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Tag: Dubai International Baja
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Aishwarya Pissay secures third Bajas World Cup medal
Dubai, December 2, 2024: Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing, has once again made history by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. The season concluded with the grueling Dubai International Baja, the eighth and final round of the championship, on Sunday.
Aishwarya Pissay receiving the honours after winning her third World Championship medal in Dubai on Sunday night. INDIAinF1 photo by special arrangement Competing in the 450cc and Ladies’ classes, the Bengaluru rider faced technical challenges, including navigation system issues during the final round which kept her out of the final classification. Despite these setbacks, her points from earlier rounds were enough to secure her a second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup leaderboard, reinforcing her status as a pioneer in Indian motorsport.
Reflecting on her achievement, Aishwarya said: “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fueled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”
Aishwarya Pissay, the 7-time National Champion in action at Dubai Baja. Aishwarya, who became the first-ever Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport with her 2019 Bajas World Cup victory, now holds three World Cup medals, a record-breaking feat in 2W motorsport. Her journey continues to inspire as she remains a trailblazer, achieving consistent success on the world stage.
Her remarkable efforts have been supported by TVS Racing, as well as co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs, and Surana College.
Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing About Aishwarya Pissay
Aishwarya Pissay, a 29-year-old motorsports icon from Bengaluru, is a pioneer in Indian two-wheeler racing. She has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2017 FMSCI’s Outstanding Woman in Motorsports Award. With a career marked by grit, perseverance, and historic achievements, Aishwarya continues to break barriers and pave the way for future generations in motorsport.
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Aishwarya Pissay of Sherco TVS Rally team all set for FIM Bajas WC final round
Dubai, Nov. 28, 2024: TVS Racing’s star racer, Aishwarya Pissay, the only World Cup winner from India in motorsports is raring to go at the final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup here from Friday.
The Bengaluru champion who re-launched her international campaign at the Baja Spain Aragon, the third round and finished a creditable second, also took part in the gruelling 590-km of Hungarian Baja this year and kept her good standing on the table.
The Baja season will end with the medal ceremony for the winners of the FIM Bajas World Cup in the Moto, Quad, Women, Junior, veteran and Trail categories on Sunday. Twenty-nine bikes will line up on the start on the final weekend in the Dubai desert.
After a long break due to an injury, Aishwarya worked hard on rehabilitation and plunged into high-performance training abroad for about 45 days. The final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup is set to be an exhilarating showdown, with Aishwarya Pissay aiming to cement her place among the elite. Competing in the Women’s Category, she brings a wealth of experience and adaptability to varying terrains, which will be crucial in this climactic event. This round will feature gruelling stages that test navigation, endurance, and strategy, providing a platform for Aishwarya to showcase her growth and determination. With 29 riders set to participate in the race, she will be a part of Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. The winner of 2019 World Cup Baja is all geared up for the final hurray and is eager to make the podium of the World Cup once again.
The multiple Indian National rally champion who became the first Indian woman to make her international debut at Baja Spain in 2018 at the age of 22, this will be Aishwarya’s third shot at the World Cup. The Indian rider supported by TVS Racing, co-sponsored by Scott, Ultrahuman, IIFL and Micro Labs, looks to turn tables astride a Sherco 450 SEF. She trained hard, setting up a short base in Dubai, to fine-tune her physical fitness and riding skills.
“Getting back into shape both mentally and physically, is of utmost importance. It was a high-performance training focussed on fitness and mental conditioning but also on identifying and fine-tuning my riding skills and learning the terrain and the art of navigation. Staying focussed and calm are some other interesting aspects that I learnt and enjoyed,” said Aishwarya, who continues to get support from Surana College, her alma mater.
“The training abroad has given me much confidence and now is the time to utilise these skills and continue learning. I will focus on the Baja for the next three days. Every incident has taught me lessons and made me stronger and I am ready to go,” said the 28-year-old, who bounced back after the life-threatening accident in 2018 to bag the World Cup.
On Thursday, The riders did the administrative and technical checks at Dubai Festival City Mall and then took part in the start ceremony. On Friday, a short 4.32km Prologue will determine the starting order for the first 195km special stage on Saturday.
On December 1, at the finish of the second stage, which will also run for 195km, the winners of the various categories will be crowned after a long season in Europe and the Middle East. Only the best six results will be counted towards the final standings from the eight Bajas.
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Aishwarya takes podium in Class 1 of Dubai Baja, with crucial points for WC
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: Ace Indian cross-country rallyist of team TVS Racing, Aishwarya Pissay, the FIM Bajas World Cup 2019 winner made it to the chequered flag to take a well-deserved podium in the Dubai International Baja, the first round of the FIM Women’s Baja World Cup at the Deserts of Al Qudra here on Saturday.
Astride a Husqvarna SX-F450, Aishwarya clocked 9hours, 21minutes 27.0seconds (including a penalty time of 6:00:0 after SS1) for an overall second place in Class 1 and Group 1 but she had to be content with a bronze in the women’s category. The Class 1 podium fetched her 16 valuable points in her campaign for the 2021 Bajas World Cup. However, the provisional points need to be confirmed by FIM.
The Bengalurean finished the first leg in second place in the women’s section with an overall lead in 18th place after Day 1. Today, she took overall 14th place on Day 2, for a final count of third in the women’s class which matters for her WC campaign.
On Day 2, an issue with in the gearbox slowed a speeding Aishwarya in her tracks. Forced to nurse her bike back while others passed by, Aishwarya made the most of her situation to cross the finish line for a third place in the women’s class. Mirjam Pol (7:04:06) and Llobera Farre (8:27:01) finished ahead of her in that order.
Khuraibet S, who did well, picked up a penalty and slided to fourth place. Aishwarya’s third was good enough to get her an overall combined second place behind Pol in Class 1 but with both classes 1 and 1/2 counting together for WC points, Aishwarya will get 16 points for her efforts.
Aishwarya Pissay in Dubai before with her medal. The TVS Racing talent is supported by Sidvin Core Tech, Scott Sports India, K&N, Pepsico and CutGear.
Aishwarya has bagged 16 points with her achievement today. This year, the ladies should take part in at least one of the 10 FIM 2021 Baja World Cup rounds to be eligible for the finals, which will have a coefficient of 2. Along with the final rankings, two other best events rankings, among the ten, will be counted for the World Cup Baja title. The individual qualifying rounds will have a coefficient of 1.
Note: Class and Points corrected on 22 Feb 2021 at 4.28 pm
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Saudi star Al Rajhi, Mare top time sheets to take Dubai Baja lead; Aishwarya on target
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi dominated the opening leg of the Dubai International Baja with a stunning drive on Friday while UAE-based South African rider Aaron Mare moved within reach of back-to-back bike victories as the rally entered the motorsport record books topping the time sheets on Day 1. Meanwhile, India’s world cupper Aishwarya Pissay had successfully completed the course on Day 1 finishing the SS1 with aplomb despite some initial hiccups.
Reunited with long-time British co-driver Michael Orr, Al Rajhi took his Toyota Hilux Overdrive into a lead of 21mins 31 secs over fellow-Saudi Yasir Seaidan, accompanied by Aleksei Kuzmich in a Mini John Cooper Works Rally
The UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi and German Dirk Von Zitzewitz were just four seconds further adrift in third place in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR in the second round of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas for cars.
Ruled out last year because of the coronavirus emergency, the rally is being staged in compliance with strict COVID-19 Protocol, and it made history today as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
Yazeed Al Rajhi and co-driver Michael Orr lean in their Toyota Hilux Overdrive on 19 Feb 2021 in Dubai International Baja after Leg 1. An ASO image Based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the event provided a challenging first leg test for drivers and riders on a 192km passage through the dunes and plains of the Al Qudra desert.
With Al Rajhi taking charge of DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage as he chases a first cars victory in the event, France’s Pierre Lachaume and Loic Minaudier in a PH Sport Zephyr, Pavel Lebedev and Kiril Shubin in a CAN AM Maverick and Claude Fournier with Szymon Gospodqrczyk, also in a CAN AM Maverick, completed the top six.
Lachaume and Minaudier finished the day heading the T3 buggies category while Lebedev and Shubin were winning the race for the T4 title.
Top-seeded Honda rider Mare, returning to action after a 2019 Dakar Rally crash, produced another impressive display as he moved into a 2 mins 20 secs first leg bikes lead over fellow countryman and 2017 winner Mark Ackerman on a Husqvarna, with British KTM rider Sam Smith in third.
The UAE’s Sultan Al Balooshi on a Husqvarna, Jordanian Abdallah Abuaisheh riding a KTM and the UAE’s 2018 winner and World Cup champion Mohammed Al Balooshi on another Husqvarna completed the top six in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Emirati Mansoor Al Suwaidi on a Yamaha YFZ 450 R was a runaway leader of the quads category with a huge lead of 1hr 38 mins 10 secs from Saudi Haitham Al Tuwayjiri on another Yamaha.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
“It feels good to welcome back World Cup cross country rallying, especially as we’re setting an example for other events to follow in sustainable motor sport development,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport.
Al Rajhi reached the end of the stage to say: “It was a good day and we drove fast, with Michael doing a good job. We had some technical issues at around 30km and later a puncture. But a good day. And good to have Michael back.”
Al Qassimi said: “The first 20km the car was hesitant on the dunes. We tried different ways but kept getting stuck. Because there has been no rain the sand is very soft so we tried to avoid the dunes as much as possible.”
Mare completed today’s leg to say: “It was good stage, pretty technical in places and some very fast straight flats. This has been my first since crashing in the 2019 Dakar. Since then I have had surgery and been focusing on getting fit.”
The event had started without the top-seeded driver and co-driver combination of Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov who arrived in Dubai only for their Mini John Cooper Works Rally to be held up by customs formalities in Saudi Arabia following the Dakar Rally.
Among the early casualties were the UAE’s Yahya Al Helei and Khalid Al Kendi whose Nissan Pick Up went out of the rally with mechanical problems. The surviving drivers and riders next tackle Saturday’s 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan Special Stage which leads to the podium and prizegiving at the Innovation Centre at 5.15pm.
Provisional leading positions after DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage
Cars
1. Yazeed Al Rajhi/ Michael Orr (SAU / GBR) / Toyota Hilux Overdrive 2:40:57.0
2. Yasir Seaidan / Aleksei Kuzmich (SAU /RAF) / Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3:02:28.0
3. Khalid Al Qassimi / Dirk Von Zitzewitz (ARE / DEU) / Peugeot 3008 DKR 3:02:32.0
4. Pierre Lachaume / Loic Minaudier (FRA / FRA) / PH – Sport Zephyr 3:13.43.0
5. Pavel Lebedev / Kiril Shubin (RUS / RUS) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 3:23:51.0
6. Claude Fournier / Szymon Gospodqrczyk (FRA / POL) / CAN AM Maverick 3:28:57.0
7. Mshari Al Therifi / Ali Hassan Obaid (KWT / ARE) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 3:43:47.0
8. Khaled Al Feraihi / Omar Allahim (SAU / SAU) / Nissan Pick Up 4:04:34.0
9. Michael Fadel / Craig Tyson (ARE / ARE) / Polaris / T3 4:25:50.0
10. Laia Sanz / Lucas Cruz (SPA / SPA) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 4:40:58.0
Bikes
1. Aaron Mare (ZAF) / Honda CRF 450 R 2:37:14.0
2. Mark Ackerman (ZAF) / Husqvarna FX 450 2:39:34.0
3. Sam Smith (GBR) / KTM SX – F 450 2:41:08.0
4. Sultan Al Balooshi (ARE) / Husqvarna FC 450 2:41:36.0
5. Abdallah Abuaisheh (JOR) / KTM SX-F 450 2:45:50.0
6. Mohammed Al Balooshi (ARE) / Husqvarna FC 450 2:47:26.0
7. Martin Michek (CZE) / Husqvarna SX F450 2:52:30.0
8. Konrad Dabrowski (POL) / KTM SX-F 450 2:58:53.0
9. Darko Marasovic (CRO) / KTM SX – F 450 3:00:04.0
10. Abdulla Dakhan (ARE) / Yamaha YZ 450 F 3:03:34.0
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Aishwarya Pissay successfully completes SS1 in 18th place, in her class
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: World Cup Baja winner and ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay of TVS Racing successfully completed the Leg 1 finishing 18th in her Group 1, Class 1, and overall 23rd in the FIM 2021 Dubai International Baja here in the Deserts of Al Qudra on Friday.
After a complicated year for the motorcycle world, the Dubai International Baja which attracted 43 competitors (37 motorcycles and six quads) returned to with its tough cross-country section of two stages and a total of 427.2 competitive kilometres.
Taking part in Group 1 for bikes and in the Ladies Moto class, Aishwarya clocked a creditable 4 hours, 31 minutes and 17 seconds for the 202.43km Selective Section 1 (SS1), with a competitive distance of 192.23km, that is part of Leg 1 on Friday. She finished 23rd in the timed stage and in overall timings, and second in the Ladies class which saw three out of four registered riders finish the day. In her Group, she finished 18th.
This year, the ladies should take part in at least one of the 10 FIM 2021 Baja World Cup rounds to be eligible for the finals, which will have a coefficient of 2. Along with the final rankings, two other best event rankings will be counted for the World Cup Baja title. The rounds will have a coefficient of 1.
South African Aaron Mare (Honda) sports the #1 ranked rider, finished first in the overall category ahead of compatriot Marck Ackerman (the second ranke on #2 Husqvarna). While Englishman Smith, on his #4 bike was ahead of Emirati Sultan Al-Balooshi (#3), who saw his brother Mohammed (#7) finish ninth on a Husqvarna, after SS1. Mare clocked 3:06:14.0 to top the time charts after Leg 1 (SS1).
Of the four riders in the female category Pol M finished on top clocking 3:49:44.0 while Aishwarya Pissay of India came second in SS1 with a time of 4:28:18.0 as she had to overcome mid-way hiccups navigating the tough dunes and managed to complete the day successfully. Llobera Farre M was a further 11 minutes behind in third place. The second leg SS2 of 204.75km is yet to be completed for the two-day cross-country rally which is a round of the FIM Baja World Cup.
Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) who, at 19-years-old, has just finished 28th at the Dakar Rally, did not find her name in the finishers list for Day 1.
The 25-year Bengaluru rider, Aishwarya Pissay, is the brand ambassador for Scott and Sidvin, the first two sponsors who supported her entry into the big world of Cross-Country rallying from July 2019. Run by former biker and Indian motorsports officionado Mohan, Sidvin Core Tech, is a customer focused Engineering Service provider for Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Process Industry. She is also supported by Scott Sports India, CutGear, K&N Engineering and Pepsico, who recognised her talent and hardwork and have been sponsoring her as she backed by TVS Racing and Sherco.
Centred around the city of Dubai, the event got underway with administrative and technical checks at the Innovation Center for international riders on Thursday.
To access the bivouac and all the technical and administration checks, riders and their assistance teams had to undergo a Covid-19 test in a tent located in front of the entrance to the bivouac.
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Aishwarya back at the Dubai Baja, to begin the season
Dubai (UAE), 18 Feb, 2021: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, who became the first ever Indian athlete to win a World title in motorsports, winning the Baja World Cup in women’s category, will be making her second appearance in the Dubai International Baja this year.
The Dubai Baja has a habit of showing what World Cup winners are made of, and expectations are high again this weekend as the fourth edition of the event unfolds in the Al Qudra desert.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based rider will be among the four lady riders at the first cross-country event of the season. TVS Racing’s Aishwarya, first won her major international cross country win here in Dubai in 2019, and went on to win the Baja World Cup in women’s class. Kuwaiti, Sarah Khuraibet, along with Andorra’s Margot Llobera Farre and the Netherlands’ Mirjam Pol will be the other three.
The 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas for cars is already up and running, and top-seed Denis Krotov arrived in Dubai from the sub-zero temperatures of the Baja – Northern Forest, where his challenge in this season’s opener ended when he became stuck in a snowdrift.
Aishwarya Pissay with Fahad Al Musallam of Kuwait as she prepares for the Dubai International Baja. Fahad is chasing a third quads success while Aishwarya is looking for a second win in her second attempt in Dubai. Photo by Edoardo Bauer for ©RallyZone Partnering Krotov in an X-raid MINI John Cooper Works Rally is Konstantin Zhiltsov, who has twice guided Vladimir Vasilyev, the first round winner, to victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The first three editions of the Dubai Baja brought wins for competitors who went on to take World Cup titles that year. The 2018 bikes champion, Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi, is seeded seventh this time, such is the strength of the 43-rider line-up for the first round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
Based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Solar Park, the rally enters the record books as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
“We’re very happy to be setting a trend towards sustainability in rallying, and we’re expecting another classic baja event,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport.
Nissan’s sponsorship of the event for a fourth year extends a long standing partnership between the manufacturer and the EMSO, the national motor sport authority.
Michel Ayat, Chief Executive Officer – AWR Automotive, said: “The Dubai International Baja is another exemplary event that further consolidates the emirate’s leading global position in the world of sports. As the official automotive sponsor, AW Rostamani Group consistently supports events of this caliber and is grateful to Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his unwavering drive and ambition.
“2021 is a year of recovery and a return to life as we know it, and it gives us great honour and privilege at Arabian Automobiles to be once again sponsoring the rally. We are grateful for all the initiatives that our wise leadership introduce and for all the support they offer to international events of this nature that strengthen Dubai’s influence on a regional and global scale.”
Friday’s 192km DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage, carving through the Al Qudra dunes, presents a big test of desert driving skill and mechanical muscle. After an overnight halt, the survivors tackle Saturday’s 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan.Special Stage leading to the finish at the Innovation Centre.
Following successive Dubai victories by Poland’s Jakub Przygonski, two of the Arab world’s leading drivers aim to prevent a third successive overseas victory.
This could mean a big duel between the UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi, twice a runner-up and partnered by German Dirk Von Zitzewitz in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR, and Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi, joined by British co-driver Michael Orr in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive.
Czech Miroslav Zapletal with Slovakian Marek Sykora in a Ford F150 Evo, the UAE’s Yahya Al Helei and Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick-up, and fellow Emiratis Khalid Al Jafla and Mirza Ali in a Toyota Hilux, complete the top six out of 29 car entries.
With 15 buggies on show, Britain’s Conrad Rautenbach in a Zephyr heads the T3 class. Top seed in T4, Saudi Saleh Alsaif in a Maverick X3, is up against France’s first round winner, Claude Fournier, and Spanish bikes star Laia Sainz, 13-time Trials World Champion, who moves from two wheels to four.
Two UAE-based South Africans lead the charge in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes. Last year’s winner Aaron Mare on a Honda and 2017 champion Mark Ackerman riding a Husqvarna, top the seeds ahead of the UAE’s Sultan Al Balooshi and British KTM rider Sam Smith.
Lithuanian Arunas Gelazninkas and Saudi Mishal Alghuneim complete the top six.
A quartet of Saudi riders, Haitham Altuwayjiri, Faisal Alsuwayh, Abdulmajeed Aakhulaifi and Hani Al Nomsi, are out to block a third Dubai Baja win for Kuwait’s Fahad Al Musallam whose hat-trick attempt in 2019 was halted by first leg mechanical failure.
A hardworking and dedicated motorsport athlete, Miss Pissay, who started the sport at a late age, gave up road racing after winning the National title in 2017 to focus on Cross Country rallying. She has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, and Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for bikes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. She started with circuit racing winning the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 and then the top honours in the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
