Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira of the Old Friends Rally Team are making a powerful impression at Baja Aragón—one of the key rounds of the FIA World Bajas Cup—currently taking place across the rugged terrain of Teruel, Spain. Making their competitive debut in the mighty Polaris RZR Pro, the duo, who currently lead the World Rally-Raid Championship in the SSV category, wrapped up Stage 1 in an impressive 2nd place.
Today’s action took them through two demanding timed sections: a 132 km stage, which they won, and a 200 km challenge across the wild landscapes of Sierra de Albarracín, Jiloca, and Cuencas Mineras in the province of Teruel.
“After a great prologue yesterday, today was the real deal at Baja Aragón,” said Alexandre Pinto. “Two tough stages, one long and punishing day, and tons of rocks along the way. I had been warned, but honestly—I didn’t expect it to be this intense. We managed to win the first sector, which was amazing, especially as we’re still getting to know the Polaris. There’s a lot of fine-tuning still to do, but the car has huge potential. The team’s been doing an awesome job, but like I said, I’m still learning the machine. In the second stage, I couldn’t quite find the rhythm I wanted, but the time came together and we’re in second place—that’s a great result. There are still 130 kilometers to go tomorrow, and anything can happen. We’re in the fight and thrilled with how this debut is going. Huge thanks to the Old Friends Rally Team for everything they’ve made possible.”
The 41st edition of Baja Aragón will wrap up tomorrow as the teams tackle once again the 132-kilometer special stage run earlier today.
Source: Old Friends Rally Team official press release (Portuguese)
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