Brazilian teams take nine of the 11 first places in the UTV category

Something like a _Brazilian Storm_ - the Brazilian invasion that became famous in world surfing - is happening in Argentina's main rally. The South American Rally Race (SARR) has been seen as a kind of mini-Dakar for using routes in the same regions where the world's biggest cross-country race was held between the years 2009 and 2018. And in the first of nine days of racing, on Thursday (16), the Brazilian teams were left to their own devices: with victory for the duo formed by the current Rally dos Sertões champion, Rodrigo Varela, and Dakar 2017 champion, Lourival Roldan, the country's competitors won nine of the eleven first places. The exception were the fifth and eighth places, which were secured by Argentinean duos.
Another highlight in the UTV category is the participation of Pâmela Bozzano, who became the first Brazilian driver to compete in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of January. Pâmela competes alongside navigator Cadu Sachs and ended the day in 11th place. "It was a very dangerous day. The stretch was very sinuous and with piloting up and down mountains, some very narrow parts, dangerous, you had to be very precise in your piloting," says the winner Rodrigo Varela. "But we managed to pass well. Our UTV finished in great condition and we managed to open a good advantage on this first day. So it was a great start," added the Can-Am Monster Energy Team driver.

Crash - Three-time world champion Reinaldo Varela, Rodrigo's father, and Argentinean navigator Fernando Imperatice crashed in the middle of the race precisely in a narrow and very winding stretch. "A couple of other UTVs stopped to help us. Fortunately, the damage was not serious and our car started to function normally again. But we lost a lot of time," said the experienced driver, who ended the day in 18th place among the 28 teams entered in the UTV category.
This Friday, the SARR 2023 continues on to its second special stage, a 240km long section between Santiago del Estero and Santa María, in addition to another 244km of travel used to reach the starting point and return to camp. The South American Rally Race runs until the 25th, with only one rest day on February 21st.

Results: 
1. Rodrigo Varela/Lourival Roldan (Brasil), tempo de 4h13min41s para 308km
2. Fabio Pirondi/Daniel Spolidorio (Brasil), a 3min38s
3. Jorge Wagenfuhr Junior/Humberto Ribeiro  (Brasil), a 5min31s
4. Pedro MacDowell/Enio Bozzano Júnior (Brasil), a 11min10s
5. Nazareno Lopéz/Ricardo Torlaschi (Argentina), a 14min57s
6. Allan Cestari/Weidner Moreira  (Brasil), a 21min9s
7. Ivan Rodrigo Kuhnen/Wellington Rezende Jr. (Brasil), a 22min18s
8. Pablo Macua/Pablo Ingaramo (Argentina), a 22min10
9. Maxwell Fernadez/Gustavo Bortolanza (Brasil), a 23min6s
10. Rui Carlos Gengnagel/Andre Venson  (Brasil), a 25min47s
11. Pâmela Bozzano/Cadu Sachs  (Brasil), a 26min30s
18. Reinaldo Varela/Fernando Imperatice  (Brasil/Argentina), a 43min14s

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese version
Source BestPR

Short video from 2023 South American Rally Race

The fourth edition of the South American Rally Race will take place again in Argentina, this time the SARR will have 9 extensive stages developed in 12 days of activity, crossing the provinces of Catamarca, Santiago del Estero and La Rioja. The total estimated distance for the competitors facing the great South American challenge is around 4,200 kilometers.

The fourth edition of the South American Rally Race will be held in February 2023 and the organization headed by Juan Pablo Sisterna presented the official route at a Sponsor Day held in Alta Gracia, Córdoba. Dunes and sand dunes will represent 50% of the surface to be covered, so navigation will play a key role for each category.

The South American Rally Race 2023 will return to northwest Argentina, an emblematic place for the Rally Raid discipline in this part of the planet. After a 2022 edition where the caravan entered Patagonian lands, the NOA desert will once again be the main protagonist of the most challenging race in South America.

The presentation of the SARR 2023 map took place with a special event at the Berta Experience venue, an eminence when it comes to talking about Argentine motorsport and the tradition of Argentine motor racing. There, drivers, teams and authorities, together with a large number of guests, came to know the most important details of the race.

On the track, the teams that tuned up their vehicles took part in a small tour to delight the audience with the pace of the machines that will be competing on February.

Then, it was time to unveil the route. During the presentation, Juan Pablo Sisterna thanked especially the authorities of the localities and provinces that made possible the layout of the map, together with the team of the Argentine Rally Raid Association that worked hard.

THE ROUTE:
The route diagrammed by the SARR organization will start in the city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, will have a brief passage through the province of Santiago del Estero, whose city, Santiago capital, will receive the pilots in the first stage.

Then, the caravan will enter Catamarca again through Santa María, once again present in the SARR, and after visiting Belén and Fiambalá, the teams will enter La Rioja, the third province of this race.

Chilecito (rest day), Villa Unión and Aimogasta (marathon stage) will be the locations prior to the arrival in the capital of La Rioja, which with two stages will put an end to this fourth edition. 

THE SCHEDULE:
On February 14 and 15, 2023, the technical and administrative verifications will take place, while the 15th will also be the time for the qualifying prologue and the starting podium.

Stage 1 will take place between Catamarca and the city of Santiago del Estero, on February 16. That first week will have five challenging stages until the rest day, which will be on Tuesday, February 21 in Chilecito. There, the teams and drivers will recharge their energy for the four final stages that will take place entirely in La Rioja.

The seventh stage will be key, as it will be the day of the marathon. There, the drivers will finish the stage in Aimogasta, while their assistance teams will have to wait for them in La Rioja. The capital of La Rioja will host the last stage and the final podium and awards ceremony, which will take place on Saturday afternoon, February 25.

Automatic translation from the original Spanish version
Source: SARR