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Tag: FIM Baja World Cup
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Maiden bikes triumph for Sam Smith; Al Rajhi-Orr win Dubai Baja
Dubai, 20 Feb 2021: Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi completed an emphatic first victory in the Dubai International Baja today while UAE-based British rider Sam Smith recorded his maiden bikes triumph in the event after a dramatic climax to the double World Cup rally.
Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay came second in the Women’s Baja behind Pol.
Partnered by British co-driver Michael Orr in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive, Al Rajhi won the second round of this year’s FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas by an emphatic margin of 33mins 49 secs from the UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi and German Dirk Von Zitzewitz in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR
After opening up a lead of more than 21 minutes on the first leg, the Saudi dominated again over the 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan Special Stage, while Al Qassimi snatched second place from Yasir Seaidan and Aleksei Kuzmich after an earlier collision with the Saudi’s Mini John Cooper Works Rally.
It happened when the Emirati slid over a big dune and collided with the Mini which had become stuck in the notoriously soft sand of the Al Qudra desert.
The French pairing of Pierre Lachaume and Loic Minaudier in their PH Sport Zephyr finished fourth and also claimed the T3 buggies crown. Taking fifth place overall, Pavel Lebedev and Kiril Shubin landed the T4 title in a CAN AM Maverick. David Mabbs topped the national class in a Polaris RS1.
Smith, lying third overnight, came through for a major win after the two UAE-based South Africans ahead of him on the first leg both saw their victory hopes shattered today in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi along with co-driver British Michaell Orr won the 4w class. Defending champion Aaron Mare, the first leg leader by 2 mins 20 secs, was halted when his Honda blew its engine. Mark Ackerman, winner in 2017, reached the finish ahead on his Husqvarna only to be relegated to fifth place by a 20 minute time penalty for missing a waypoint.
The biggest performance of the day came from Martin Michek of the Czech Republic, who set the fastest stage time on his Husqvarna, by almost ten minutes from Smith, to claim second place after shaking off the effects of a hard fall on the opening leg. Smith’s winning margin was 1min 31 secs.
The UAE’s 2018 rally winner and World Cup champion Mohammed Al Balooshi, riding aHusqvarna, collected the third podium position, despite a crash and GPS problems.
Fellow-Emirati rider Sultan Al Balooshi, lying fourth overnight, was evacuated to hospital by helicopter for X-rays after injuring his right side and lower back in a crash on the stage.
Another Emirati, Mansoor Al Suwaidi on a Yamaha YFZ 450 R, recorded an overwhelming quads victory by more than 4hrs 18 mins 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.
The Rally had been cancelled last year owing to the coronavirus emergency, but the fourth edition was staged in compliance with strict COVID-19 Protocol, and has made history as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
“We’re very happy to have brought World Cup rallying back to Dubai,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport, before the official podium prizegiving at DEWA’s Innovation Centre, the rally HQ. “It’s taken a big team effort to make this happen, and put on a very successful event.”
A jubilant Al Rajhi said at the finish: “The Dubai Baja was really good for us after an unlucky week in the Dakar rally. It has been a difficult rally, which is good as we learn more.
“Today we did not push to a lot, but we did some of the time – on two wheels!. Michael did a great job. I really enjoyed the Baja, and we came to show our support to the organisers in these COVID times.”
New bikes champion Smith said: ““I really enjoyed today. It was very good despite the early part where I couldn’t get my flow. But later I started to ride better and increase the pace, catching up with the leading two riders, Mark and Martin. The Dubai Baja is a really great event and I encourage all riders here in the UAE to take part in this international event which is on our door step.”
Provisional results after Arabian Automobiles Nissan Special Stage
Cars
1. Yazeed Al Rajhi/ Michael Orr (SAU / GBR) / Toyota Hilux Overdrive 5:22.13
2. Khalid Al Qassimi / Dirk Von Zitzewitz (ARE / DEU) / Peugeot 3008 DKR 5:56.02
3. Yasir Seaidan / Aleksei Kuzmich (SAU /RAF) / Mini John Cooper Works Rally 6:00.07
4. Pierre Lachaume / Loic Minaudier (FRA / FRA) / PH – Sport Zephyr 6:18.53
5. Pavel Lebedev / Kiril Shubin (RUS / RUS) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 6:48.46
6. Mshari Al Therifi / Ali Hassan Obaid (KWT / ARE) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 7:18.16
7. Claude Fournier / Szymon Gospodqrczyk (FRA / POL) / CAN AM Maverick 7:33.51
8. Michael Fadel / Craig Tyson (ARE / ARE) / Polaris / T3 8:11.56
9. Laia Sanz / Lucas Cruz (SPA / SPA) / CAN AM Maverick / T4 9:12.34
10. Thomas Bell / Patrick McMurren (ARE /ARE) / Nissan Navara 9:43.07
Bikes
1. Sam Smith (GBR) / KTM SX – F 450 5:50.03
2. Martin Michek (CZE) / Husqvarna SX F450 5:51.34
3. Mohammed Al Balooshi (ARE) / Husqvarna FC 450 6:02.59
4. Abdallah Abuaisheh (JOR) / KTM SX-F 450 6:04.55
5. Mark Ackerman (ZAF) / Husqvarna FX 450 6:09:39
6. Konrad Dabrowski (POL) / KTM SX-F 450 6:23.40
7. Abdulla Dakhan (ARE) / Yamaha YZ 450 F 6:37.27
8. Mishal Al Guneim (SAU) / Husqvarna 450 Rally 6:52.31
9. Darko Marasovic (CRO) / KTM SX – F 450 7:00.13
10. Mirjam Pol (NLD) / Husqvarna FC 450 / 1 7:04.06
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Aishwarya Pissay makes history as she wins FIM Bajas World Cup in women’s class
Aishwarya Pissay receiving the World Cup on Sunday. Photos courtesy FIM Bengaluru, 11 August 2019: Aishwarya Pissay, the 23-year old from Bengaluru, created history by annexing the FIM Bajas World Cup in the Women’s category after the fourth and final round of the championship, at Varpalota (Hungary), on Sunday. She became the first Indian ever to win a World title in Motorsport. Aishwarya also finished second in the FIM Junior category on the conclusion of the four-round Championship.
Aishwarya, who won the first round in Dubai and was placed third (Portugal), fifth (Spain) and fourth (Hungary) in the subsequent outings, finished with a tally of 65 points, just four ahead of Portugal’s Rita Vieira in the final Overall standings for Women. She was placed second in the Junior category with 46 points, behind championship winner Tomas de Gavardo (60) of Chile.
The TVS Racing’s Bengaluru rider, emerged victorious in the four-round cross country rally based on the total points, with her victory in the first round in Dubai standing her in good stead. In the fourth round in Hungary, the second-placed Vieira Rita, could only finish third for 15 points and thus Aishwarya who finished fourth managed to keep her lead and won the World Cup Baja in the women’s category gaining 13 points for her 4th. Romero Font Rosa won the Hungarian round in this class and Garcia Alvarez Sara finished second.After 805km, including 588km on competitive selective sections around Várpalota and Lake Balaton, the Hungarian Baja rounded off the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup. For the record, Adam Tomicek (Husqvarna) claimed his maiden motorcycle victory, the Pole finishing ahead of Stefan Svitko (KTM) and Maciej Giemza (Husqvarna), while Juraj Varja (Yamaha) took the laurels in the quad category from Aleksandr Maksimov (Yamaha).
The 23-year-old Aishwarya is sponsored by TVS, Sidvin, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India, K&N, Cult Sport and BigRock Dirt Park. Before the start of the final round she was leading the women’s category by seven points, after having won in Dubai, finished third in Portugal and fifth in Spain.
A proud moment for Team TVS Sherco’s Aishwarya Pissay from India as she stands on the top step of the podium at FIM Bajas Women’s World Cup on Sunday. An FIM image An ecstatic Aishwarya, said after the podium ceremonies: “It’s absolutely overwhelming. I am out of words. After what happened last year, my first international season, when I crashed in Spain Baja and suffered career-threatening injuries, to come out and win the championship, is a great feeling.
“It was a tough phase of my life, but I believed in myself and was determined to get back on the bike which I did after nearly six months. So, winning the World Cup is huge for me and I will look to better my performance having gained this experience. I also hope I will be able to get more sponsors on board and eventually realise my dream of participating in and finishing the Dakar Rally (considered World’s most difficult cross-country race). In any case, I will pursue that dream no matter what.”
Reflecting on her Hungarian Baja performance, Aishwarya said: “Without a doubt, the Hungarian Baja was one of my best races though I didn’t win. It wasn’t an easy race. Given the nature of the terrain, it was more of endurance than just pace. I was riding a smaller bike (250cc) as against the 450cc bikes other girls were on. So, there was always a difference of 20-25 minutes between me and the other riders.
Aishwary’a medals! “Also, I was wrongly given a road penalty for early check-in which wasn’t my fault. All these factors added to my time. On the positive side, I was happy that I was closing the gap between me and other riders in front of me. I was able to get within seven minutes of Rita (Vieira) and that gave me the confidence. However, it was more about finishing the race and I was focussed on that.”
Aishwarya is scheduled to return to Bengaluru in the early hours of Wednesday, August 14, via Qatar.
On July 30, Miss Pissay finished fifth in the FIM women’s category and 24th Overall in the FIM bike category of the Baja Espana Aragon, the penultimate round of the World Cup.
Earlier in Round 2 at Portugal, Aishwarya took a podium in the women’s category finished third in March. She also topped the women’s category in the first round in Dubai on March 9.
The Hungarian Baja comprised of five Special Stages totalling 588.26 km besides 205.66 of Liaison section. The competitors were flagged-off late on Thursday for SS-1 (7.18 Kms) near to this former mining town.
Miss Pissay has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in 2017 and 2018 but before that her focus was on racing and she won 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.
