Disclaimer:
As a service to the sport we all love and follow, Rally-Raid Network posts numerous media releases from a wide variety of sources on our website. Due to the large number, and some times short time available, it is nearly impossible to review each public release. These articles are written by reporters or press officers who work for various organizers, teams, drivers, riders, and other parties, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rally-Raid Network.
Desafio Ruta 40 2024: In Argentina, Lucas Moraes seeks top-three finish in the World Rally Raid Championship
After a podium finish in Portugal, the Brazilian is very close to third place in the points table and could turn the tables in Brazil's neighboring country
Between June 1 and 7, Lucas Moraes will be in Argentina for the Ruta 40 2024 Challenge, which marks the fourth round of the World Rally Raid Championship. Along with Spanish navigator Armand Monléon, the Brazilian will be looking for another good result after a podium finish in the previous round, in Portugal with the car of the official Toyota Gazoo Racing team.
The main venue for the Ruta 40 Challenge will be the city of Córdoba, which will host the prologue and be the starting and finishing point for the competitors. With five days of special stages, the rally will pass through some other cities in central Argentina, such as San Juan and Rioja. The mountain scenery promises very technical race days and challenging situations for the drivers, including safety issues.
“The podium in Portugal helped us establish a good place in the championship and our performance throughout the year has been good, despite the unpredictabilities that are part of the competitive life of every rally driver and navigator. Argentina has a very diverse soil, and we'll be racing at points of altitude too, so we'll need to show versatility and a strong performance,” said Moraes, who is currently fourth in the World Championship, just three points off third.
Diverse route - The prologue, of 17 timed kilometers in Córdoba, on Sunday afternoon, takes place on a terrain composed entirely of dirt. The first stage, still in the host city, will be 381 km long and will also include asphalt and sand, although it will be predominantly dirt.
The second special, of 423 km, leaves Córdoba and heads to San Juan on Tuesday. The following day, the route takes place entirely in San Juan. There will be 341 km of special stages, with dirt, sand, asphalt and rocks. The penultimate special, from San Juan to Rioja, will cover 412 km. This stage is the only one with dune sections throughout the competition.
From Rioja, the competitors return to Córdoba on Friday. There will be 218 timed kilometers on the day that the activities in Argentina come to an end. The route will be entirely on dirt roads, one of the specialties of Lucas Moraes, who is a two-time champion of the Sertões Rally, and is competing in the World Championship with the support of Red Bull, Repsol, Strava, Oakley, Zapalla - as well as having led the Brazilian tire brand SpeedMax to sponsor the Toyota team, the current champions of the competition.
AI Automatic translation from the original Brazilian Portuguese version
Source: Lucas Moraes official press release
Photo: Rally-Raid Network / ImagensDesportivas.com
Helder