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Italian Baja 2024: Valid for the Italian, Hungarian and European championships
More and more names are being added to the list of participants at the Italian Baja (4/6 July), second appointment of the Fia European Baja Cup, third of the Italian Championship of Cross Country and Ssv, competition valid - last news - also for the Hungarian Cross Country Rally Championship. The Fuoristrada Club 4x4 Pordenone is working to define the now classic track on the river-beds, coming at terms with the difficulties of a one-of-a-kind "rainy season", with continuous variations of the course of the river Tagliamento. The situation is so peculiar that a Plan A, B and even C are about to be prepared, in order to cover every eventuality before the start of the three days of competition with an operating base at the Interporto Centro Ingrosso of Pordenone.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the rankings of the European Cup and of the tricolor specialty. It’s surprising to find leading the international rankings Tomasz Bialkowski, who was only eighth in the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura that took place this May in Spain. But the FIA regulation awards the results obtained based on the specific number of competitors in each group - the Polish’s Can Am Maverick X3 had a greater number of opponents in Group T4 (light tubular) compared to the winner, Joao Ferreira, on Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus of Group T1 (prototypes). The Portuguese has already been the protagonist of the Italian Baja and there are good possibilities that he’s going to show up at the starting line in Pordenone with an amazing vehicle signed X-Raid. Third in Spain and in the FIA ranking another Portuguese, Rui Carneiro, on a Challenger Group 3 (another kind of light tubulars).
Leading the Italian Cross Country Baja championship Andrea Schiumarini on a Mitsubishi L200 thanks to the second place at the Artugna Race and at the first at the Baja Colline Metallifere, chased, in this order, by Alfio Bordonaro, Emilio Ferroni and Alberto Spinetti, all at the steering wheels of their Suzuki Grand Vitaras, while Manuele Mengozzi, winner of the Artunga race on his Toyota Hilux, skipped the second competition and is now fifth overall.
Thanks to the success in Tuscany and after the second placement at the home race of Artugna, at the top of the Italian Ssv rankings, Pordenonese Federico Buttò, followed by Andrea Castagnera, both on Can Am Mavericks, Michele Manocchi, loyal to his Yamaha Yxz 1000R.
Italian Baja press office
Helder