It was a long and very hard day that marked the “serious” start of this 2024 edition of the Baja Aragon, but for Team Motivo JCB it was, in the end, a very fruitful stage that puts the duo Maria Luís Gameiro/José Marques in a spectacular eighth place in the Ultimate category in the Bajas World Championship standings, while Maria Luís Gameiro leads the ladies in the CERTT (Spanish Championship) and is second in the “World Championship”.
With more than 360 timed kilometers between two stages, the stage started early (6:00 am), but the teams soon realized how demanding the day would be, with temperatures rising very quickly and the dust playing a decisive role in the cars' progress on the track. After failing to finish in 51st place in the Prologue yesterday, Maria Luís Gameiro put her all into the field and at the end of the first stage managed to recover no less than 28 positions, to 23rd place overall, and in the morning special the driver had secured the 38th best time.
Visibly satisfied with her performance in this first stage of the Baja Aragon, the driver said that “only we in the cars know how tough this stage was. The morning special had already been, but it was fresh. Now, in the afternoon, it was exhausting, especially as I spun for a large part of the second sector in the dust of a slower competitor, who insisted on not letting us pass. Anyway, racing stuff, which doesn't always go the way you expect. The truth is that I feel rewarded with the result, which is very positive. In the areas where I was able to ride smoothly, I did so in a relaxed manner and at a good pace, which allowed me to recover many places in the standings. However, it's important to finish the race and tomorrow we still have one more sector, in which I have to be at my best to achieve the goals I've set myself.”
The 2024 edition of the Baja Aragon finishes tomorrow after completing the third Selective Sector, which is around 162 kilometers long and is scheduled to start at 11:07 am local time.
Automatic translation of the Portuguese version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source: Team Motivo JCV official press release
Disclaimer:
As a service to the sport we all love and follow, Rally-Raid Network posts numerous media releases from a wide variety of sources on our website. Due to the large number, and some times short time available, it is nearly impossible to review each public release. These articles are written by reporters or press officers who work for various organizers, teams, drivers, riders, and other parties, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rally-Raid Network.
