This Friday marks the start of the official events for the 13th edition of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, which counts toward the third round of World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), kicking off a historic week for rally raid racing in Argentina.
During the day, at San Juan bivouac—located at the Autódromo San Juan Villicum—competitors in the Open and Desafío Ansenuza categories will undergo Administrative and Scrutineering, a key step prior to the start of the competition, where each competitor and vehicle must pass the corresponding checks to be cleared to compete.
The event will give participants a first-hand taste of the race atmosphere at the bivouac, where teams and competitors will be putting the finishing touches on their preparations before the action begins on the roads of San Juan and San Rafael.
The 13th edition of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF will feature a Prologue and five stages connecting San Juan-San Rafael-San Juan on a demanding and challenging route. In total, competitors will race 2,993 kilometers, 1,726 of which will be special stages, in a competition that combines high-level racing with optimized logistics at two bivouacs.
Prologue Spectator zones
Argentine fans will have the opportunity to see world-class rally stars such as Luciano Benavides, Tosha Schareina, Ross Branch, and many other top international competitors.
The Spectator Zones (ZE) will be the only areas designated for safely watching the race. To preserve the spirit of the rally raid and keep the race routes under wraps, the official locations of the ZE will be announced 72 hours before each stage.
The Prologue will kick off this 13th edition of the Desafío Ruta 40. On Sunday, starting at 12hs, this 9-km timed special stage will begin, valid for FIM, Open, and Desafío Ansenuza competitors.
Afterwards, the Shakedown for FIA competitors will take place at the same location.
The designated Spectator Zones can be downloaded here: https://desafioruta40.ar/spectator-zones/
Schedule of Activities for the Weekend in San Juan
Saturday, May 23
8:00hs: Administrative Checks for FIA competitors (optional for W2RC crews) and FIM
9hs: Scrutineering for FIA competitors (optional for W2RC crews) and FIM
7hs: Dakar Rally Presentation (Civic Center – Salon Eloy Camus)
8hs: General Briefing and Official Photo (mandatory) (Civic Center – Salon Eloy Camus)
Sunday, May 24
7:30hs: Administrative Check for FIA W2RC crews
8:30hs: Technical Scrutineering for FIA W2RC crews
12 – 14 hs: PRÓLOGO (For FIM competitors, OPEN – after the last bike – and Ansenuza – after the last OPEN)
14:00–16:00 hs: Shakedown (for FIA competitors—optional)
18hs: Autograph session (open to all competitors) (At the Conte Grand Cultural Center)
18:30hs: FIM Pre-Event Press Conference (At the Conte Grand Cultural Center)
18:45 hs: FIA Pre-Event Press Conference (At the Conte Grand Cultural Center)
19:10hs: Selection of the starting order for Stage 1 for FIM competitors (At the Conte Grand Cultural Center)
19:20hs: Start Ceremony – ramp (At the Conte Grand Cultural Center)
Source: Desafio Ruta 40
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