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Sertões 2024: Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio win another stage and move closer to a third Sertões title
Automatic translation of the Brazilian Portuguese version
In one of the fastest special stages of the edition, the duo managed to extend their lead
The penultimate day of the 32nd edition of the Sertões Rally, held this Friday (30) in Formosa, Goiás, was the seventh stage of the competition. Considered the fastest of all, the stage demanded skill from the teams, with Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio coming out victorious with the Toyota GR DKR Hilux #323. This is the fourth special won by the duo so far.
The difference that made the stage of 497 total kilometers and 349 timed kilometers an extremely fast race was the smooth surface and a route that included mountain climbs and high plateaus. Lucas and Kaíque led the first two stages of the day at a strong pace.
The pair, who are seeking their third Sertões title, finished the race in front with a time of 4:36:45, 2:27:72 ahead of Marcelo Gastaldi and Cadu Sachs. Marcos Moraes and Fábio Pedroso finished third, with a time of 4min05s83.
“Today was a very important special, we did the round stage at a strong pace so as not to lose concentration. The idea was not to lose any time today, so that tomorrow we can ride a little more smoothly until we arrive in Brasilia,” said Lucas Moraes, who is an official Toyota Gazoo Racing driver and is competing in the Sertões with the support of Red Bull, Strava, Repsol, Oakley, Zapalla, Reserva and SpeedMax (PneuStore).
Caution before the final day - With Friday's result, Lucas and Kaíque continue to lead the overall Car classification with 22:53:56, 15:41:76 ahead of second-placed Marcelo Gastaldi and Cadu Sachs. Marcos Moraes and Fábio Pedroso are in third, 29min04s92 ahead of the leaders.
The advantage obtained by the #323 duo is considered comfortable, but Lucas Moraes prefers to be cautious when talking about the possible conquest of the triple championship: “The Sertões is always a challenge and you can't have a definition until the rally is really finished,” he added.
On Saturday (31), the duo leaves Formosa to return to the stage of the opening of this year's edition, Brasília (DF). The grand finale of the Rally dos Sertões will take place over 263 km, 133 of which will be against the clock.
Automatic translation of the Brazilian Portuguese version
Source: BestPR
Photo: Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool
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