rider Harith Noah from Sherco TVS team, astride an 450RTR, continued to progress successfully in Rallye du Maroc as he finished the tough Stage 4 in the FIM Group 1, in the Moto-Rally World Championship upto 450cc bikes in 20th position on Tuesday. Noah took 15minutes penalty for a total time of 17 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the Selective Section (SS) about 2:26min behind leader Mathias Walkner.
The ace Indian from Kerala, who finished the Dakar 2021 successfully to become the highest ranked Indian in Dakar and only third to complete the toughest cross-country rally in the world, had injured himself in one of the stages where another CS Santosh met with a bad accident that took him months to recover. Unlike Santosh, Noah was off to training in a couple of months and overcame the COVID19 travel restrictions to arrive here early and start his first and only preparation for Dakar 2022. Thus his target at Rally of Morocco is to get into the groove, fine-tune his navigation and complete the course. Thus, he is on course and has come to the final phase of the six-day competition consisting of
No major sand sections on the menu for this fourth stage. While there were a few small ergs to cross, David Castera’s team were more focused on linking new tracks to historic Dakar pistes from times gone by. This was especially the case for last 50 kilometres of the track to Foum Zguid. As Ricky Brabec discovered to his cost, navigation played a central role in today’s result.
Watch sample video here. (This rider in the video is not Harith Noah.)
ROAD BOOK
Stage 4: A mix of old and new
Distances :
L1: 118 / SS: 367 / L2 : 61 – Total : 546 (Moto FIM / Auto FIA)
L1: 118 / SS: 337 / L2 : 75 – Total : 530 (Enduro Cup / Quad / SSV / Open)
ON TRACK
At yesterday evening’s briefing David Castera warned competitors to take care today with the navigation when coming across rally tracks from previous days. And inevitably it was the man who opened this morning, Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) who paid the highest price. His overall lead this morning of 10:27, has this evening been transformed into a 07:34 deficit. Ricky is of course still in with a chance, but not as big a one as teammate Pablo Quintanilla. Second overall this morning at 10:27, this evening the Chilean is just 37 seconds behind leader Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) and will start the last day third on the road just behind the ex-Dakar winner. The Austrian will also be fighting hard for the podium, while taking care of his world championship ambitions. Winning his first stage today on his Rallye du Maroc debut, the young Australian Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas Factory Racing) will also be pushing hard to keep his podium place, his chances possibly increased by the organisers decision to shorten tomorrow’s special from 291 km to 166. Slightly less suspense in Rally2 thanks to the domination of the category by the rookie American Mason Klein (BAS Dakar KTM) who celebrates his 20th birthday today. He again won the day 6:54 ahead of Bradley Cox (BAS Dakar KTM) with Benji Melot (Esprit KTM) third at 16:30.
In the cars, for the first time since the start of the rally, someone other than Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) won a stage, with honours going to Yazeed Al Rajhi (Toyota Overdrive) and his co-driver Michael Orr. Third was Jakub Przygonski (X-Raid Mini) at 02:30. It means that Nasser will start second tomorrow, perfectly positioned to keep an eye on his closest rival and protect his 11:21 lead. In T3 the overall leader Cristina Gutierrez ran into transmission problems and pulled out of the special accompanied by her Red Bull Off-Road Junior teammate Seth Quintero. T3 victory on the stage went to Pavel Lebedev (Moscow Rally Team). In T4 no less than 7 SSVs between 12th and 18th place on today’s special separated by just over 4 minutes ! And it was the rookie Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska (South Racing) who won to take his first rally raid special, just 25 seconds ahead of teammate Michal Goczal.
RADIO BIVOUAC
Back in 2014 Vanessa Ruck got knocked off her bicycle and ended up having 7 operations to rebuild her shoulder and hip. Her initial goal was to ‘get better’ and ‘pain free’. Eventually she was forced into the realisation that she’d have to lower her expectations and learn to live with the pain. By her own admission ‘it’s been a rollercoaster’, both physically and mentally. In her search for tools to help her come to terms with her new reality motorcycling turned out to be one of the most useful distractions. Like many before her she initially started on road bikes before being seduced by the adrenaline rush of riding off-road. This summer she successfully completed the Iron class of the Romaniacs. Two weeks ago she completed her first desert race, the Qatar International Baja. This week she’s racing her first rally-raid…. Something else that has helped her come to grips with her life changing injuries is visiting schools and talking to the pupils alongside her Project Dakar teammate Tim Bradshaw. Together they have tried to pass on some of the strategies they have come up with to overcome adversity #becauseican.
STAT OF THE DAY : 6
Is the record number of victories on the Rally du Maroc… and it is held by a co-driver. Frenchman Mathieu Baumel has one more victory than his team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing). If Nasser can hope to equal this record tomorrow by winning his 6th crown in Morocco, Mathieu will inevitably receive his 7th. Unless the Gazoo Racing driver pushes him out of the cockpit before the finish line ! For Mathieu, who won in 2011 with Bernhard Ten Brinke (Mitsubishi), it will be the 10th anniversary of his first victory. Among the drivers, Nasser is the most capped in the Rallye du Maroc with 5 titles in a row from 2014 to 2018. Giniel De Villiers and Cyril Despres have won 4 times while Peterhansel, Schlesser and Coma have each won 3 times.
THE RALLY DU MAROC AND ME
Jakub Przygonski (X-Raid Mini)
When?
“Oh a long time ago – 2009. I was 25 years old.”
Where?
“Zagora.”
How?
“It was one of my first cross country rallies. When it is your first time in the desert it is a shock, the terrain, the road book, everything is new. But I really enjoyed it because there’s a lot of different types of terrain, stones, sand, camel grass. I was riding a KTM 690 in the Orlen Team but we had support from the factory. Before that I had been riding moto-x and enduro. In total I raced bikes for 16 years and I’ve been racing cars for 6 years.”
QUOTES
Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) : 3rd at 02:55 and 2nd overall at 00:37
“Today was a really good stage for me. I felt confident with my speed all day, really focused on the road book and didn’t make any mistakes. Every day the feeling is better. This is the first race I do in open desert with the bike. Now I have a good position for tomorrow and I’m feeling motivated.”
Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) : 17th at 20:19 and 4th overall at 07:34
“I opened more of less the whole day and I didn’t have any teammates close to me to help. We crossed many tracks from the last two days which made the navigation really tricky and I made two big errors. Now I’m 7 minutes down going into the last day. Hopefully the guys opening tomorrow will make a little mistake or go a little bit slow. Tomorrow we’re going to try and do our best and get on the podium.”
Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas Factory Racing) : 1st and 3rd overall at 05:46
“I started back in 14th but you still had to be really precise with the navigation and keep the mistakes to the minimum. When I could push I pushed. I’ll be opening tomorrow so a lot of pressure but I’m excited to see how it works out.”
Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) : 2nd at 00:36 and 1st overall
“Another super long day. I tried from the beginning to push really hard. The Rallye du Maroc is one of my favourite races. A really nice mix of navigation, some off-piste, some dunes, fast piste. Tomorrow is the show down and I’ll be happy if I can stay on the podium, make some good points (for the championship) and don’t take too many risks.”
Mathieu Baumel (Toyota Gazoo Racing) : 2nd at 1 :39 and 1st overall
“We didn’t want to open on the last day so this morning we started off gently. And then we made a small navigation error that cost us a minute or two. At 224 km we were able to work out the times and saw that Yazeed had pulled back almost 5 minutes and Kuba 2 so over the last part of the special we decided to up the pace a little. All in all perfect for tomorrow. The plan will be to come up to Yazeed’s dust and stay behind him.”
Yazeed Al Rajhi (Toyota Overdrive) : 1st and 2nd overall at 11:21
“Sure very happy. We win today’s stage. Lucky day for us, not any punctures not any problem and also Michael did a great job. When the car works well and everything work well we can win stages. We have the speed and we have the experience. Just need some luck.”
Jakub Przygonski (X-Raid Mini) : 3rd at 02:30 and 30th overall at 4h43:42
“It was good day. We caught Nasser in the middle of the stage and then drove with Nasser and Yazeed. Then a little in moto-x mode. It was quite a hard stage but we enjoyed it.”
Rokas Baciuska (South Racing) : 1st T3 and 17th overall at 2h56:03
“Actually I didn’t expect to win a stage here in Morocco. This is the first time I see the dunes. I come from Rallycross. Here it is really crazy, really close between the top 3 guys. You do 300 kms and you’re separated by 20 seconds. But we managed to get up there with them and we’re really happy. The plan for tomorrow is full attack.”
TOMORROW’S PROGRAMME
For logistical reasons the 291 km special initially scheduled for tomorrow has been cut to 166 kms.
Distances : L1: 142 / SS: 166 / L2 : 143 – Total : 412
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Harith Noah begins Dakar prep with Rallye du Maroc
Zagora, 7 October 2021: Five-time Indian National Champion, Harith Noah, who completed a tremendously successful Dakar 2021, will begin his preparations with the Rallye du Maroc for the next six days. The ace Indian champion, backed by TVS, has left India a fortnight ago to acclimatise and is raring to go. Last Dakar, his brilliant riding and navigation saw him become the first Indian to finish in the top-20 of the toughest cross-country rally in the world.
“I am back on the rally bike after a long and time and all-set in competition mode. Looking forward for a week of racing in Morocco. It has not been the best of places for me. Let us see how it goes this time around. It is basically to shrug off the lethargy and switch gears in preparation for the Dakar,” said India’s youngest and best finisher at Dakar, Harith Noah, talking to this website.
Action in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies resumes this week with the fourth event in this year’s series, Rallye du Maroc scheduled to run from October 7 to 13. Based around a central bivouac in Zagora, south of Ouarzazate, the five legs take in a wide range of technical, fast and sandy tracks, as well as dunes, and will be the setting for world-class action on the 21st anniversary event running in the Draa River valley in the southeast of Morocco.
Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov head an impressive entry list in their MINI John Cooper Works Rally. The Russians, leading the series with two second positions overall this season, are however in the thick of a battle with Nasser Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel who are just half a point adrift in the FIA World Cup standings. The Qatari/French Toyota pairing, returning to action in the series for the first since the opening round in Spain, are not only multiple champions in the discipline, but have an imposing history of five victories on Rallye du Maroc (2014-2018).
Lucio Alvarez and Armand Monleon hold joint third in the series alongside Mattias Ekström, the Argentine/Spanish pairing having claimed the win in Kazakhstan. Ekström and Emil Bergkvist will also be fighting hard for top honours and, on equal points and with just two separating them and Al Attiyah/Baumel, the Swedes will be looking to close the gap and better their third-place finish on Rally Kazakhstan in June. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Michael Orr also return to action in their Toyota Hilux Overdrive. The Saudi Arabian/British duo have had a fine run on recent events in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, with Al-Rajhi leading the series with one round remaining. With a fifth place finish in Morocco in 2019, when the event last ran due to the pandemic, they need to capitalise on the momentum to reduce the eight point deficit to the lead in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
The French crew of Ronan Chabot and Gilles Pillot have one fourth place finish to their names this season, and the Polish/German pairing of Jakub Przygonski and Timo Gottschalk join the contenders for the first time this year. They finished third on the event in 2019. A host of other top cross-country drivers also join the action in Morocco, including Paulo Ferreira, Sebastian Halpern and Mathieu Serradori, who so nearly claimed a maiden victory with the Century CR6 in Kazakhstan.
The 13-strong field of T3 contenders is headed by Cristina Gutierrez, who is co-driven by Frenchman François Cazalet. The Spanish OT3 driver is leading the category by 20.5 points after winning in Spain and Kazakhstan and her nearest rival, Fernando Alvarez, will again be pushing hard after claiming two second positions in T3 this season.
No fewer than 25 crews have entered in T4 with the top three series rivals going head to head. American, Austin Jones, leads the category with a 27.5 point advantage over Dutchman Kees Koolen, while Eugenio Amos trails by a further seven points. All three will be fielding Can-Am Mavericks with the chasing pack looking to topple their top results.
RALLY DATA
Total distance 2,686.80 km Selective section distance: 1,633.52 km (60.8 %) Number of selective sections: 6 LEADING ENTRIES
Denis Krotov/Konstantin Zhiltsov MINI John Cooper Works Rally Nasser Al Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel Toyota Hilux Overdrive Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist MINI John Cooper Works Rally Yazeed Al Rajhi/Michael Orr Toyota Hilux Overdrive Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot Toyota Hilux Overdrive Jakub Przygonski/Timo Gottschalk MINI John Cooper Works Buggy Paulo Rui Ferreira/David Monteiro Toyota Hilux Overdrive Sebastian Halpern/Bernardo Graue MINI John Cooper Works Buggy Mathieu Serradori/Loic Minaudier Century CR6 Lucio Alvarez/Armand Monleon Toyota Hilux Overdrive RALLYE DU MAROC – TIMETABLE & MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
Thursday October 7 Scrutineering From 09:00 hrs Pre-event press conference 19:00 hrs Friday October 8 – Leg 1/Section 1 Start of the rally/SS1A (10 km) 16:42 hrs Saturday October 9 – Leg 1/Section 2 Start of SS1B (288.24 kilometres) 11:33 hrs First car arrives bivouac 15:48 hrs Sunday October 10 – Leg 2 Start of SS2 (334.66 kilometres) 11:48 hrs First car arrives bivouac 17:05 hrs Monday October 11 – Leg 3 Start of SS3 (342 kilometres) 11:08 hrs First car arrives bivouac 18:01 hrs Tuesday October 12 – Leg 4 Start of SS4 (367.43 kilometres) 11:03 hrs First car arrives bivouac 16:57hrs Wednesday October 13 – Leg 5 Start of SS5 (291.19 kilometres) 10:58 hrs First car arrives Parc Fermé 15:12 hrs Podium/Prize-Giving 20:30 hrs FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies – Classifications:
https://www.fia.com/events/world-cup-cross-country-rallies/season-2021/classifications-2 -
Arjun Maini finishes best-ever 6th at DTM races
Styria (Austria), 6 Sept 2021: Mercedes-AMG driver Arjun Maini scored his best-ever finish in the DTM championship with the Indian finishing a career-best sixth and seventh in the two races held at the Red Bull Ring circuit.
The Omega Seiki and J.K.Tyre backed driver claimed a double points finish by claiming sixth and seventh over the course of the two races held at the Austrian race circuit. The result means the rookie has now had his most productive DTM weekend to date, with his GetSpeed racing team, who are also new to the series, now slowly making their way up the standings.
Maini’s pace was on display for all to see from the get-go with the Mercedes-AMG driver finishing the first practice session in fourth. An engine issue meant that the Indian driver had to miss the second practice session entirely but despite his limited running, Maini managed to qualify for Race1 in third.
The sole Indian on the grid made a strong getaway during the first race of the weekend though a botched pit stop saw him tumble down the order, which ultimately cost Maini his shot at a first podium in the ultra-competitive German racing championship. The Indian was locked in an intense battle with former Formula 1 star Alex Albon for a large section of the race and eventually missed out on a top-five finish by a whisker.
Race 2 saw Maini qualify tenth, though a shrewd pit call meant he was able to fight through the pack and ultimately end the race in seventh place.
“It’s been a great weekend for me personally,” Maini stated.
“The misfortune from the earlier races is now firmly behind me and I’m starting to get a proper feel of what it’s like to race GT cars. Obviously, the first half of the season was a learning experience for me and I now feel more confident heading into the races and the results reflect the same.
“GetSpeed too have done a fantastic job of adapting to the DTM and I believe we are well-positioned to end the championship strongly. The target for the remainder of the season has to be a podium, and I believe the team and I are capable of meeting this goal.”
Maini’s progress over the course of the year has been noticeable and appreciated. The weekend in Austria was a much better indicator of Maini’s pace in the series and he will now look to end the season strongly with three race weekends remaining.
The next round of the championship is scheduled to take place at the Assen race circuit in Holland in a fortnight’s time, September 18-20.
