Leading the newly created European Cup after two solid victories in the first two events and a second place in Baja Poland, Portuguese brother duo Alexandre and Pedro Re are looking forward to the upcoming Italian Baja with confidence – but not overconfidence. Although they had to quit the rally scene for almost a decade before returning and switching to T4 category this, the Portuguese crew has vast experience in different categories and vehicles, and they have already shown their skills and speed winning races and scoring top results in championships.
Their racing history goes back to the mid-nineties, with Alexandre starting his racing career in 1995, and Pedro following in his footsteps in 1997.
“We started in the Nissan Terrano II Trophy in Portugal in 1995. The first race was Baja Terras del Rey, in Algarve. We did the trophy for two years, and also the Nissan Navara by Tomás Mello Breyner series [Trofeu Tomaz Mello Breyner, TTMB], where we finished second overall. This was special, because it was a tribute to Tomás Mello Breyner, an inspiring Portuguese offroad driver,” Alexandre explains.
The Re brothers went on to win the Iberian Nissan Navara Trophy, in which drivers from Spain and Portugal participated. With the title, they also received an opportunity to drive the Nissan Pathfinder of the Nissan Iberia team, prepared by the Spanish TotCurses company, and be the teammates of then reigning Baja Cup champion Mark Blazquez. The result was two podium finishes, in Italy and in Portalegre, along with a lot of learning.
However, their momentum was broken in 2008, when the crisis hit and due to business responsibilities they had to quit the rally scene for nine long years. On their return, they joined South Racing, led by Scott Abraham, and after trying themselves at the helm of the team’s Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, they ended up in one of the Can-Ams.
“We managed to do some races with the Ford and we realised that the cars had a huge development in past years while we were out. Before we switched to Can-Am, we did one season [2019] with a VW Amarok, and we lost the Portuguese Championship in the last race by one point,” Alexandre says.
And why Can-Am?
"One of the main reasons is the budget. The budget for running a T4 is completely different from running a T1, especially if you use a top car. Another thing is that I enjoy working with South Racing and Scott [Abraham] to develop new things for the Dakar, usually it's the most important race in the year. And I enjoy driving the car. So it's a mix of things: budget, having new things to try, and enjoying the races driving a T4," Alexandre explains. "The only thing I don't like is getting so muddy," he adds with a smile.
And the project is an absolute success: in May, Alexandre scored an overall victory in Baja Loule, a round of the famously tough Portuguese championship (CPTT), outperforming all the T1 cars.
"To be honest, we like to win, like everyone does, and we try to do our best in every race but we didn't know where we stood with all the talents in SSV before Baja Aragon. At the moment, we are aiming for the European title but we also have an eye on the World Cup. Let's see what happens."
Of course life is not all about rallies for Alexandre.
"I run the wall and floor tile production company Primus Vitoria Ceramics, with two factories, and we are very pleased to be one of the big players in the world for small sizes and special projects. I really feel that cross-country rally is an escape from my work and I can join two good things, the pleasure of driving and carrying the names of my sponsors (Irbal, ADV, Multiup, Ponto Urbano, Beyhond Clothing, Onde Quiseres events, Ibervita) worldwide. "
Finally, the question is obvious: what do they expect from the penultimate round of the European Cup? Could they repeat the podium finish they scored in 2007?
"It's not easy to get on the overall podium in a race like Italian Baja! And it's not a goal… But we'll go there to try to complete the European Cup in T4, for sure!" Pedro says. His brother adds: “I’ve been to the Italian Baja three or four times. When I was there I pretty much liked it. There was a big river, with a lot of water and a lot of rocks, but all were round, so it was nice to drive. As for my expectations for this year’s rally, I have to maintain my position in the European Cup, and I will try to do my best. In Poland, I was a bit scared in some places, and I think I didn’t push as much as I should to try to win the category, but I’ll do that for sure in Italy!”
Article by Sveta Amelichkina and Rita Kónya for Rally-Raid Network
Photos: South Racing
