Baja Portalegre 2023: Swedes showed speed; Nasser showed a new car; João Ferreira showed a new trophy; Public enjoyed the show!

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Last weekend, the region of Portalegre, Portugal, hosted another fantastic edition of the Baja Portalegre, the largest and oldest rally-raid event held in Portugal, the one that brings together the most participants not only in Portugal but in the whole of Europe, and one of the most attended events of its kind in the world. Once, the Portuguese event was valid for all the local championships and also for the FIA Baja World Cup.

The Baja Portalegre became a legendary race in Portugal and in some countries around the world a long time ago, when the race was 500 kilometers long, with a horde of motorcycles paving the way for a vast caravan of cars to follow. 2023 showed that this legend and this spirit are still very much alive in Portugal, both on the side of the riders and on the side of the public, who once again turned up in large numbers, giving it a very rare color that World Cup riders can only find in Portugal.

However, the Baja Portalegre has become legendary not only for the impressive number of participants but also for the toughness of its tracks. Some of the first editions were absolutely extraordinary, and the stuff from which unforgettable memories are made, all due to two factors: mud and rain. Back then, with vehicles that were little more than everyday cars, completing 500 kilometers in these conditions was an adventure in which giving up was never an option for any driver. Winning was a long way off for almost everyone, but reaching the end was within the reach of almost everyone, and that alone was a victory. On the motorcycles, you didn't even hear about four-stroke engines; it was two-stroke motorcycles, almost indomitable beasts with which the participants dared to tackle the slippery roads of the Alentejo.

This 37th edition once again brought all these elements together: There were a lot of participants, a lot of public, an extraordinary route, and, of course, a lot of water and mud (still far from what we've seen in this race before), which made this Baja Portalegre another memorable edition.

For us, it was the 30th time we've attended the race, and of what we saw, we've recorded a small set of photos... around 20000—which served as the basis for our gallery that we have published on this site: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery-collection/BAJA-PORTALEGRE-2023/C0000m6YFj5qa0yU

Now all we have to do is pray that the year passes quickly, because a strange feeling that we could start all over again tomorrow is invading us.

Bellow we publish the press releases that the organization issued throughout the race, which reflect what happened in the Alentejo region in the past weekend.

Helder Custódio
Rally-Raid Network / Todoterreno.pt / ImagensDesportivas.com

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SS2 - SWEDES TAKE CHARGE ON THE FIRST STAGE OF THE BAJA PORTALEGRE

The first competitive day of the Baja Portalegre 500 showcased why the Automóvel Clube de Portugal (ACP) event is one of the most spectacular and challenging on the international off-road calendar: a vast crowd that didn't yield to the rain and the demanding conditions of the course, faced by over 400 competitors on the muddy tracks of the Alto Alentejo.

Sweden's Adam Thornelius surprised everyone by emerging as the fastest in today's selective Sector, but it's his famed compatriot, Mattias Ekström, who leads the overall standings, with the Nordic drivers demonstrating the prowess of the Can-Am T3 in these challenging conditions. António Maio (Motorcycles), João Vale (Quads), and Pedro Santinho Mendes (SSV) also commence tomorrow's stage in the lead of their respective categories.

The drivers' assessments at the conclusion of Selective Sector 2 were unanimous. "It wasn't easy. The terrain is very demanding and treacherous. I'm happy just to be here," expressed Nasser Al-Attiyah, making his debut with the Prodrive Hunter T1+. "A tough day. We drove on both dry and muddy terrain. In these conditions, it was easy to make mistakes, so I'm content with our race so far," mentioned last year's winner, João Ferreira (Mini JCW Plus T1+). "It was a challenging special, with lots of water and mud. We're pleased to have completed the stage. The surface was extremely slippery," said Mattias Ekström, the renowned Swedish driver—a two-time DTM champion, World Rallycross champion, and Dakar stage winner—who is making his full debut at the Baja Portalegre 500, driving a Can-Am in the T3 category with François Cazalet as his navigator.
In these conditions, T3 SSVs prove to be highly efficient, less powerful than T1+ cars, yet lighter and more agile, with significant pulling power.

This led another Swede, Adam Thomelius, navigated by Oscar Andersson, to astonish everyone over the 61.8 kilometers of Selective Sector 2, following the impressive performances of Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel during the prologue.

With the combined times from the Prologue and SS2, rookie Ekström tops the overall standings by a mere nine-tenths of a second over Thomelius, two Swedes who are strong contenders for victory in the ACP event. Al-Attiyah, still adjusting to the Prodrive T1+, is 8.3 seconds behind Ekström in third place, with João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro trailing the Swede by 29.1 seconds. They are followed by two more Can-Am teams, Armindo Araújo and Luís Ramalho, leaders in the T3 Portuguese Championship, and Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira.

Mattias Ekström

View Mattias Ekström's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/309/G0000KoZslMV4Rk0/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E
View Adam Thornelius's image gallery here:  https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/333/G0000hNC9cLbaWtQ/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E

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SS3 -  JOÃO FERREIRA TAKES THE LEAD IN THE BAJA PORTALEGRE 500

The exceptionally challenging 184.3 kilometers of Selective Sector 3 propelled João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro to the forefront of the Baja Portalegre 500 among the car competitors. Adverse weather conditions left the surfaces waterlogged and muddy, creating a terrain where the Mini JCW Plus T1+ duo excelled. They now hold a commanding lead overall, boasting a 1 minute and 4.7-second advantage over Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel in the Prodrive Hunter T1+. The outcome of this afternoon's Selective Sector will determine the winners of the 37th edition of the Automóvel Clube de Portugal event.

Last year's Baja Portalegre 500 champion, João Ferreira, has positioned himself well for another shot at victory this year, claiming the fastest time in the challenging SS3 this morning. "We encountered some difficulties with the mud, and we were trailing Nasser, who was experiencing issues. We lost a significant amount of time there. But this is Portalegre, and there are still many kilometers to cover." The heavy rains in recent weeks have rendered the terrain of Alto Alentejo exceptionally muddy, with streams adding an extra layer of challenge for both machines and drivers. In these demanding conditions, João Ferreira and navigator Filipe Palmeiro emerged as the most adept.

Nasser Al-Attiyah, who has already secured his FIA Bajas World Cup title in Portugal, had a setback in his Prodrive Hunter T1+ when his windscreen wipers malfunctioned, with Mathieu Baumel as his navigator. "It was a challenging start as the windshield wipers stopped working. We had to stop and lost a substantial amount of time as a result. We'll see how things go in the afternoon." Nevertheless, Al-Attiyah managed to outpace Saudi Yazeed Al-Rajhi, with Timo Gottschalk as his navigator, who now occupies third place overall, trailing João Ferreira by 2 minutes and 43.4 seconds. Al-Rajhi also encountered difficulties with his Toyota Hilux T1+ as the windscreen fogged up.

In the T3 category, SSVs, which came within 21 seconds of an overall win in the 2022 edition through João Dias and João Miranda, are currently represented by the Can-Am duo, holding fourth place, 3 minutes and 32.6 seconds behind João Ferreira. Luís Portela de Morais held second place overall at kilometer 119 but experienced a setback. Miguel Barbosa and Paulo Fiúza (Toyota Hilux T1+) presently secure the fifth position, just ahead of Armindo Araújo and Luís Ramalho (Can-Am Maverick X3), who are contending for the national title in the T3 category. In the T1 category, Alexandre Franco and Rui Franco lead the standings, despite encountering issues with the turbo of their Mercedes 350D.

Competitors will now confront the decisive Selective Sector 4 in the afternoon to determine the winners of the 37th Baja Portalegre 500.

View Nasser Al-Attiyah's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/200/G0000CLbg8oBoRs8/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E
View Yazeed Al-Rajhi's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/201/G0000vRWFPZdq510/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E

Nuno Matos 

View Nuno Mato's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/645/G0000HuC2Obq.a1Q/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E

SS4 - SECOND VICTORY FOR JOÃO FERREIRA AT THE BAJA PORTALEGRE 500

Rain, mud, a huge crowd, but also a lot of emotion in the discussion of the top places in the different categories. Basically, “an old-fashioned Portalegre”, a test of resilience for the more than 400 competitors who faced the 37th edition of the Baja Portalegre 500. In the end, a second consecutive victory for the young Portuguese driver João Ferreira (Mini) in Cars, while Bruno Santos (Bikes), João Vale (Quads), Hélder Rodrigues (SSV) and Domingos Cunha (Mini Baja) triumphed in their respective categories.

"An incredible race, with fantastic stages through the mud, and a truly astounding number of spectators!" These were the words of the renowned Swedish ace Mattias Ekström, a first-timer at the Baja Portalegre 500, known for being a two-time DTM champion, World Rallycross champion, and Dakar stage winner. His words are a testament to the overwhelming success and uniqueness of the Automóvel Club de Portugal's event. Despite a weekend marked by challenging weather conditions that flooded several portions of the course and resulted in the shortening of the last selective sector on Saturday, the Baja Portalegre 500 once again solidified its position as one of the most grueling and emblematic international off-road races.

In the realm of sports, João Ferreira clinched his second consecutive victory in the car race. Accompanied by the experienced Filipe Palmeiro and steering the Mini JCW Plus in the T1+ category, the former national and European Baja champion managed the grueling course masterfully and led the race in both of Saturday's selective sectors. Speaking at the finish line, João Ferreira expressed, "It's an incredible feeling. We knew before the race that we'd be competing against the reigning World Champion (note: Al-Attiyah) and the runner-up (note: Al-Rajhi). We gave our all in challenging conditions amid abundant water and mud. Winning in Portalegre is always particularly special, especially under these conditions and with this level of competition."

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel, making their debut with the Prodrive Hunter, incurred a 20-minute penalty in the morning sector for obstructing João Ferreira's Mini. This penalty opened the door for Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk (Toyota Hilux T1+), who secured second place in the provisional overall standings. The Saudi driver expressed his contentment: "This race in Portugal is never easy. There are numerous spectators along the route, it's incredible, and the organization does an excellent job. It's genuinely enjoyable to race here."

Al-Attiyah appealed the 20-minute penalty, which could potentially enable him to improve upon his 12th-place finish. João Dias and João Miranda (Can-Am Maverick X3) replicated their podium finish from 2022, securing third place just 17 seconds behind Al-Rajhi's Toyota. They are likely to confirm their title as T3 national champions. Armindo Araújo and Luís Ramalho, the fastest in Selective Sector 4 with another Can-Am from the Santag team, came very close to securing an overall podium in fourth place. The top five were completed by another Can-Am in the T3 category, piloted by Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira.

Brazilian Cristiano Batista, guided by Robledo Nicoletti, clinched victory in T4 with his Can-Am, while Alexandre and Rui Franco managed the same feat in T1, despite encountering turbo issues with their Mercedes 350D.

Tomás Gameiro and António Saraiva triumphed in T2 with their Toyota LC200, and Ricardo Sousa secured the top spot in the CNTT race with a Can-Am navigated by Jorge Brandão.

Sérgio Matos and Sebastião Dominguez repeated their victory in the National Event, driving a Mercedes-Benz pick-up.

João Ferreira

View João Ferreira's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/202/G00004_ozA75ro3s/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E
View João Dias's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/304/G0000fltiLDYP.70/C0000YPhF4LKGd4E

MOTOS - BRUNO SANTOS WINS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PORTALEGRE 

Ten years after making his debut in the event, Bruno Santos has been consecrated on the top step of the Baja Portalegre 500 podium. The Husqvarna rider, a two-time national TT Rally Raid champion in 2018 and 2019, started today in third position, but when he took the lead about halfway through the Selective Sector, he gradually widened the gap to his closest rivals. In the end, he was 2m44s ahead of the second-placed driver. "I made very few mistakes and rode very cautiously, as I didn't set out to give everything in Portalegre. As I have to be ready for the Dakar, I was very afraid of suffering an injury, but as the race progressed and with António Maio's difficulties, I saw that I had an opportunity and I took it," said Bruno Santos.
The remaining podium places were taken by André Sérgio (Beta) and Gonçalo Amaral (Honda), while Tomás Dias (Fantic) and João Duarte (Honda) closed out the front quintet. It should be noted that António Maio, the national TT champion and eight-time winner in Portalegre, came in 19th due to a leak in the petrol pipe of his Yamaha.

View Bruno Santos's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/002/G0000IKhe53V82dw/C0000Xp9iF7s_wU4

SSV NATIONAL - HÉLDER RODRIGUES TRIUMPHS IN SSV

After an illustrious career on motorbikes, Hélder Rodrigues (Can-Am) is also making waves on SSVs, having been the strongest in Portalegre, his first victory in this category. "This means a lot to me. After a tough year, winning here is very special. The car was impeccable, I had no punctures, and in the final part, I had to manage to overtake the 4 bikes."

In the provisional final classification, João Monteiro (Can-Am) was second and, with this result, will be the new national champion, while Pedro Santinho Mendes (Can-Am) finished in third place after having taken the lead in the race.

Hélder Rodrigues

View Hélder Rodrigues's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/813/G0000fUiLA.V1bCU/C0000kThm7PeCHqw
View João Monteiro's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/803/G0000Ks8ty4NkPmE/C0000kThm7PeCHqw

QUADS - JOÃO VALE DOMINATES IN THE QUADS

For the second year running, João Vale (Can-Am) dominated the quads at the Baja Portalegre 500, with the Santo Tirso driver laying down the law right from the prologue. "A great victory! At kilometer 40 we suffered some bad luck when we ran out of brakes at the front. I thought it wouldn't be possible, but mission accomplished, and congratulations to the team," emphasized João Vale.
Tomás Paulo (Yamaha) was second, 2m57.9s behind the leader, while Flávio Gonçalves, Filipe Silva and Rodrigo Alves (all on Yamaha) closed out the front quintet.
With a dramatic finish, after being towed for more than 80 kilometers by teammate Tiago Teixeira, Rafael Carvalho came to the end very emotional, at a time when he was arguing for the title of national champion. "There are no words to describe it. This is undoubtedly the spirit of the Baja," the 21-year-old said tearfully, in one of the most striking images of this year's edition. Although the classification is still provisional, Luís Fernandes (Yamaha) should be the new SSV national champion.
Final classification

João Vale

View João Vale's image gallery here: https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/101/G00001Uc3yj81NrE/C0000YEcUeyNPZB8

View Rafael Carvalho's image gallery here:  https://www.imagensdesportivas.com/gallery/103/G0000KupkJ9BlK.I/C0000YEcUeyNPZB8

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View Rafael's Carvalho dramatic finish here:  https://www.facebook.com/bajaportalegre/videos/167754679745388/

MINI BAJA - YOUNG DOMINGOS CUNHA WINS THE MINI BAJA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Aged between nine and 16, the young Mini Baja drivers were real heroes in Portalegre, given the rain and the road conditions they had to face. In the end, Domingos Cunha (Yamaha) won his second consecutive race in Portalegre, a result that enabled him to become the national youth champion. "It was a great race, with a spectacular course. The surfaces were a bit rougher after the cars had passed, but it was always fun from start to finish, and I achieved my goal," said Domingos Cunha.
Bernardo Caiado (Gas Gas), Manuel Amaral (Yamaha), Luís Rodrigues (KTM), and António Feliciano (Yamaha) rounded off the top five, but the former was proud to have won the Novice class and become national champion. Francisco Porto Nunes (Yamaha) won the kids's race and celebrated his championship title in the best way possible.

HOBBY AND PROMO

In a competition featuring almost six dozen participants in the Promo & Hobby categories, the victories were claimed by Luís Rodrigues (Hobby Motos), Frederico Ribeirinho (Hobby Quads), Gita Gomes (Hobby SSV), Duarte Pereira (Open Moto), António Coimbra (Open SSV), Tiago Ferreira (Maxi Baja), Francisco Jacinto (Maxi Baja S1), and João Rebelo (Maxi Baja V2).

Tiago Ferreira

Photos Rally-Raid Network / Imagens Desportivas
Text: ACP Motorsport / Baja Portalegre 500   
Intro Text: Rally-Raid Network

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