Second overall for Overdrive Racing’s desert rookie Lucas Moraes
Steering arm issues push Erik van Loon down to 24th overall

Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi sealed the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas Drivers’ Championship with outright victory at the Dubai International Baja.

The Saudi overcame first day motion sickness that cost him around 10 valuable minutes to win the second of the weekend’s two selective sections through the Al Qudra desert to guarantee the title and a narrow winning margin of 67 seconds over Overdrive Racing team-mate Lucas Moraes.

Partnered by German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz, Al-Rajhi came into the weekend with a 10-point cushion over Miroslav Zapletal and delays for his Czech rival also aided the Toyota Hilux driver’s cause. It was his second successive victory in Dubai after claiming the win last year with co-driver Michael Orr.
Al-Rajhi said: “Today, we recover some time and everything was going well. We are happy to win the FIA World Cup. That was the most important goal. This season, we had a lot of race unlucky but we are finally lucky.”

Moraes returned to action with Overdrive Racing and new German co-driver Timo Gottschalk, with whom he will tackle the Dakar Rally in January. The Brazilian led after the first day and finished the repeat run of the special that was run in the opposite direction in second position.

Moraes said: “This was my first time here and the first time for me racing in proper desert and dunes. It was a great experience. To be honest, I never thought that I would be fighting for the victory here. The idea was to come here and learn, enjoy and get experience for Dakar. We managed to win the first stage and started to get going. Today was a little bit tricky for me. I got motion sickness twice and had to stop and recover a little for a couple of minutes. The team has been awesome. The goal was to finish and we did that and now we focus on Dakar.”

Dutchman Erik van Loon again teamed up with French co-driver Sébastien Delaunay in the third of the Overdrive Racing Toyotas. He held fourth overall after day one and reached the finish at Dubai Festival City in 24th overall after incurring time penalties following steering arm issues on the final day.

Moraes started superbly and the Brazilian set the fastest time on the opening selective section of 194.40km that started from the camel farming hub of Lisaili on the Dubai to Al Ain highway and crossed the surrounding Al Qudra desert. Moraes beat Van Loon by 6min 53sec and a struggling Al-Rajhi by 10.05sec to give Overdrive Racing a 1-2-3 in T1 after the first day and first, fourth and fifth in the overall rankings.

Von Zitzewitz said: “It was short, soft steep dunes and it was no fun. Many people had problems with their stomach. It was not easy but, somehow, I could manage but then Yazeed got sick. He was throwing up and we needed to stop for eight to 10 minutes so that he have some time and relax. Then we went slowly to the finish. It was no nice racing. The new car was running nicely and we are still beating our main competitor in the championship. He had some problems as well. The outcome was okay but it was not a nice day. A great result for Lucas and Timo to win the stage but I am a little bit worried that we have to do the same stuff again tomorrow in the opposite direction.”

Moraes’s co-driver Gottschalk added: “We discovered on the test that it was going quite nicely between us and he’s a fast guy, Today, he proved that he has a clever speed and he was driving the dunes really nicely. It was hard for the body and the car today. The area is nice for the rally and we have open waypoints for the navigation, so it was a good training.”

The second stage of 195.98km headed out in the opposite direction to finish at Al-Lisaili and Al-Rajhi stormed through to seal outright victory with an impressive stage win. The Saudi beat the struggling Moraes by 11min 10sec, as the Overdrive Racing duo confirmed a 1-2 finish to wrap up another successful FIA season of cross-country racing

The team now switches its attention to running eight cars at the 2023 Dakar Rally, starting on New Year’s Eve in Saudi Arabia.

2022 Dubai International Baja – result:
1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 7hr 02min 32sec
2. Lucas Moraes (BRA)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 7hr 03min 39sec
3. Eryk Goczal (POL)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 7hr 18min 44sec
4. Michal Goczal (POL)/François Cazalet (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 7hr 19min 33sec
5. Marek Goczal (POL)/Maciej Marton (POL) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 7hr 20min 13sec
6. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F150 Evo 7hr 35min 08sec
7. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 7hr 35min 30sec
8. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Oriol Vidal (ESP) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 7hr 35min 48sec
9. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Sergio Lafuente (URY) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 7hr 45min 15sec
10. Kees Koolen (NLD)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 7hr 45min 31sec
24. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 32hr 21min 52sec
*T1 unless stated

Source Overdrive Racing

In preparation for the Dakar Rally, Lucas Moraes sets a good pace in the stage valid for the Baja World Cup

Even facing the Dubai International Baja, the last stage of the Baja World Cup, as a preparation for his debut in the Dakar Rally, the Brazilian Lucas Moraes surprised the competition and dominated the first of the two days of the competition. Aboard a Toyota Hilux DKR IMT of the Belgian Overdrive team, Moraes finished this Friday's 194.40 km stage in the Arab Emirates in 3h29min59s, the fastest of the day on the sands between the Lisaili region and the Al Qudra desert.
With the objective of improving his driving technique in the region's dunes, very close to where the Dakar Rally will be held, Moraes also has as a novelty the integration work with German navigator Timo Gottschalk. The duo finished the special stage with an advantage of more than six minutes over Dutchman Erik van Loon and Frenchman Sébastien Delaunay, also from Overdrive. Completing the trio of the Belgian team, which is the reigning Dakar champion, the team's third car arrived soon after, driven by the leaders of the Baja World Cup, Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi to German navagator Dirk von Zitzewitz.

"Very different" - After finishing in front, Lucas Moraes pointed out that desert rallying is practically another modality compared to what he is used to. "It was really a very special day for us, because it is my first desert and dune rally. After this experience, I can say that it is practically another sport. The driving and navigation are very different," said the Brazilian, who has recently joined the Red Bull team of athletes. "I still have a lot to evolve. And the race was in a very difficult place, so much so that I even saw other navigators commenting to Timo that it was one of the most difficult specials they have ever done here in Dubai. And this helps us for the Dakar, because we really have difficult and dangerous dunes here. But it was good, we were able to drive strong."

Before the Dubai International Baja, Lucas trained for two days with his navigator, which helped the team get used to each other and will participate in the Dakar 2023 in a month's time: "They were two very productive days, and the main thing was to understand a little about getting used to each other with the navigator, the dunes, and how to get the car right. The Brazilian, however, continues "with his feet on the ground" for this Saturday. "One thing I realized is how quickly you can put everything at risk in this type of race. Any error in driving or navigation in these high dunes can be very costly. It takes maximum focus all the time," he stressed. "My goal here is more to gain experience. But, of course, we are leading and I would love to bring this victory to Brazil. I can hardly believe we did so well on the very first day. But here in the desert, and with these super fast and experienced guys, you need a lot of respect."

The Dubai International Baja ends this Saturday, when the pilots will cover a distance of 195.98 km, between Al-Marmoun returning to Lisaili, always in the Arab Emirates.

Check out the results of the first day (top-3):
1. Lucas Moraes/Timo Gottschalk - 3h29min59s
2. Erik van Loon/Sébastien Delaunay, 6min53s
3. Yazeed Al-Rajhi/Dirk von Zitzewitz, 10min5s

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese version  - You can find it here.
Source: Driver's Official press release

The Dubai International Baja is ready for action on 1-3 December. The traditional desert race will take place in the modern city location on the UAE National Day – meaning the stage is set for a Dubai Baja unlike any other.

The Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO) has signalled a bright rally future through its new partnership with ENOC, under which, the Group will provide the Dubai Baja participants with high-performance engine oil and fuel. ENOC will also supply logistic services to the event, which will largely contribute to its success.

The new partnership will give the Dubai Baja a major boost with the appointment of ENOC and the launch of a new location in the forward-facing Dubai Festival City reflecting a new vision for the rally.

The Dubai Rally HQ, Parc Ferme, Documentation, Podium Ceremony and Media Centre will all be located at Festival City Centre and the Service Park can be found next to Festival City Mall.

H.E. Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC said: “We are honoured to support initiatives that energise the economic development of Dubai and the UAE, such as the Dubai International Baja, which truly highlights the vibrancy and diversity of our beloved country’s landscape. Our expertise in providing quality fuel ensures that the engines are well equipped to manage the challenges as championship battles go down to the wire in Dubai.”

ENOC owns and operates assets in the fields of exploration & production, supply & operations, terminals, fuel retail, aviation fuel and petroleum products for commercial & industrial use. The Group’s general business operations include automotive services, non-fuel F&B retail and fabrication service, along with experience in managing motor sports activities, which will contribute to maintaining the progress of the Dubai Desert Rally “Dubai Baha International”.

Organised by the EMSO, the governing body for over 140 motorsport events annually in the UAE, along with the continued support of the Dubai Government, the rally is open for those of all levels to attend.

The Dubai Baja marks a perfect opportunity for grassroot development, with free entry into the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge available not just to the winners but also to the highest-ranking FIA T4 Rookie category and leading rider in the FIM Rally 2 class.

Featuring on the calendar for both the 2022 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the 2022 FIM BAJAS World Cup, the Dubai International Baja also marks the season finale for both prestigious championships.

With things so tight at the top of both championships, the Dubai Baja is expected be an exhilarating end to the calendar as both World Cups come to Dubai Festival City reach a dramatic conclusion.

Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi extended his Drivers’ Championship lead over Czech rival Miroslav Zapletal to 10 points after confirming a start-to-finish victory at the Saudi Baja (10-12 November), the seventh and penultimate round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.

Meanwhile in the FIM Bajas World Cup, a win at the Saudi Baja for UAE’s own Mohammed Al Balooshi saw him pull away from rival Fábio Magalhães at the top of the standings with one round to go. However, with points at the Dubai Baja counting for double, the rally will still determine who takes the title in a thrilling final showdown. The fifth edition of the Dubai International Baja is set to take place on 1-3 December, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. The rally is supported by the Dubai Government, Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, RTA, Dubai Customs, ENOC, Aquafina, Dubai Media, Casio, and Holiday Inn

Source EMSO

Thorough preparation for her Dakar debut could bring great success for Buggyra ZM Racing driver Aliyyah Koloc. The just 18-year-old will be fighting for the championship title at the Dubai International Baja this weekend, the final round of the 2022 FIA Middle East Cross-Country Baja Cup.
Aliyyah Koloc aiming for the title of the FIA Middle East Cross-Country Baja Cup in Dubai this weekend
Behind the wheel of a Can-AM DV21, Aliyyah is well-placed to fight for victory as she currently leads the championship with a total of 84 points, 22 points ahead of second-placed Hamad Nasser Alharbi of Saudi Arabia.

"Winning this series was not our priority at the beginning of the season, it was all about gaining experience. So we are very happy to see Aliyyah performing so well in the challenging conditions of the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. A title win would be a great boost before the Dakar Rally," says Buggyra's Head of Communications, Jan Kalivoda.

Aliyyah knows that it won’t be easy and she has to fight until the last meters. "The Dubai International Baja will be the culmination of my preparations for the Dakar Rally. I am happy to be doing so well in the FIA Middle East Cross-Country Baja Cup, but nothing is decided yet, so I will focus on this rally as for any other event and do the best I can," says Aliyyah, who will once again have experienced French co-driver Stéphane Duplé by her side.

Téo Calvet as the second team entry

Buggyra ZM Racing will have two Can-Ams at the Dubai event. The second team entry will be driven by Téo Calvet who makes his off-road racing debut in Dubai. The Frenchman is the team’s backup entry in the T3 Light Prototype category. "As I couldn’t participate in the 2022 Dakar due to a hand injury, this is a great opportunity to get back into off-road racing. The main goal is to prepare well, so that I can be a full backup for the team if needed," said the 21-year-old, who will have South African Taye Perry as his co-driver.

The Dubai International Baja runs from December 1 to 3. On the first day, there will be administrative checks and a ceremonial start. Friday, December 2, will see the first leg with a total length of 310.21km, of which 194.40 are timed. On Saturday, there will be a total of 317.44km to be mastered, of which 121.46km are timed.

Source Buggyra

On Thursday, December 1, Erik and Anja van Loon will start in the Dubai International Baja, the last preparatory rally leading up to Dakar 2023. While Erik and Sébastien Delaunay are going for the win, for Anja it will be the first encounter with Dmytro Tsyro as navigator. Both Erik (203) and Anja (303) have been given start number 3 within their class.

Erik van Loon is very much looking forward to the last rally of the season. "In one month the Dakar Rally starts in Saudi Arabia, so it is very nice that we can still drive now. The most important thing for Sébastien and me is that we finish and get the car all ready for the Dakar. It would be very nice if we manage to win, but it won't be easy against Yazeed Al-Rajhi. We will go for it, but optimizing the Toyota for Dakar is our main goal. The car is Dakar-ready, so it's actually the last big shakedown in which we can fine-tune a bit more and go to Saudi Arabia with a good feeling."

For Anja van Loon, the rally has another purpose, which is the first introduction to Dmytro Tsyro. "It is an exciting change though with one rally to go before Dakar, but Dmytro is very experienced and has shown to be a good navigator. I'm very curious to see what he can teach me. It will take some getting used to, with Lisette and Jan I could speak Dutch, that will be a bit harder with Dmytro. But as long as we both speak the language of the rally, it should be fine. I am very much looking forward to it."

In addition, Anja is very curious about the dunes in the Middle East. "It is of course near Saudi Arabia and I have heard several stories from Erik about the dunes in Dubai. I want to learn a lot about that during the rally. We are also driving a newly rebuilt Can-Am so it will also be important to set it up well before the Dakar starts at the end of December."

The rally begins on December 1 with the shakedown and inspections. Two tests will be run on Friday, December 2, and 2 tests will also be run on Saturday, December 3. A total of 390 kilometers will be covered at speed.

Automatic translation from the original Dutch version
Source Van Loon Racing

Dubai International Baja 2022 - Entry lists

FIA Provional entry list - AUTO - Download 2022-DIB-FIA-AUTO-OPEN-PROVISIONAL-ENTRY-LIST-FINAL

EMSO Provisonal entry list - AUTO - Download 2022 DIB NATIONAL Entry list

FIM Moto and Quad entry list - Download 2022-DIB-MOTO-QUAD-PROVISIONNAL-ENTRY-LIST-VALIDATED-BY-FIM

FIM Bajas World Cup, round 8

After a season of seven events so far, the best riders in the FIM Bajas World Cup will gather in Dubai this week to compete in the Grand Final.
Only the two best results of the season have been retained by each rider and everything will, therefore, be decided on Friday (December 2nd) and Saturday (December 3rd) over 390km of competitive selective sections.
No less than 34 FIM motorcycles and six quads are on the official entry list, including five riders in the Women's category, three Juniors and seven Veterans.
Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) currently tops the motorcycle category with 50 points, followed by Fabio Magalhães (Honda) on 45 and Konrad Dabrowski (Husqvarna) on 41. The young Pole is also the leader of the Junior category and has 50 points in his section, although he will be challenged in the UAE by Alex McInnes and Tobias Ebster, who have not scored points this season.
In the Women's category, Mirjam Pol (Husqvarna) holds the top spot with 50 points, followed by Joanna Modrzewska (Husqvarna) on 45, Margot Llobera Farre (KTM) on 36 and Alona Ben Natan (GasGas) with 25.
Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda) arrives in Dubai with 50 points and leads the Veterans’ section, while Kurt Burroughs (KTM) has 45 and Barry Howe (KTM) is in third with 41 and Rui Ferreira (Honda) has 40. Norwegian Ola Floene and the UAE-based British duo of David McBride and David Mabbs haven't scored any points this season.
In quads, Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi (Yamaha) has amassed 50 points and his Saudi rivals, Hani Al-Noumesi (Yamaha) and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (Yamaha), have 40 and 25 points, respectively.
Riders will pass the administrative and technical checks, followed by the official pre-event press conference and the ceremonial start on Thursday (December 1st).
On Friday, the first rider will start the opening selective section at 08.01hrs for a first run of 194.40km (SS1A and SS1B).
Saturday sees the second stage that will close out the championship. It runs for 195.98km (SS2A + SS2B) for a total of 390.38km of selective sections on the last FIM Baja of the season.

All results on Sportity code 22DIBMOTO

Source FIM
Photo: Rallyzone

South Racing’s De Sousa Batista wins FIA T4 category; Pons takes second place
Two-way T4 title showdown in Dubai for Al-Thefiri and De Sousa Batista

South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fernando Alvarez confirmed the FIA T3 Drivers’ Championship title with a comfortable category win at the three-day Saudi Baja 2022-Hail, round seven of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
Victory for Brazil’s Cristiano de Sousa Batista in the FIA T4 section and second place for Eduard Pons means that the South Racing Can-Am Team duo of Meshari Al-Thefiri and de Sousa Batista and will now decide the outcome of the Drivers’ Championship at the final round in Dubai next month. Technical issues om the final day cost Dutchman Kees Koolen his chance of challenging for the title in the UAE. South Racing also confirmed the FIA T4 Teams’ Championship.
Alvarez and French co-driver Xavier Panseri dominated the T3 section across two challenging desert selective sections in the An Nafud desert to the west and northwest of the city of Hail in the north-central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They guided their Can-Am to a stunning third overall, beaten only by two more powerful T1 category cars.

Alvarez had been given special dispensation by Baja officials to carry out his administration checks on the day of the start after a frantic dash through Europe to reach Hail after travel delays.

The Spaniard said: “It’s a dream come true for me to win a World Championship. The race almost didn’t happen for me due to travel cancellations to get all the way from Argentina to Hail. But, in the end, it was a great race. Thanks to Xavi and the team for a great year and we still look forward to racing in Dubai to finish the championship.”

Dania Akeel teamed up with Uruguay’s Sergio Lafuente in the second of four South Racing Can-Ams entered in T3 and the Saudi finished seventh overall and third in T3. She retained a comfortable second in the Drivers’ Championship behind Alvarez.

Fellow Saudi Mashael Al-Obaidan benefited from the experience of Dutch co-driver Wouter Rosegaar to finish inside the overall top 10 and fifth in T3. She said: “A wonderful rally with some bumpy sections. As usual, the organisers surprised us with great tracks.”

Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Attiyah teamed up with Emirati co-driver Ali Mirza in a South Racing Can-Am but lost considerable time after rolling in stage 1B. He finished seventh in T3 after a good recovery on the final day.

The Qatari said: “Unfortunately, after 10km, we had an accident and we broke the car. We tried to overtake the driver in front while descending a hill, but we landed on the front tyres and rolled over.”

De Sousa Batista was beaten only by Saudi Baja winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi on the final stage and the second fastest time catapulted the Brazilian into a T4-topping finish and fourth overall. He and Fausto Moto finished 3min 22sec in front of Eduard Pons and Mónica Plaza Vasquez in the second of the South Racing Can-Ams.

Last day technical issues cost Kees Koolen and Italian co-driver Paolo Ceci dearly and they slipped back from second in T4 to finish sixth. Meshari Al-Thefiri was unable to extend his lead in the FIA T4 Drivers’ Championship after running into electrical issues with Spanish navigator Oriol Vidal. The Kuwaiti finished seventh in T4.

South Racing Can-Am Team’s Scott Abraham said: “After sealing both T3 and T4 World Championships recently and now being able to win the T3 Baja World Cup with Fernando and the T4 Baja Teams’ Championship, it was another great weekend for South Racing and Can-Am. It was again a strong performance in the T4 category. It has been an extremely busy last few months for the South Racing team and will continue through with Dakar preparations, as well as the Baja 1000 project next week and the Dubai International Baja to finally finish off the FIA Baja Championship the same week as loading the Dakar boats! A lot still to do and a big thanks to all the team for making this happen.”

As it happened
The opening Qualifying Stage close to the official start at the Al-Maghawah National Park was reduced from 18km to just 3.91km in length. Seven crews were deemed eligible to tackle both the FIA T3 and T4 sections and the South Racing Can-Am Team were running eight of those cars.
De Sousa Batista recorded the second quickest of all the cars to head T4 and take a favourable starting position into the opening selective section towards Jubbah. Alvarez came home in fourth overall to lead T3 from Saleh Al-Saif. Valeiša held sixth overall and was second in the T4 section, followed by Koolen and Al-Thefiri.
The first desert stage was slightly revised to 229.52km, ran to the west and northwest of Hail and was split into two sections of 101.52km and 128.00km by a neutralisation link.
Alvarez started out from seventh on the road and strengthened his grip on the T3 Championship by setting the third quickest time overall and he moved into a similar position in the rankings.

Fernando said: “We did very well and we are happy with third place. The car was perfect. We had no problems and stayed all the time on a good way.”

Pons topped the T4 times and edged 29 seconds clear of Koolen. With Al-Thefiri suffering major time delays with electrical issues, that handed the initiative to De Sousa Batista and Koolen in the three-way fight for the FIA title

Al-Thefiri said: “We had changed the engine but still suffered in the car with some electrical problem which forced the engine to shut down many times. We managed to restart and pass De Sousa but the problem worsened.”

The final selective section of 183.42km was named after the nearby remote village of Farhaniyah and ran to the west of Hail. Alvarez held on to confirm third overall and the T3 Drivers’ title, but technical issues cost Koolen valuable time in the T4 tussle and the stage win enabled De Sousa Batista to pip Pons to top honours.
The South Racing Can-Am Team receives valuable support for the race programme from Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, Bell, Jjuan Brake Systems, Lazer and OMP.
The FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas will reach its conclusion at the start of December with the Dubai International Baja

Saudi Baja 2022-Hail – FIA T3 standings:
1. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 4hr 47min 55sec
2. Alliyyah Koloc (ARE)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Buggyra Can-Am DV21 4hr 49min 17sec
3. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Sergio Lafuente (URY) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 5hr 03min 42sec
4. Hamed Al-Harbi (SAU)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Can-Am Maverick X3 5hr 10min 07sec
5. Mashael Al-Obaidan (SAU)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 5hr 19min 32sec

Saudi Baja 2022-Hail – FIA T4 standings:
1. Cristiano Batista (BRA)/Fausto Mota (PRT) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 4hr 56min 27sec
2. Eduard Pons (ESP)/Mónica Plaza Vasquez (ESP) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 4hr 59min 49sec
3. Egidijus Valeiša (LTU)/ Mindaugas Varža (LTU) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 5hr 04min 10sec
4. Saeed Al-Mouri (SAU)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo 5hr 24min 00sec
5. Camelia Liparoti (ITA)/Taye Perry (DEU) Yamaha YXZ 1000R 5hr 54min 36sec

Source South Racing

Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi pulled clear of rival Miroslav Zapletal in both the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship by taking a start-to-finish victory at the Saudi Baja 2022-Hail on Saturday afternoon.
The Saudi was fastest on the Qualifying Stage and both desert selective sections in his Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux with German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz sitting alongside. He reached the finish with a comfortable winning margin of 24min 28sec.

Co-driver Von Zitzewitz said: “As we expected it was not so easy. We were not sure how the desert would react with all this rain we have had. We took it quite easy in the first part. We did not want to risk anything stupid because we were lying in a good position. But, in the second part, we speeded up a little bit. There was some navigation involved and some soft dunes and nice climbs through a pass. It was quite challenging and many guys got trouble. Everything went well and Yazeed did a great drive. The Hilux worked well. It was a beautiful stage, a little bit short maybe, but it was a Baja and we are very happy that we could win this race.”

The opening Qualifying Stage close to the official start at the Al-Maghawah National Park was reduced from 18km to just 3.91km in length on Thursday afternoon. Al-Rajhi beat his closest rival Cristiano de Sousa Batista by 8.8 seconds to snatch the outright lead. Rival Zapletal was third.
Friday’s first selective section towards Jubbah was slightly revised to 229.52km and ran to the west and northwest of Hail. It was split into two sections of 101.52km and 128.00km by a neutralisation link.
Al-Rajhi carded a time of 2hr 36min 19sec to move 9min 48sec ahead of Zapletal in the duel for the Drivers’ title.

The Saudi said: “It was a nice stage and I enjoyed it a lot. There were a lot of technical places. We did a good time and Dirk did a great job. The weather was different and not too hot today. No rain but the ground is hard after the rain yesterday.”

The second Farhaniyah stage ran for 183.42km to the west of Hail and was split into two parts by a neutralisation section. Again, the weather was not what competitors would normally expect in Hail at this time of year but it failed to prevent Al-Rajhi from winning the stage by 11min 38sec from De Sousa Batista.
Zapletal came home in fifth, as Al-Rajhi secured his sixth win in Hail, his first since 2016 and his first with Overdrive Racing and the Toyota Hilux.
Competitors now head to the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai International Baja, the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas at the start of December. The Saudi Toyota Rally Championship concludes in Jeddah on December 15-17.

Saudi Baja 2022 Hail – result:
1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4hr 18min 55sec
2. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F150 Evo 4hr 43min 23sec
3. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 4hr 47min 55sec
4. Cristiano Batista (BRA)/Fausto Mota (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR (T4) 4hr 56min 27sec
5. Eduard Pons (ESP)/Mónica Plaza Vasquez (ESP) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 4hr 59min 09sec
*T1 unless stated

Souce Overdrive Racing

FIM Bajas World Cup, round 7

The penultimate round of the FIM Bajas World Cup took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this weekend.
After a Prologue that was shortened to just 3.9km, riders tackled a selective section of 229km on Friday and 183km on Saturday. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Husqvarna) claimed the motorcycle laurels and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (Yamaha) topped the quad category.
The Baja had started well for the Briton Alex McInnes (Husqvarna) who, on Friday, won the opening stage by 93 seconds from his compatriot Makis Rees-Stavros (KTM). However, winning a stage means being the first to start the next day and it’s never easy. Unfortunately, while opening the 183.42km stage, McInnes crashed heavily, fractured his nose and wrist and sustained a back injury.
His retirement opened the way for several pursuers to challenge for the win. Al-Balooshi finished the last stage with the fifth fastest time but that allowed the Emirati to win the Saudi Baja for a second time with a 4min 24sec advantage over Kuwait’s Abdullah Al-Shatti.
After time penalties were added to stage times, local rider Mishal Al-Ghuneim rounded off the podium finishers, while Anass Al-Reheyani and Abdullah Abu Aisheh finished fourth and fifth overall.

In the quad category, Abdulaziz Ahli, Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi and Hani Al-Noumesi incurred hefty time penalties for missing route waypoints. That paved the way for Al-Tuwaijri to take the top step of the podium.

Margot Llobera (Husqvarna) finished as the first female rider, the Egyptian Hussein Hassan (Beta) triumphed in the Junior category and Othman Al-Ghfeli (Honda) clinched success in the Veterans’ section.

The final round of the FIM Bajas World Cup starts in Dubai on December 1.

FIM Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450. 5hr 41min 14sec
2. Abdullah Al-Shatti (KWT) Kawasaki KC 450 5hr 45min 38sec
3. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU) Husqvarna 450 Rally 5hr 46min 02sec
4. Anass Al-Reheyani (SAU) KTM EXC F 450 5hr 46min 02sec
5. Abdullah Abu Aishah (JOR) KTM 450 Factory Rally 5hr 51min 25sec
6. Martin Chalmers (QAT) Honda CRF 450 5hr 54min 32sec
7. Makis Rees-Stavros (GBR) KTM EXC F 450 5hr 55min 02sec
8. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC 450 5hr 57min 53sec
9. Brett Hunt (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450. 5hr 59min 22sec
10. Hussein Hassan (EGY) Beta 430 RR. 7hr 10min 36sec
11. Othman Al-Ghfeli (SAU) Honda CRF 4540 R. 7hr 11min 17sec
12. Salman Mohamed Farhan (BAH) Husqvarna FE 450. 7hr 17min 52sec

FIM Quads
1. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700. 6hr 09min 48sec
2. Abdulaziz Ahli (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 31hr 22min 47sec
3. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 41hr 49min 11sec

Source FIM
Photo: Rallyzone

SAUDI BAJA 2022 – HAIL (November 10-12, 2022)
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round 7 of 8
FIA Middle East for Cross-Country Bajas, round 3 of 4
FIM Bajas World Cup, round 7 of 8
Saudi Toyota Rally Championship, round 3 of 4

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri claimed victories in their respective car, motorcycle and quad categories at the three-day Saudi Baja 2022–Hail on Saturday afternoon.
The demanding final 183.42km Farhaniyah selective section to the west of Hail caused several major movements on the respective leader boards, with motorcycle front-runner Alex McInnes crashing out of his overnight advantage on two wheels and local driver Khaled Al-Feraihi losing fourth place in the car section with broken steering on the final day.
Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz dominated the car category in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux and another stage win gave the Saudi a 24min 28sec cushion over Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal (Ford F-150 Evo) and his Slovakian navigator Marek Sykora. That enabled the Saudi to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.

Co-driver Von Zitzewitz said: “As we expected it was not so easy. We were not sure how the desert would react with all this rain we have had. We took it quite easy in the first part. We did not want to risk anything stupid because we were lying in a good position. But, in the second part, we speeded up a little bit. There was some navigation involved and some soft dunes and nice climbs through a pass. It was quite challenging and many guys got trouble. Everything went well and Yazeed did a great drive. The Hilux worked well. It was a beautiful stage, a little bit short maybe, but it was a Baja and we are very happy that we could win this race.”

The South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fernando Alvarez and Xavier Panseri fulfilled their objective of finishing on the podium and a fine third place also earned them victory in the FIA T3 category and confirmed the championship title for the Spaniard.

Alvarez said: “We win the category and the championship. We win everything and I am also third overall in the (Baja) championship. We had a good feeling with the car and we see what we can do now in Dubai.”

Fourth overall and maximum FIA T4 points for Brazilian driver Cristiano de Sousa Batista means that he and Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri will go head-to-head in Dubai next month to decide the outcome of the Drivers’ Championship. Al-Thefiri finished at the rear of the field after first day electrical issues, while Eduard Pons was sixth overall and second in T4.

Aliyyah Koloc gave her hopes of winning the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas a major boost by finishing fifth and second in T3, ahead of seventh-placed local driver Dania Akeel. Egidijus Valeiša, Hamed Al-Harbi and Mashael Al-Obaidan rounded off the top 10, with three female drivers registered in that top 10 for the first time.

Al-Harbi said: “Around 50km before the finish we broke the belt and it took a long time to remove it and we put a new belt on and we lost around 10 minutes. That’s why we dropped down to ninth and second in Middle East.”

Al-Obaidan added: “A wonderful rally with some bumpy sections. As usual, the organisers surprise us with great tracks.”

After losing a lot of time in the stage, Al-Feraihi managed to get his car back to Parc Fermé in Hail. Co-driver Sébastien Delaunay explained: “We hit a big bump and we broke the steering. We finished the first part of the stage but we arrived at the neutralisation and it was closed. We make more than 50% of the stage and got the car into Parc Fermé, so we lose a lot of time and are not in a good position in the overall classification but at least we score points in the Middle East and national championships.”

When overnight leader Alex McInnes crashed heavily and sustained a broken nose, wrist and a back injury, that opened the door for several rivals to challenge for victory in the motorcycle category.
The experienced Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi only finished fifth on the stage behind Abdullah Abu Aisheh, Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera and Abdullah Al-Shatti but that was enough for the TM rider and 2020 winner to win the Saudi Baja by 4min 24sec from Kuwait’s Al-Shatti.
After time penalties were later imposed, local rider Mishal Al-Ghuneim rounded off the podium finishers and Anass Al-Reheyani and Abu Aisheh completed the top five.
Abdulaziz Ahli won the day’s quad stage on his Yamaha YFZ 450 R but massive time penalties had dropped the Saudi out of contention for victory on Friday. Overnight leader Haitham Al-Tuwaijri managed to comfortably fend off his rivals to claim the win. Hani Al-Noumesi was a distant third after multiple champion Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi failed to finish.
Ahmed Al-Shammeri held on to confirm victory in the Saudi National Baja for cars. Ahmed Al-Ghashami and Motair Al-Shammeri rounded off the podium places.
Yasir Al-Khuraif won the National Baja for motorcycles from Bader Al-Bader, while Abdulaziz Al-Atawi topped the quads.
The seventh round of both the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the FIM Bajas World Cup, round three of the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the third event in the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship was organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors.

Saudi Baja 2022-Hail (final positions after Stage SS2):
FIA
1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4hr 18min 55sec
2. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F150 Evo 4hr 43min 23sec
3. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 4hr 47min 55sec
4. Cristiano Batista (BRA)/Fausto Mota (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR (T4) 4hr 56min 27sec
5. Aliyyah Koloc (ARE)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Buggyra Can-Am DV21 (T3) 4hr 59min 17sec

T1 unless stated

FIM Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450 5hr 41min 14sec
2. Abdullah Al-Shatti (KWT) Kawasaki KC 450 5hr 45min 38sec
3. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU) Husqvarna 450 Rally 5hr 46min 02sec
4. Anass Al-Reheyani (SAU) KTM EXC F 450 5hr 46min 02sec
5. Abdullah Abu Aishah (JOR) KTM 450 Factory Rally 5hr 51min 25sec

FIM Quads
1. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 6hr 09min 48sec
2. Abdulaziz Ahli (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 31hr 22min 47sec
3. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 41hr 49min 11sec

Souce Saudi Baja

Hail Baja was the penultimate event of an extremely long and exhausting season for South Racing. The team is celebrating Fernando Alvarez being crowned T3 world champion but team principal Scott Abraham is already having Dubai Baja and the upcoming Dakar Rally on his mind.

“It's ended the Hail Baja 2022. Starting to get to the end of a very long Baja season, it's been a tough time for the team when you take two days before Portalegre after Andalucia and two days to prepare the cars for this race. We are now in Hail. Strong race for the team on the T3s, Fernando's wrapped up the Baja World Cup in T3 category and once again first, second or third in T3 so really happy with that result.
In the T4s again, hotly contested championship backwards and forwards, and Christiano Batista and Fausto, they won the race by 38 seconds over Pons and Monica Plaza. It's been a fight backwards and forwards, unfortunately today we had some issues with Kees Koolen’s car, we need to understand what happened there. Now we go to Dubai in two weeks' time to finish off the Baja World Cup, and hopefully crown the T4 world champion.

While it seems that no one really understands that the teams around the Baja are the same teams around cross-country and the same teams that race Dakar so this year we've done 25 events around the world and we've got Dakar preparations running at the same time. T3 and T4 battle will be more competitive than ever, you know, new manufacturers in T3 with Yamaha and you manufacturer with Polaris in T4. So it should be definitely interesting Dakar, looking forward to the challenge,”
Scott Abraham said after the finish of Hail Baja.

Text: Rita Kónya
Interview: Sveta Amelichkina
Photos: MCH