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A tight fight at the top sees Sam Lowes snatch P1
Doha, 21 March 2021: Another day, another incredibly tight fight at the top of the Moto2 timesheets? Yup. Sunday at the Official Moto2 and Moto3 Qatar Test saw Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) snatch P1 in the intermediate class, but the top three was covered by just 0.048 as Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) took second and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) third. All three will likely be starting the year expecting to challenge for wins, and their tests only underlined their speed.
The conditions were fair on Sunday once again, and Lowes’ best is the quickest lap of the test as preparations continued for the coming race weekend(s). The gaps one again show we have a stunner in store, across the top three and throughout the timesheets. Lowes, Bezzecchi and Gardner will leave the test happy, and so too will Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Brit rounded out Sunday in fourth. After a wrist injury that could have been a career-threatener, getting straight back into the top five is no mean feat. That top five on Day 3 of the test was completed by Dixon’s teammate Xavi Vierge, who was fastest on Saturday.
Sixth place goes to Bo Bendsneyder on Day 3 as the Dutchman continues to impress upon his move to Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team and Kalex. He was only 0.033 off Vierge as he made a late leap up the timesheets, and is another who has been consistently improving. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) ends Sunday in seventh, another late to move up the timesheets but doing so in style.
Style is also a good word to describe the start of Raul Fernandez’ (Red Bull KTM Ajo) Moto2™ career. Fastest rookie throughout, the Spaniard is on course for an incredibly impressive debut race weekend. So too, now, is Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) though as the reigning Moto3™ World Champion shot up into the top ten on Sunday, only 0.052 off fellow rookie Fernandez. Arenas’ teammate Aron Canet completes the top ten, sliding down from second on Day 1 and Day 2 but another with some key consistency.
Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) takes P11 by just 0.003 ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with yet another right behind him: Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). The American was only 0.016 off Ogura too… and pipped compatriot Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) by 0.011. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the fastest fifteen, just edging out rookie teammate Tony Arbolino.
That’s it from the pre-season test for the Moto2™ class, with the stage well and truly set for the first race of the season. Are Lowes, Bezzecchi, Gardner and their experienced compatriots ready for battle? And can the rookies edge ever closer as practice begins? Find out on Friday as the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar begins.
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Rare op for sponsors to identify with iconic Dakshin Dare which starts on Easter Day, April 4
Bengaluru, 21 March 2021: The iconic Dakshin Dare is back with a bang. Despite finding it difficult to bag the title sponsor, Motorsport Inc is making all efforts to make the event a grand spectacle for one more year. A novelty is being introduced this year by bringing in the concept of Navigation to the Indian riders. The 5-day 12th edition will begin on April 4 in Bengaluru and it also presents a rare opportunity for a title-sponsor to identify itself with the iconic brand.
The man behind Motorsport Inc, the organisers of the event, Jaidas Menon said: “Dakshin Dare Rally will become the first-ever rally in India to introduce the concept of navigation to the Indian riders in association with Hero MotoSports. The intend to introduce the basics of navigation to all the riders expose them to this very important skill that is essential to succeed at the international rallies.”
Coming back to Dakshin Dare, the only such event in the south, saw the last edition held in 2019 crown Gaurav Gill as the champion. The three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner and Team Mahindra Adventure entry are yet to confirm their entries. The regular sponsor has shied away this year and with the dwindling number of entries one is tempted to approach Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) promoters Champions Yacht Club (CYC) which has done a good job of roping in many entries by providing free transportation of vehicles and sponsored teams besides waiver of entry fees, to replenish the Arunachal rounds of INRC last December with many goodies.
When queried if they would be interested in supporting the iconic event in the absence of Maruti Suzuki, the regular sponsor, Vamsi Merla of CYC said: “Yes, Dakshin Dare has chalked out a name for itself as a historic event with popular support. Definitely we would be interested in supporting teams for the event as we usually do for INRC. I am in touch with the organisers and let us see how we can go about it.”
The Dare begins with a Super Special at the Unite Off-road Park, near Gunjur, after the Ceremonial Start and the next day, participants will travel to Chitradurga and some special stages nearby. They will return to Bengaluru on March 8 where the Closing Ceremony and Prize Distribution (PD) is scheduled to be held at Fairfield Marriott, Rajajinagar at 6 pm.
The four Categories will be T1 2wd, T2 4wd, for Modified Cross-country vehicles and T2 2wd and T2 4wd for Series Cross-country vehicles. There will be three classes in each category as follows: Class 1 over 1001cc Up to1400cc; Class 2 over 1401cc Up to 1850cc and Class 3 over 1851cc and above.
The entry with late fee will be March 31 at 5pm. Admin checks, documentation and scrutiny will be held on March 3 at Unite Off-road Park.
Navigation Bootcamp: “Hero MotoSports team will be conducting an exclusive bootcamp in Bengaluru on March 27 and 28 for anyone interested in learning the navigation basics. The bootcamp will be conducted by Jordi Grau, who is a part of the Hero MotoSports Team Rally and is a Navigation expert of international reputation. Many of our own stars like CS Santosh and other international top riders have trained with him in Spain,” a Hero statement said.
“The bootcamp will cover some theory aspects of Navigation followed by a practical session where one can learn reading a roadbook and ride, using it under the guidance of the Hero MotoSports team.”
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn navigation from the best in the business. So I would strongly recommend all of you to attend the same,” concluded Jaidas Menon, a former National Champion navigator in the Indian National Rally Championship for many years.
Riders can register for the bootcamp here.
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Al-Balooshi retains his bike title; Yasir Seaidan wins again
Aqaba (Jordan), 20 March 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Seaidan took full advantage of his starting position for the final stage to snatch victory away from Dutch rival Erik van Loon at the Jordan Baja.
A second outright win in the space of three weeks for the Mini John Cooper Works Rally driver also means that he extends his early season advantage in the Drivers’ Championship of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, before the series heads into a three-month break before five European rounds between July and October.
Teams tackled a 235.82km stage through Wadi Rum and the surrounding deserts on the final morning and Van Loon set out to defend a 26-second lead, despite running first on the road and having the added burden of opening the track in terms of navigation. Rival Seaidan took full advantage and managed to close in on the Dutchman as the stage progressed and overhauled the Toyota Hilux driver to secure the win by 5min 24sec.
“It was not easy but our performance became better than yesterday,” said the Saudi, who was partnered by Alexey Kuzmich. “We tried to be more safe today. Unfortunately, after 50km, we get a slow puncture and decided to continue to see what happened.
“We are glad that we finished without changing the tyre. We overtook Van Loon after 54km and we continued in front of him. Then we made a mistake and he overtook us and then we came back again to him and we continued in front of him to the finish. I am leading the championship with two wins. I hope I keep it like this until we finish the season.”
“It was a tough day,” said Van Loon. “At the beginning it looked nice. We had to open and you cannot do the same speed as when you follow a car. No punctures and we drive safe to the finish but the last part of the stage was not nice, only stones and twisty and second gear. When we came here, I was delighted to come on to the podium and we are happy with second.”
Ronan Chabot was never troubled in the second of the Toyotas and the Frenchman and fellow countryman Gilles Pillot cruised to the finish in third place. “It was a good stage, no puncture, quite beautiful country. We enjoyed it.”
Saleh Al-Saif stormed into contention for the FIA T4 Championship with victory in his Can-Am Maverick X3. The Saudi had done all the hard work to gain a good lead on the first day and he stayed clear of trouble through the closing kilometres to seal the win.
“We had a comfortable margin thanks to yesterday’s result,” said the Saudi. “We benefited from it today, as we did not push much. The layout is great. I thank Jordan Motorsport for the route and the precise road book.”
Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri continued his title bid with second in T4 and fifth overall, Dubai-based Briton Thomas Bell came home in sixth and French veteran Claude Fournier maintained a reduced championship lead after finishing fourth in T4 and seventh overall.
The fastest T4 time on the final day fell to Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah, but fuel issues had ruined the Qatari’s chance of challenging for the win on Friday. He finished fifth in T4.
Saudi female driver Dania Akeel completed her second international event, with French navigator Stéphane Duplé on this occasion, and moved into a clear lead in the FIA T3 championship standings. She finished eighth overall.
Various time penalties were imposed on several drivers and riders before the restart. They did not affect the overall standings in the FIA category but cost Abdullah Abu Aisheh more time in his duel with Mohammed Al-Balooshi in the motorcycle section and the local rider began the final day trailing by 5min 24sec.
The duo rode together for much of the final stage and Al-Balooshi held on to secure the win on two wheels by 3min 47sec, but that was increased to 18min 47sec when his rival was handed a 15-minute penalty. The young Jordanian he has been coaching in the UAE confirmed second place and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera finished a distant third on this second round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.
“It was a very tough stage, but I was leading by eight minutes and I just took it easy,” said Al-Balooshi. “I was tired from yesterday. I guess I am still recovering from January’s Covid. I am not 100%. I thought I was. I stayed behind Abdullah. He did a great job and we rode together. I could not ask for a better result. If he had not had the penalty, I would have had to attack a bit more. This was much more difficult that my last win here (2019).”
Runner-up Abu Aisheh added: “Today was a very hard stage, all rocks and gravel and no dunes or soft sand, only at the start for 40km. We did good, me and Balooshi, because he is my coach and my big brother. I was pushing all I have.”
Amit Sadot and Talat Al-Shishane rounded off the top five. Local rider Zaid Jaber failed to restart after sustaining a back injury on Friday.
Yamaha’s Faisal Al-Suwayh moved ahead of Hani Al-Noumesi to seal the quad victory. Haitham Al-Tuwayjri failed to restart after his fuel feed issues on the opening day.
The Saudi Arabian crew of Hamed Harbi and Waleed Al-Shegawi cruised to an emphatic win in the Jordan National Baja.
This year’s Jordan Baja was organised by Jordan Motorsport and received support from sponsor Zain, the telecommunications provider.
Jordan Baja – standings after leg 2:
FIA
1. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexey Kuzmich (RAF) Mini John Cooper World Rally -6hr 37min 51sec; 2. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive – 6hr 43min 15sec; 3. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive -6hr 54min 31sec; 4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 7hr 28min 11sec; 5. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 8hr 08min 35sec;6. Thomas Bell (GBR)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4)- 8hr 09min 00sec; 7. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) – 8hr 33min 48sec; 8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) – 12hr 45min 20sec; 9. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) – 32hr 53min 42sec
Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) Husqvarna 450 – 9hr 47min 02sec;
2. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) KTM 450 Rally Replica – 10hr 05min 49sec;
3. Abdulahim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F450- 10hr 58min 46sec
4. Amit Sadot (ISR) KTM – 11hr 18min 45sec;
5. Talat Al-Shishane (JOR) KTM EXC 500 Enduro – 12hr 02min 25sec;
6. Paulo Olivera (MOZ) Husqvarna 450 – 12hr 36min 08sec
7. Rotem Costa (ISR) KTM FR Rally Replica – 23hr 22min 40sec
8. Salman Farhan (BRN) Husqvarna FE450 – 31hr 15min 00sec
9. Sarah Khuraibet (KUW) Yamaha WRF 450 F – 56hr 43min 00sec
10. Mohammed Al-Khater (SAU) KTM EXC – 500 – 63hr 06min 44sec
Quads
1. Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R – 67hr 28min 00sec
2. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700- R – 80hr 50min 10sec.
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Al- Balooshi leads the Bike category: Day 1, Jordan Baja
AQABA (Jordan), 19 March 2021: Erik van Loon and Yasir Seaidan were locked in a fascinating duel for supremacy after the first leg of the Jordan Baja, held over a challenging route across Wadi Rum’s majestic desert terrain on Friday.
The Dutchman and the Saudi were separated by just 26 seconds after two timed sections of 210.72km and 112.99km on this fourth round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
The Toyota Hilux and Mini John Cooper Works Rally drivers were closely matched throughout the entire opening selective with Van Loon leading through all the checkpoints and going on to win the first stage by 1min 27sec. Seaidan then clawed 61 seconds back in the shorter second desert sprint.
“Two beautiful stages, quite demanding and it was tough work behind the steering,” said Van Loon. “They were nice stages to drive and the road book was okay. The second stage we made a few small mistakes. We had to cross some bumpy stuff but the track went around it and we lost a little.
“The first one we win by one and a half (minutes) and we lose this one by one minute, so only half a minute between us. The problem now is that I have to start in front (Saturday). It is better when he is in front. We managed well – no punctures. Séb did a good job and the car was perfect and two amazing stages. I would love to see those more.”
Seaidan admitted that he lost his way in the second stage and sustained a flat tyre in each of the day’s tests.
“It was so difficult, navigation really hard and the stage was tricky and twisty,” said the Saudi. “The stage was beautiful but the time between the two stages was very short. I got lost for a few minutes but I really enjoy it.”
Frenchman Ronan Chabot was a comfortable, albeit distant, third overall in the second of the Overdrive Toyota Hiluxes.
“Beautiful, the country was beautiful,” said the Frenchman. “No problems, but I need to try and find the road. It was difficult for the navigation. We did not get lost. It was okay.”
Five drivers were battling it out for FIA T4 category honours and Qatar’s Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah was the early pacesetter before hitting fuel pump trouble late in the first stage and incurring massive time penalties. His issues paved the way for Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri to win the Wadi Rum section by 49 seconds from Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif.
Al-Saif then hit back to win the second stage to take a lead of 2min 46sec back to the night halt in Aqaba.
“Today went well, the second stage was good for us, but we were unfortunate in the first as we collect two punctures,” said Al-Saif. “I think my performance was good in the second stage. Meshari Al-Thefiri was in front of us and we passed him and made a comfortable margin. It will be important for tomorrow. The stage was very interesting, similar to Al-Ula and Tabuk, but with some differences. I plan to visit it as a tourist in future.”
Al-Thefiri added: “The stage is excellent generally. I got lost in some places where we were among the first to start, but we enjoyed it more than previous rounds. We treat the Baja as an exercise. Nasser (Al-Kuwari) did a good job and he surprised me with his superb attitude.”
Thomas Bell and Claude Fournier reached the finish in sixth and seventh overall and third and fourth in T4, while Saudi female driver Dania Akeel brought up the rear of the finishers in the FIA field in her Can-Am Maverick X3 entered in the FIA T3 category. She incurred six hours of time penalties for failing to complete all the opening stage.
Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi set the pace in the motorcycle category on his Husqvarna 450. The regional off-road riding instructor beat local rider Mohammed Abu Aisheh by 4min 47sec in the opening stage but his riding student redressed the balance in the second one and Al-Balooshi earned an overnight lead of 2min 30sec on this second round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.
“I’m a little bit rusty to do the navigation without the arrow,” said Al-Balooshi. “It has been a long time, like a year or so, but I am really happy. Me and Abdullah got together at the beginning and we rode together and then I don’t know what happened. I had a small tip-over and spend around three minutes stuck under the bike. It’s an amazing place. Abdullah was pushing me. If I win it is a victory, but if he wins it’s also a victory because this should be the aim of any coach. I’m proud of what he is doing.”
Abu Aisheh added: “For me it was a hard route today with more rocks and gravel. I am okay, no crash and difficult navigation but we finished second behind my coach. I am happy with this result.”
Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera was classified in third place and Jordan’s Talat Al-Shishane came home in fourth place.
Aishwarya Pissay was the first retirement in the two-wheel section: the Indian fell off her Husqvarna 450 and was taken to hospital for medical checks after sustaining arm injuries.
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Khater, Jordan’s Zaid Jaber and Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet were awarded additional time penalties for failing to complete the longer Wadi Rum stage.
Hani Al-Noumesi continued the run of good form that saw him clinch the win in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province recently and led the quad category on his powerful Yamaha Raptor. But, like rivals Haitham Al-Tuwayjri and Faisal Al-Suwayh, he incurred hefty time penalties. Al-Tuwayjri only completed 20km of the opening test before the fuel line disconnected and sidelined his Yamaha.
The Saudi Arabian crew of Hamed Harbi and Waleed Al-Shegawi comfortably led the Jordan National Baja in a Yamaha YZR 1000 after five Jordanian and Palestinian rival teams were badly delayed in Wadi Rum.
The event is receiving support from sponsor Zain, the telecommunications provider.
Tomorrow (Saturday), the Jordan Baja concludes with a final selective section of 235.82km that loops through the southern desert and starts and finishes in Salhiyah.
Jordan Baja – standings after leg 1 (unofficial):
FIA
1. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 3hr 42min 20sec
2. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Alexey Kuzmich (RAF) Mini John Cooper World Rally 3hr 42min 46sec
3. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Gilles Pillot (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 3hr 54min 55sec
4. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 02min 11sec
5. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KUW)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 04min 57sec
6. Thomas Bell (GBR)/Armand Monleón (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 10min 00sec
7. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 4hr 26min 50sec
8. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 8hr 18min 58sec
9. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T4) 29hr 15min 00sec
Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) Husqvarna 450 5hr 34min 46sec
2. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) KTM 450 Rally Replica 5hr 37min 16sec
3. Abdulahim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC F450 6hr 06min 13sec
4. Talat Al-Shishane (JOR) KTM EXC 500 Enduro 6hr 12min 08sec
5. Amit Sadot (ISR) KTM 6hr 19min 45sec
6. Paulo Olivera (MOZ) Husqvarna 450 6hr 57min 56sec
7. Mohammed Al-Khater (SAU) KTM EXC 500 12hr 49min 00sec
8. Rotem Costa (ISR) KTM FR Rally Replica 16hr 08min 06sec
9. Salman Farhan (BRN) Husqvarna FE450 26hr 15min 27sec
10. Zaid Jaber (JOR) Husqvarna FE450 30hr 56min 00sec
11. Sarah Khuraibet (KUW) Yamaha WRF 450 F 31hr 33min 00sec
Quads
1. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 R 30hr 45min 00sec
2. Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 45hr 00min 00sec
3. Haitham Al-Tuwayjri (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 51hr 00min 00sec
Jordan National Baja:
1. Hamad Harbi (SAU)/Waleed Al-Shegawi (SAU) Yamaha YXZ 1000 3hr 30min 52sec
2. Ghaith Qubti (JOR)/Moath Al-Arja (JOR) Range Rover Classic 5hr 09min 56sec
3. Feras Al-Sallal (JOR)/Qais Khattab (JOR) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 07min 08sec
4. Haitham Al-Abbadi (JOR)/Saif Al-Abbadi (JOR) Range Rover Classic 6hr 17min 53sec
5. Juma Ferwan (PLE)/Mohamad El-Sana (PLE) Mitsubishi Pajero 7hr 26min 51sec
6. Hassan Al-Kaeid (PLE)/Yasser Al-Shek (PLE) Mitsubishi Pajero King 8hr 57min 28sec
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Mahesh wins Red Bull Ace of Dirt 2021, gets a Hero bike
Kolar, 19 March 2021:Red Bull Ace of Dirt, second edition, had 32 two-wheel racers who were invited to compete in multiple off-road disciplines. Of the 16 who qualified after the initial round, the riders battled each other eliminating half of them in each round of pre-quarters, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, on a specially-laid course which had six obstacles courses like motocross, dirt track and enduro sections having wooden logs, table top jumps, mud pits et al. The winner received a Hero bike and he will receive training at the facility.
The winner of the first edition in 2019) of Red Bull Ace of Dirt Yuva Kumar could not make it to the final this year. But he got a lifetime opportunity to train with CS Santosh. The winner also received a bike from Hero. This year too, the winner gets these benefits.
On Friday and Saturday, an endurance race was held at Big Rock Dirt Park, a facility created by Santosh to train and to spread his knowledge to the interested.
Winners of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt on Friday. A Red Bull image Finally, over four laps of the 2.8km course, it was Mahesh VM, astride a Xpulse 200, who won the event after making through the semifinals and finals. A Sathyaraj, also on a Xpulse, came second followed by Sachin Ignatius (Apache RTR 200) and Gideon Benjamin (Implulse).
Top riders including defending champion Yuva Kumar, Naresh VS, Arun T and Devaraj Venkatesh were eliminated in Semis 1 & 2. While Naresh did not start, Yuva had a DNF in the other semis.
Pavan BK, Samuel Abraham, Shoeb, Ishaan Chandra, Trinesh, Salman Khan, Purab Gowda and Asad Khan lost in the quarterfinals.
Final Results (Top-4): 1. Mahesh VM (Xpulse 200) 20: 29.734; 2. A Sathyaraj (Xpulse 200) 21: 09.578; 3. Sachin Ignatius (Apache RTR 200) 24: 20.031; 4. Gideon Benjamin (Impulse) 26: 22.207.
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CS Santosh makes a rare appearance at Big Rock Dirt Park at Kolar
Kolar, 19 March 2021: Ace Indian cross country rider and accomplished supercross champion CS Santosh, made a comeback to a public event, after more than two months, following his serious crash at Dakar 2021, and subsequent hospitalisation.
A strong fighter who has seen many obstabcles in his racing life, Santosh, made another comeback from a serious brain injury, and was seen at a Public event for the first time at his own Big Rock Dirt Park supercross track at Kolar, accompanied by his parents. The Hero rider, though, has been visiting the Kolar facility for the last couple of weeks with his parents.
Taking part in his 7th Dakar, Santosh suffered a heavy crash in Stage 4 and was airlifted to a Riyadh hospital on Jan 6. A few days later, he was induced into medical coma and brought back to India. After getting treated in the ICU of a private hospital for many days, he then did his rehab at home and was said to have lost memory of how the accident happened.
He again started talking and walking and is slowing getting back to do his fitness regime under controlled and very light conditions. Today, he was able to recognise people a bit but not like earlier, one of the participants said.
On March 16, in an exclusive scoop, ESPN reporter Susan Ninan, quoted his father Shivshankar saying: “He still doesn’t recall the accident but through our conversations, he’s slowly grown to accept that it did take place. Now he asks questions like, ‘oh wow, that’s crazy, how did it happen?”
Red Bull tweeted today about the Hero’s comeback!
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Flash: Aishwarya Pissay crashes with minor injuries, taken to hospital
Aqaba (Jordan), 19 March 2021: Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay, backed by TVS Racing, suffered a minor crash in SS1 and was forced to retire from the Jordan Baja, the second round of the FIM World Cup Baja.
Pissay, who suffered minor injury to her hand, is taken to the hospital and is safe, sources said.
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TVS Racing’s Aishwarya Pissay sets sights on Jordan Baja
Aqaba (Jordan), 18 March 2021: TVS Racing Factory Rider Aishwarya Pissay is excited to take part in the Jordan Baja Rally which also doubles-up as the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup which will have 559 competitive kilometres in a total route of 859 km.
The ace Indian cross-country rallyist, Aishwarya Pissay said:“I had a tough first round in Dubai last month when my bike encountered technical issues. But I still managed to finish at 14th position overall. After the Dubai round, I stayed back in Dubai and trained for two weeks under the guidance of Mohammed Al-Balooshi. I have also worked on my fitness prior to the Rally.” Aishwarya, astride a Husqvarna, also finished third in the Ladies Class at the Dubai Baja last month which will count for the World Cup rankings and stayed back to train under Al-Balooshi, the 2019 Jordan Baja winner.
The ceremonial start of the Baja is scheduled for 9.30 pm (IST) on Thursday and the competitors will tackle two challenging sections of 211 kms and 116 kms on Friday and a further 237 kms through the deserts to the north of Aqaba on March 20, the final day on Saturday. Fifteen motorcycles and five quads will be at the start of the Jordan Baja, which will be held in the nearby deserts of Wadi Rum.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, is supported by her title sponsor TVS Racing, and is co-sponsored by IIFL, Surana College, Micro Labs, SCOTT Sports, Puma, Sidvin, Big Bear Customs and GoPro India. She is one of the two female racers on the entry list, along with Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet.
Aishwarya Pissay finishes documentation on Thursday. Talking from Jordan, Aishwarya said: “I am very excited about the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup. This will be my first experience of racing in Jordan. But I am going in with a positive mindset and hoping for a good finish. Thanks to my sponsors I am well prepared and am able to fight with a clean state of mind. They have enabled me to travel and participate in the World Cup during these challenging times and but for them this Baja would not have been possible.”
Despite the ongoing global travel challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 teams and competitors from 11 nations are participating at the event.
However, this year, the women riders have the liberty to chose only two rounds to qualify for the Final of the ten rounds for the year 2020’s FIM World Cup honours. Dutch rider Mirjam Pol is leading the points table after Round 1 with 25 points while Indian Aishwarya Pissay has 16 points and is third on the table. Margot Llobera Farre, the second ranked rider and Mirjam Pol are not taking part in Jordan Baja
Jordan is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River and is rich in monuments, temples, tombs and archaeological sites, including the famous Nabataean capital of Petra in the south of the country and in close proximity to the Baja’s base in Aqaba on the Red Sea.
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Want to win a T-shirt autographed by Gaurav Gill?
Max Attack Testing. Here is a snippet of what’s in store ahead. Which of the three drifts did you like the most? CONTEST ALERT!! Tag three of your best friends in the comment below and share the reels in your stories. The winner for an exclusive autographed T-shirt by Gaurav Gill will be announced on Sunday i.e. 21st Mar 2021. #GauravGill #GillRacing #GGADA #GauravGillAdvancedDrivingAcademy #motorsports #racing #motorsport #f #racecar #race #formula #motorcycle #cars #car #speed
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Jordan all set to host new round of FIM Baja World Cup
Aqaba, 18 March 2021: The Ceremonial start of the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup takes place at 9.30 pm IST today in Jordan with 559 competitive kilometres in a total route of 859km.
Jordan is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River and is rich in monuments, temples, tombs and archaeological sites, including the famous Nabataean capital of Petra in the south of the country and in close proximity to the Baja’s base in Aqaba on the Red Sea.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi.Fifteen motorcycles and five quads will be at the start of the Jordan Baja, which will be held in the nearby deserts of Wadi Rum.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi was third at the Dubai International Baja last month and was the winner of the 2019 Jordan Baja. The Emirati starts as the top seed on a Husqvarna.
He will have to defend his title against the Jordanian riders Abdullah Abu Aisheh (KTM), Zaid Jaber (KTM) and Tal’at Al-Shishane (KTM) and the likes of Portugal’s Paulo Oliveira (Husqvarna) and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Muaikil.Two female riders are also present and loyal to the FIM Bajas World Cup – Aishwarya Pissay (Husqvarna) and Sarah Khuraibet (Yamaha).
Aleksandr Maksimov in action in Qatar on a quad.Five Saudi quad riders, all on Yamahas, complete the list of participants – namely Hani Al-Noumesi, Haitham Al-Tuwayjiri, Sultan Al-Masoud, Faisal Al-Suwayh and Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi, a multiple winner of the Hail Rally.
The Jordan Baja will take place under strict Covid-19 protocols and begins with the ceremonial start in Aqaba on Thursday, March 18th at 19.00hrs.
Competitors will then tackle two different selective sections of 210.72km and 112.99km on Friday, March 19th and an additional 236.06km through the desert north of Aqaba on Saturday, March 20th.
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Programme
Tuesday, March 16th, 2021
•08:00 – 18:00: Service Park Open for Logistics Operations ONLYWednesday, March 17th, 2021
•08:00 – 18:00: COVID-19 Protocol Start, NO ACCESS to event without Negative test result (48 hours validity) in the Service Park entrance, in Remote Service Zone entrance.
•08:00: Service Pak Operational
•16:45: Competitors Briefing – Service Park (briefing notes will be posted on Sportity)Thursday, March 18th, 2021
•09:00 – 13:00: Administrative Checks – Rally HQ
•09:30 – 14:00: Technical Checks/Sealing/Marking at Scrutineering venue
•15:00: First Jury Meeting – Rally HQ
•19:00: Jordan Baja Ceremonial Start – Aqaba CityFriday, March 19th, 2021
•06:15: Issue Road book LEG 1/Sections 1 & 2 – Rally HQ Rally
•07:00: Start of LEG 1 – Aqaba Service Park
•18:07: Finish LEG 1
•19:30: Publication of the Start List for LEG 2Saturday, March 20th, 2021
•06:45: Issue Road book LEG 2/Sections 3 – Rally HQ Rally
•07:30: Start of LEG 2 – Aqaba Service Park
•12:45: Finish of LEG 2
