The FIA World and European Baja Cups return to Greece, Western Macedonia and Argos Orestiko on June 4–7, once again offering a unique motorsport spectacle, with stages that highlight the history and natural beauty of the region.
At the same time, the 1st and 2nd rounds of the newly established Greek Cross Country Trophy, organized by the Hellenic Motorsport Federation – OMAE, will also take place.
A total of 38 teams entered the event, with 19 competing in the FIA cups and 20 participating in the OMAE trophy.
Present at the event is the OVERDRIVE Team with the TOYOTA HILUX EVO, driven by Saudi Arabian Dania Akeel, who currently leads the FIA World Baja Cup standings, while HAMED AL-WAHAIBI from Oman, currently 3rd in the standings, will compete with the Daklapack RallySport Team in a TAURUS EVO MAX.
Contenders for victory and valuable championship points also include some of the sport’s most renowned names, such as LIONEL BAUD with the X-RAID Team driving a MINI JCW RALLY, KHALID ALJAFLA with a TOYOTA HILUX EVO, BENEDIKTAS VANAGAS with a TOYOTA HILUX, MARIA GAMEIRO with an X-RAID MINI JCW RALLY, KAREL TRNENY with a FORD F150 EVO+, COSTEL CASUNEANU with a MINI R60CC, and MAGDALENA ZAJAC with a TOYOTA HILUX.
In the Challenger category (light prototype vehicles), the entries of MITCHEL VAN DEN BRINK with a Can-Am Maverick R and ABDULAZIZ ALKUWARI with a TAURUS EVO MAX stand out.
In the SSV category (light production vehicles), a series of experienced drivers will battle for as many championship points as possible, including Fernando ALVAREZ, Hedda HOSAS, Tomasz BIALKOWSKI, Mansour AL HELEI, and Murat KAPANOGLU, while Turkey’s Yagiz BIRINCI will participate exclusively for the Baja Greece classification.
Two entries are included in the STOCK category (production vehicles), with Fernando BARREIROS and Almashna ALSHAMMARI competing in an ISUZU D-MAX and a NISSAN PATROL respectively.
Particular interest is focused on the entries in the Greek Cross Country Trophy event, where many intense battles are expected for the collection of valuable points for the continuation of the championship.
In the car category, the Koutsoubou family will participate with a full lineup, featuring the highly experienced Fotis driving a Toyota LC90, Giorgos with a Suzuki Vitara, and Panagiotis with a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Giannis Vorrias returns to Baja Greece with the impressive Mitsubishi Pajero Evo, while Turkish driver Ali Kutay will challenge for victory with a Mitsubishi L200. Andreas Tziallas, driving a Jeep Cherokee ZJ, will once again represent the city of Konitsa, while Apostolos Moraitis with a Suzuki Jimny aims for a strong result in the final standings.
The SSV category (light vehicles) takes center stage this year with a large number of notable entries. Lambros Dionysakopoulos, driving a Can-Am Maverick R, will defend his victory from last year, while Taxiarchis Adamopoulos, winner of the 2024 edition, aims to return to the top step of the podium, also driving a Can-Am Maverick R. The entry list continues with the very fast Bulgarian driver Velkov and the highly experienced Vaggelis Bersis, both competing in Can-Am Maverick R vehicles. This year’s Baja Greece marks the first appearance for Nikola Mitsotakis, Dimitris Palaiokostas, Dimitris Kokkinos, Matthaios Skaftouros, and Giannis Akratos, all driving Can-Am Maverick R vehicles. The Italian Ambosetti family, Riccardo and Federico, also with Can-Am Maverick R vehicles, as well as Poland’s Ernest Kus with the same vehicle, aim to break the Greek dominance in the category.
This year’s Baja Greece has a total length of 800 km, with the special stages reaching 550 km, designed with a focus on challenge for the competitors, while also prioritizing safety, sustainability, and the spectator experience.
Baja Greece is held with the institutional support of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, the Regional Unit of Kastoria, and the Municipality of Argos Orestiko.
Gold Supporters of Baja Greece are TOYO TIRES and DESFA, serving as the event’s “sustainability partner.”
More information about Baja Greece can be found on the official website: www.bajagreece.gr
Source: Baja Greece
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