Brazilian Championship

Varela Can-Am Monster Energy confirms another title and keeps winning streak after great season

In another great performance in the 2022 season, Bruno Varela/Matheus Leite became Saturday's Brazilian Cross-Country champions. Aboard their Can-Am Maverick X3 UTV, the duo confirmed their victory in the Rally Caminhos da Neve, disputed between Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, and were 26 points ahead of the closest competitor.
In the last seven seasons, the Varela Can-Am Monster Energy team has already won three Brazilian Cross-Country Rally titles, as well as another five in the Brazilian Baja Rally Championship (see below).
The triumph crowned another historic season for Varela Can-Am Monster Energy, a team that also won the Rally dos Sertões with the Rodrigo Varela/Matheus Mazzei duo. But, more importantly, it continues a sequence of great triumphs in the Brazilian off-road for the "Dust Family".
Despite having increased his difference in the overall table in the last of the two days of racing, Bruno highlights that he competed very carefully in the last special of the race. "We needed to be very careful today for us not to have any kind of problem, so I was very cautious," said the new Brazilian champion. "Our intention was to maintain the difference to guarantee the title, but the result was even better because we managed to win. I am very happy with our work. In the end, we were the only ones to win more than one stage this year, achieving two wins, and we crown this season with another title. I'm very happy."

"Very important day" - Reinaldo Varela who, in the Over Pro category, won the rally and was runner-up alongside navigator Ari Fiuza, said that "this is a very important day for me and for our team." And he highlighted the fact that the team consistently wins titles in Brazilian off-road racing: "These titles show how committed we are to doing the best job possible every year, and with excellence. Just look at our team's recent history. We closed the year with a title in the general classification of both the Rally dos Sertões and the Brazilian Cross-Country."
"I would very much like to thank all of our sponsors who have always believed in our potential and work. Furthermore, I would also like to extend my compliments to the organizers after another year competing for Brazil," concluded Reinaldo Varela.

Check out the top-5 after the end of the Rally Caminhos da Neve:
1. Bruno Varela/Matheus Leite (UTV 1) - 08:49:06.970
2. Fabio Pirondi/Marcelo Ritter (UTV 2) - 08:51:17.830
3. André Hort/Idali Bosse (UTV 1) - 09:01:32.660
4. Reinaldo Varela/Ari Fiuza (UTV OVER PRÓ) - 09:02:08.630
5. Cristiano Batista/Robledo Nizoletti (UTV OVER PRÓ) 09:04:59.070

Confira os títulos nacionais da equipe Varela Can-Am Monster Energy nos últimos sete anos:
2016 - Campeão brasileiro de Baja: Gabriel Varela
2017 - Campeão brasileiro de Baja: Bruno Varela
2018 - Campeão brasileiro de Baja: Rodrigo Varela
2019 - Campeão brasileiro de Baja: Bruno Varela / Campeão brasileiro de Cross-Crountry: Gabriel Varela
2020 - Campeão brasileiro de Cross-Country: Bruno Varela
2021 - Campeão brasileiro de Baja: Rodrigo Varela
2022 - Campeão brasileiro de Cross-Country: Bruno Varela

Source Varela Can-Am Monster Energy
Photo: Claudiney Sandro/Fotop

And it will be time to arrive in Santa Maria with the South American Rally Race caravan on 17 and 18 February. And it will surely be as intense as the closing of the first edition of the SARR in 2020. The huge crowds at the entrance to the city were so exciting that the same or even more is expected for SARR2023.

The organisers have arranged for the first time at SARR to have an Open Bivouac. This means that teams will assist competitors throughout the town of Santa Maria de Yokavil. The arrival of the day will be at the Main Square Manuel Belgrano (GPS Point -26.69449, -66.04748), and then the competitors will be released.

The organisation together with the Municipality of Santa María suggests 5 places where the teams will be able to spend the day in the picturesque and warm town of Santa María. Also, for the first time, the accredited competitors will be able to have dinner in local gastronomic establishments by means of "vaucher's" given by the Organization.

The "Capital of the Calchaquí Valleys", as it is called in the northwest of Argentina, will show all its charm. Land rich in culture contrasting with beautiful panoramic views, the locals will offer the best options in accommodation, typical food and special activities such as trekking, horseback riding, historical tours; besides the classic religious circuits. At every step, almost without intending it, the visitor will find a proposal and an unrepeatable cultural appointment. It is a different exchange between man and nature than anywhere else.

The Odyssey continues...

From 14th February next, the South American Rally Race will land in the capital of the province of Catamarca. San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca will be the host for the almost 200 participants of the SARR2023. Nearly 2,000 nomads will be experiencing the excellent services offered by the "Predio Ferial Campo Las Heras" for what will be the 1st Bivouac of the 4th edition of the SARR (GPS Point -28.44699, -65.75604).

Culture, tradition, religious faith and the warmth of the public will be the constant between the machines and the adrenaline of the participants.

The capital city, located between two mountain ranges (Ancasti and Ambato), with a warm semi-arid climate, will be the gateway to challenge the "Great Argentinean Desert ". High temperatures are expected for the competition. This will add a further challenge to the route, which from then on will start to count down the 4,200 km.

The tourist attractions of this part of north-western Argentina are well known. What better than to start the journey through this land of Diaguita Indians, originally from San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. The people of Catamarca, rooted in their ancestral culture, will also be in charge of showing their passion for motor sports.

On Wednesday 15th February it will be time for the "Symbolic Start" ceremony from the Fair Grounds.

The Odyssey continues...

Starting with the South American Rally Race 2023, a great history of the "rally raid" will begin in the continent. Under the supervision of the F.I.M. LATAM, the Latin American Rally Raid Championship will start, which will have 4 qualifying events for the annual competition.

In conjunction with the "Asociación Argentina de Rally Raid", "Dunas Race Promoções" and the "Federación Internacional de Motociclismo Latinoamérica"; they attended to a sustained growth of the specialty in South America. Therefore, Erick Nevels (F.I.M. LATAM), Juan Pablo Sisterna (South American Rally Race), and Edgard Fabre (Dunas Race Promoções) have set up a calendar for the coming year. This Latin American Championship covers the Motorcycle, Quad, and UTV categories; and of the 4 proposed dates, one of them will be a discarding date to be chosen by the participants. The chosen venues will be divided between Brazil and Argentina.

The SARR2023 (February 14 to 25), which will also have the first 2 dates of the Argentinean Rally Raid Championship, will be the start of the Latin American F.I.M. Championship. Then it will be the turn of the Jalapão Rally (Brazil) from June 19 to 25; then it will be time for the Sertões Rally (Brazil) from August 11 to 19, and to close the 2023 calendar the "Fiambalá Rally Raid" (Argentina) will take place from November 1 to 5.

With this panorama, there are many Pilots, Navigators, and Motorcycle, Quad, and UTV Teams, as well as the sponsoring Companies, who look positively at the promising future of the specialty in the continent.

More details will be provided in the coming days.

Source SARR

The fourth edition of the South American Rally Race will be held in February 2023 and the organization headed by Juan Pablo Sisterna presented the official route at a Sponsor Day held in Alta Gracia, Córdoba. Dunes and sand dunes will represent 50% of the surface to be covered, so navigation will play a key role for each category.

The South American Rally Race 2023 will return to northwest Argentina, an emblematic place for the Rally Raid discipline in this part of the planet. After a 2022 edition where the caravan entered Patagonian lands, the NOA desert will once again be the main protagonist of the most challenging race in South America.

The presentation of the SARR 2023 map took place with a special event at the Berta Experience venue, an eminence when it comes to talking about Argentine motorsport and the tradition of Argentine motor racing. There, drivers, teams and authorities, together with a large number of guests, came to know the most important details of the race.

On the track, the teams that tuned up their vehicles took part in a small tour to delight the audience with the pace of the machines that will be competing next February.

Then, it was time to unveil the route. During the presentation, Juan Pablo Sisterna thanked especially the authorities of the localities and provinces that made possible the layout of the map, together with the team of the Argentine Rally Raid Association that worked hard.

THE ROUTE:
The route diagrammed by the SARR organization will start in the city of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, will have a brief passage through the province of Santiago del Estero, whose city, Santiago capital, will receive the pilots in the first stage.

Then, the caravan will enter Catamarca again through Santa María, once again present in the SARR, and after visiting Belén and Fiambalá, the teams will enter La Rioja, the third province of this race.

Chilecito (rest day), Villa Unión and Aimogasta (marathon stage) will be the locations prior to the arrival in the capital of La Rioja, which with two stages will put an end to this fourth edition.

THE CALENDAR:
On February 14 and 15, 2023, the technical and administrative verifications will take place, while the 15th will also be the time for the qualifying prologue and the starting podium.

Stage 1 will take place between Catamarca and the city of Santiago del Estero, on February 16. That first week will have five challenging stages until the rest day, which will be on Tuesday, February 21 in Chilecito. There, the teams and drivers will recharge their energy for the four final stages that will take place entirely in La Rioja.

The seventh stage will be key, as it will be the day of the marathon. There, the drivers will finish the stage in Aimogasta, while their assistance teams will have to wait for them in La Rioja. The capital of La Rioja will host the last stage and the final podium and awards ceremony, which will take place on Saturday afternoon, February 25.

THE PROFILE OF THE STAGES:
Juan Pablo Sisterna emphasized that his work team sought to meet the demands of the pilots of the discipline: dunes, sand and a lot of navigation are the predominant condiments in the stages.

With 50% of dunes and sand dunes, it is clear that the request of the protagonists was heard. In addition, there are 25% of rally-type roads, for those who like to accelerate on the track, and 15% of dry rivers. It will be necessary to be careful, and very careful, in the 7% of rocky tracks, predominant especially in the first week. And there will also be 3% of salt flats, which will be entirely in the first stage, on the way to Santiago del Estero.

Registration for the race is now open, and can be made through the official website, www.sarr2023.com.

Source SARRC
Automatic translation from the original Spanish version

The penultimate date of the Paraguayan Puma Energy Cross Country Rally Championship, the "El Desafio Paraguarí 2.0" organized by the Asociación Central de Deporte Motor Deporte Todo Terreno, was a great success, with Oscar Santos in UTV Turbo and José Marín in quaci.
Oscar Santos was consecrated in the absence of a date Oscar Santos that in this opportunity ran in company of Mirna Pereira with a Cam Am Maverick in the category of the UTV Turbo, winning Santos in the three appointments completed so far, but in the two previous ones he won with Ezequiel Améndola.
On the other hand, the young driver José Marín in the quad category, Group N, at the controls of his Yamaha Raptor, won his third consecutive victory to secure the scepter in his absolute debut season.

BEST OF THE DAY
In cars T1 naphtha: Blas Zapag-Juan José Sánchez with Toyota Hilux; T1 diesel: Luis Peña-Walter Martínez with Xenón Proto of Team Tata; T2 diesel: Juan Montiel-Alfredo Méndez with Mitsubishi Tritón and in T2 diesel, Group N: Oscar Benítez-Guillermo Romero with another Tritón.
While in two wheels, in the main category called Motorcycles the best was: Richard Centurion with his KTM 450 Rally; Senior: Carlos Zarca with Benelli; Motorcycles Group N: Ezequiel Samudio with Honda CFR 450;
In senior motorcycles, Carlos Zarca with his Benelli had no problems both to open roads and to close with the victory in the stage, while Ezequiel Samudio with his Honda CFR 450 closed in the lead in the category of Group N motorcycles.

Source Campeonato Paraguayo Rally Cross Country
Automatic translation from the original Spanish version

The exciting Paraguayan Puma Energy Cross Country Rally Championship is in its final stretch to offer another great motor party in the Department of Paraguarí, organized by La Asociación Central de Deporte Motor Todo Terreno.
Precisely for this Tuesday at 18:00 hours is marked the closing of the registrations for this third and penultimate valid of the season 2022 "El Desafío Paraguarí" that already has the engines running for this new appointment that promises many emotions to be run this Saturday and Sunday.
The competition will have a totally different route compared to previous editions already held in the Department of Paraguarí and will be the penultimate date of the championship of this season and will have as epicenter the Cerro Peró of Paraguarí.
The novelty is the return to the activity of the navigator Mirna Pereira together with Óscar Santos after their successful participation in the Rally do Sertoes, both of them will participate in the UTV category with a Can Am Maverick X3.
The competition will take place from September 29th to October 2nd, precisely this 29th of the current month will be the symbolic departure from Plaza Madero from 20:30 hours and the next day from 20:00 hours the prologue from in front of the Government of Paraguarí.
On Thursday the administrative and technical verification is also scheduled from 12:00 to 18:00, in addition to the placement of GPS equipment in Plaza Madero.
For Friday 13:00 hours is announced the opening of the Service Park located in Cerro Peró; also from 13:00 to 17:00 hours is planned the administrative and technical complementary verifications; 15:00 to 17:00 between accreditations to the press; 18:00 delivery of roadbook stage 1; 18:30 briefing and publication of the starting order and from 20:00 the prologue in front of the Governor's Office of the Department of Paraguari.
Afterwards, there will be two very hard stages, the one on Saturday with a total distance of 235 kilometers and the one on Sunday with a total distance of 170 kilometers.

Automatic translation from the original Spanish version
Source: Campeonato Paraguayo Rally Cross Country

 The world's biggest rally concludes in Pará a marathon of more than 7 thousand kilometers and 14 stages. Titles go to Lucas Moraes/Kaíque Bentivoglio (cars); Rodrigo Varela/Matheus Mazzei (UTV) and Bissinho Zavatti (motorcycles) enter the champions' gallery for the first time.

They got there. Sertões BRB and its competitors turned into reality, in the sands of Salinópolis (PA), the dream of marking 30 years of the event and the Bicentennial of Independence with the largest rally in the world. After 15 days, 14 stages and 7,202 kilometers driven through eight states in the five Brazilian regions, the beautiful view of the sea in one of the extreme northern points of the country rewarded the caravan, closed an adventure that started in Foz do Iguaçu (PR) and crowned the winners of an epic edition.

Until the promotional ramp, there was still one more stage, the 14th, baptized 'Sound of the Sea', and with good reason. With 126 kilometers in length, it alternated straights, tight, twisty sections; erosions and was extremely fast and pleasant. A gift to pilots and navigators, tested in a demanding way in the most varied conditions along the route. For this very reason, all those who received their medals are winners. And they can be proud of having made history.

Among them, there were those who managed to best combine speed, endurance, and mental strength to enter the gallery of champions. Or, as in the case of Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio (Toyota Hilux DKR T1+/MEM), repeat the feat. If in 2019 they were helped by circumstances, this time they showed already in the Super Prime that preceded the first stage that they would not let the opportunity slip away. They won 10 of the 14 stages and showed proof of overcoming in the 11th, when Lucas was forced to accelerate the prototype made in Belgium for over 200 kilometers without the help of the power steering. A second position in Saturday's stage was more than enough to guarantee the party in Salinópolis.

Final second position for Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea (Toyota Hilux V8 IMA/X Rally), who bid farewell to the Sertões BRB with victory in the final stage.

In the motorcycles, persistence and talent led Bissinho Zavatti (Honda CRF 450RX/Honda Racing) to a much celebrated unprecedented achievement. The pilot from the state of São Paulo had an impeccable rally, helped by equipment that didn't suffer any problems during the 14 stages. Honda also secured the overall double, with Argentinean Martin Duplessis in second place.

This historic edition also reserved an unprecedented achievement for a pilot whose history is intertwined with that of the Sertões. First woman to face the challenge on motorcycles, Moara Sacilotti (Yamaha WR 450F/Caminhos das Serras) also became the first champion, in the Moto Over category. With Laura Lopes, who competes for French Guiana, in second place.

In the UTVs, the Dust Family was the great highlight. With Rodrigo Varela, alongside Matheus Mazzei, in the lead. In such an extensive race, pilot and navigator kept constantly in the first positions at each stage and, in such a competitive modality, they ensured a sufficient advantage to celebrate their first victory. Vice-championship for Rodrigo Luppi and Maykel Justo (Can-Am Maverick/Luppi Racing Team), with five stage wins in their retrospective.

Bissinho Zavatti, winner in the Moto category: "This is my tenth Sertões, and it came at the right time. It is the greatest happiness of my life. I realized that in the previous years I worked hard, but could not focus 100%. This year I did everything I could; I adjusted my diet, the physical preparation, the training, I lost 12kg, and I felt very good from the start. I was so concentrated that I was the only one on motorcycles to finish the rally without any penalties.

Rodrigo Varela, winner in the UTV category: "Very happy, without a doubt it was a great achievement for the team, our four cars in the top-10. I thank my family and everyone who supported me. It's incredible to be the champion of the biggest rally in the world.

Lucas Moraes, winner in the Car category: "It is incredible to win the 30th edition of the Sertões, our family has a lot of tradition in this race, and we conquered our second championship in the year in which the rally was the biggest in the world. The result is not only ours: the team worked very well and gave us an impeccable car.

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese (Brazilian) version
Source Rali dos Sertões
Photo: Overdrive Racing

The duo was highlighted during the entire race, whose distance would cross Europe one and a half times

The crew formed by the pilot Rodrigo Varela, 31, and navigator Matheus Mazzei, 35, won this Saturday (10) the title of champion of the longest edition in the history of the Sertões Rally in the most competitive category, the UTV. Held over 7,216 km, starting in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, and ending in Salinópolis, Pará, the race had enough distance to cross Europe one and a half times, going from Lisbon (Portugal) to Moscow (Russia) - a distance of 4,560 km. Despite the huge distance covered, Varela/Mazzei's victory was only 5min46s over the Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo duo, showing the strong level of the dispute among the 84 participants in the category.

"It was a giant rally, which demanded an effort in equal measure. I would first like to thank the more than 40 people who make up our team. Facing several sleepless nights, all the fatigue, they were incredible: our four cars were almost always among the top ten of the 84 UTVs entered. And, of course, I also thank the sponsors, who made this unbelievable adventure possible for all of us," said the pilot from the Can-Am Monster Energy team.
Rodrigo Varela also accumulates the title of champion in the 2009 edition (Quadricycle Experience 450cc category, at the age of 18) and vice-champion in 2010 (Quad), 2013 and 2015 - the last two in the UTV category. Varela was also three-time Brazilian Baja Rally champion (2015, 2018 and 2021, all with UTV), two-time Sertões Series champion (2010/quadricycle and 2014/UTV) and Brazilian Cross-Country Rally champion (2010/quadricycle).

The strength of the family - "For me personally, it is important to remember that in this month of September, when the Sertões has this historic edition, my father completes 40 years of rallying. He is an example for our whole family and for everyone in the world of sport. It's because of him that I'm here too", highlighted Rodrigo, remembering the milestone that the race represents for the three-time world champion Reinaldo Varela, who competed in this Sertões with navigator Ari Fiuza and finished as vice-champion in the UTV Over Pro category. Rodrigo also highlighted the role of his mother, Nani, whose support was fundamental in the career and achievements of Reinaldo and himself, besides the help and support of brothers Bruno and Gabriel.

Certainly one of the highlights of the Sertões 2022 was the immediate synergy between Rodrigo and Matheus Mazzei. Although they had never competed together, the duo worked perfectly since the first of the 14 days of racing. "Rodrigo is a very calm pilot and, as this is also my characteristic in races, our harmony was immediate," says Mazzei. "We pushed when it was necessary and saved the car in critical moments - that's why we were always among the first and our equipment was always up to date. The rally only ends at the end," says the navigator from Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

"Sailing" in the Kombi - Mazzei was vice-champion of the Sertões in the UTV category in 2021, with the pilot André Hort. He has also won five regularity rally titles in the state of Minas Gerais, and one in Rio de Janeiro. Two of them (Mineiro/2009 and Carioca/2010) were as navigator of his father, Ricardo Mazzei. "He came from a very humble family in terms of possessions. But we both were offroad fanatics. I devoured all the specialized magazines that fell into my hands. When I was still a little boy, my father had a Kombi to make deliveries and I would ride on the side of it, as if I were a navigator. That was my beginning", Matheus remembers, who gradually built a solid professional career.

The Can-Am Monster Energy team also celebrated the third place in the general classification achieved by the duo Bruno Varela/Gustavo Bortolanza and the fifth position of Gabriel Varela/Daniel Spolidorio. Bruno did not compete in the 2021 edition due to a surgery on the eve of the race and Gabriel did not compete in 2022, returning only to dispute this historic edition of the Sertões. Bruno (25 years old) and Gabriel (27) are the youngest brothers of champion Rodrigo Varela.

Automatic translation from the original Portuguese (Brazilian) version
Source: Can-Am Monster Energy team  

Lucas Moreas and Kaique Bentivoglio claimed a superb victory in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux DKR T1+ on the mammoth 14-stage Rally dos Sertões, an event that celebrated its 30th anniversary by starting in Vila Sertões on August 27th and finishing in Salinópolis on the northern coast of Brazil on Saturday (September 10th).
The Toyota crew dominated the rally after winning the Prologue on August 28th. They went on to win 10 of the 14 stages, were runners-up in the fourth and fifth sections and were sixth quickest on day 11 and the final short section into Salinópolis in the northern state of Pará. The duo had also reached the top step of the podium back in 2019.
The 2020 event-winning duo of Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea finished 6min 17sec behind their fellow Brazilians in an X Rally Team Toyota Hilux, supported by Overdrive Racing, and Julio Capua and Emerson Cavassin made it an emphatic Toyota 1-2-3 podium finish in their Hilux.
The marathon route for the largest event of its kind to run in South America since the Dakar Rally began with stages from Vila Sertões to Foz do Iguaçu - near the border with Paraguay and Argentina - and headed north via Umuarama, Presidente Prudente, Campo Grande, Costa Rica, Barra do Garças, São Felix do Araguaia, Palmas (rest day), Mateiros Início da Maragona, Bom Jesus, Balsas, Imperatriz and Paragominas to finish in Salinópolis today.
The southern section (Sertões South) covered a distance of 4,025km, featured a Prologue and seven stages, and offered 2,457 competitive kilometres. The northern section (Sertões North) ran for 3,190km and featured seven stages and 2,354km timed against the clock.

Overdrive Racing’s managing director Jean-Marc Fortin said: “This is a particularly satisfying win for Overdrive Racing. We sent two engineers and 12 mechanics to Brazil for this rally and also serviced several other Toyotas on the event. Lucas showed at the Baja in Spain that he has the pace and the speed to be very competitive in the T1+ category and it was pleasing to see him perform so well on his home rally. It is the third win here for Toyota, after wins in 2020 and 2021, but this is the first proper win for Overdrive Racing. “The target was to win and he has achieved that. This was the anniversary edition of the event and it was much longer than normal. But it was a great rally, where he was able to make big gaps on the rougher and sandier stages later on after the faster sections at the start. After the fire with Yazeed’s car in Poland, we have been forced to review and reschedule some of the programme for the rest of the season with a shortage of cars in position. But Lucas is very keen to race again soon.”

Overdrive Racing now returns to action for back-to-back rounds of the new FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in Morocco and southern Spain in October.

Rally dos Sertões – result after SS14:
1. Lucas Moreas (BRA)/Kaique Bentivoglio (BRA) Toyota Hilux DKR T1+ 47hr 59min 57.5sec
2. Marcos Baumgart (BRA)/Kleber Cincea (BRA) Toyota Hilux 48hr 06min 14.5sec
3. Julio Capua (BRA)/Emerson Cavassin (BRA) Toyota Hilux 50hr 13min 21.3sec
4. Marcelo Gastaldi (BRA)/Cadu Sachs (BRA) Century C6 Buggy 50hr 50min 01.5sec
5. Silvio de Barros (BRA)/Rafael Capoani (BRA) Toyota Hilux 51hr 54min 50.2sec
6. Mauro Guedes (BRA)/Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) Ford Ranger X Rally 52hr 30min 36.8sec
7. Pedro Prado Filho (BRA)/Josi Koerich (BRA) Ford Ranger X Rally 55hr 35min 01.4sec
8. Gunter Hinkelmann (BRA)/Deco Muniz (BRA) MSL GLG 01 60hr 24min 10.8sec
9. Paolo Cesar Bertolini (BRA)/Anderson Bertolini (BRA) Mitsubishi L200 Triton 61hr 38min 06.2sec

Source Overdrive Racing

The Ffinal part of the second Marathon of the 30th anniversary edition was technical, demanding, and marked by high temperatures. Overall leaders in motorcycles and cars also got the better of the day. Tomorrow is the day for the Viana Canyons.

Ninth of the 14 stages of the Sertões BRB has been completed and the name chosen for it among the passages of the National Anthem couldn't have been more appropriate. Povo Heroico (Heroic People) could perfectly refer to the pilots and navigators who left behind 409 timed kilometers (a total of 510 with the displacement) that took cars, motorcycles and UTVs from Mateiros, the heart of Jalapão, to Bom Jesus do Piauí. A tiring, long and technical day, which started with a lot of sand and continued through sections of gravel, with rocks and erosions. A combination that caused several abandonments in the three categories.

Of the 38 motorcycles that started the day, 30 completed the special stage. Among those who fell by the wayside was the defending champion Adrien Metge (Yamaha WR 450F/IMS Yamaha), who had already faced setbacks in the first Marathon - the day before he had been the fastest in the stage between Palmas and Mateiros. The dispute for the first position in the stage was exciting. Bissinho Zavatti (Honda CRF 450RX/Honda Racing) beat teammate Martin Duplessis by four seconds - the two are, respectively, leader and vice-leader overall, separated by 21min29. Ricardo Martins (Yamaha WR 450F/IMS Yamaha) was third in the stage, 10s behind Zavatti.

Abandonments also among the UTVs - in the Sertões, not completing a stage (forfeiting) is often not synonymous with giving up. Fábio Pirondi/Marcelo Ritter (Can-Am Maverick/Cotton), who started Monday third in the overall, ended up in a ditch. Besides them, another 14 pairs of the 64 who started the timed stage did not reach the finish line. João Pedro Franciosi and Cesar Valandro (Polaris RZR Pro R/Cotton) became the sixth different duo to win in the historical 30th anniversary edition. They beat the current two-time champions Deninho Casarini and Ivo Mayer (Can-Am Maverick/Can-Am Factory) by 1min55.

Rodrigo Varela and Matheus Mazzei (Can-Am Maverick/Varela Racing) make regularity in the top positions the secret to lead in the sport. This time, they got the fifth position - on the way, they assisted a fallen motorcyclist. They start this Tuesday (6th) 12min35 ahead of Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo (Can-Am Maverick/Luppi Racing).

In the cars, Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio flew with the Toyota Hilux DKR T1+ of the MEM team. Even through narrow paths for a machine that is the widest of the grid, the duo's integration and the strength of the equipment paid off to close the special in 11min45 less than Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea (Toyota Hilux V8 IMA/X Rally Team). The positions are the same overall, with a 20min37 advantage for Moraes/Bentivoglio. Only 16 of the 28 cars that started in Mateiros completed the special stage.

On Tuesday the BRB Sertões BRB continues in Bom Jesus do Piauí for a loop or daisy stage (start and finish at the same point). The 329-kilometer special has as its attraction the crossing of the Viana Canyons, with breathtaking views. Fast farm roads with gravel, gravel, erosions and sandy stretches will challenge the competitors on the eve of the Bicentennial of Independence. The day has been baptized "You are beautiful, you are strong".

OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 9

CARS
1) #323 Lucas Moraes/Kaíque Bentivoglio, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (1)T1F, 35h28min49
2) #305 Marcelo Gastaldi/Cadu Sachs, Buggy Century CR6, (2)T1F, a 20min37
3) #304 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, Toyota Hilux IMA V8, (3)T1F, a 30min58
4) #350 Julio Capua/Bina Cavassin, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (4)T1F, a 1h59min14
5) #314 Mauro Guedes/Filipe Palmeiro, Ford Ranger V8 T1, (1)T1B, a 3h31min30

MOTOS
1) #06 Bissinho Zavatti, Honda CRF 450RX, (1)MT2, 38h33min55
2) #21 Martin Duplessis (ARG), Honda CRF 450RX, (1)MT1, a 21min29
3) #04 Ricardo Martins, Yamaha WR 450F, (2)MT1, a 27min47
4) #19 Gabriel Soares, Honda CRF 450RX, (2)MT2, a 1h05min14
5) #02 Jean Azevedo, Honda CRF 450RX, (3)MT1, a 1h15min42

SSV
1) #216 Rodrigo Varela/Matheus Mazzei, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UT1, 39h40min16
2) #227 Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo, Can-Am Maverick, (2)UT1, a 12min35
3) #206 Gabriel Cestari/Jhonatan Ardigo, Polaris RZR Pro R, (3)UT1, a 31min37
4) #201 Deninho Casarini/Ivo Mayer, Can-Am Maverick, (4)UT1, a 33min19
5) #215 Bruno Varela/Gustavo Bortolanza, Can-Am Maverick, (4)UT1, a 35min33

Source: Rali dos Sertões / Automatic translation from the original Portuguese version
Photo: Vitor Eleutério

Shorter, but very technical, the seventh stage challenged pilots and navigators on Bananal Island, in Tocantins. In Palmas, Saturday is a day to rest and recover strength and equipment to face the second half of the rally.

A Saturday without machines and men in action in the BRB Sertões. As foreseen in the competition's regulations, the day is a day of rest for pilots and navigators, although it is a day of hard work for the mechanics. The largest rally in the world closed, in the capital of Tocantins, its initial half, completing the first of two marathons (timed stages in which only the participants themselves can maintain the vehicles). So far it has been 4,065km of the course, of which 2,358km of timed sections, i.e. the competitors have already completed 56% of the route.

Friday tested cars, motorcycles and UTVs in a region of rare beauty. The largest river island in the world, Bananal Island, between the Araguaia and Javaés rivers, was the stage for a short special (143 kilometers), but very technical and demanding. Narrow and winding roads surrounded by rocks, bushes and trees marked the seventh stage, baptized "Children of this soil". With sceneries that reminded us of the African savannahs.

In the motorcycles, Ricardo Martins (Yamaha WR 450F/IMS Yamaha), champion of 2020, was the fastest for the first time in this edition. A result that confirms his third place overall. Second best of the day, Bissinho Zavatti (Honda CRF 450RX/Honda Racing) consolidated his lead in the accumulated, third on the day was Tulio Malta (Yamaha WR 450F, (2)MT2). One of the highlights in the two-wheelers was the fourth position of Marco Antônio Pereira (KTM 450 EXC/Adventour Brasil), who leads in Self.

Among the UTVs, Rodrigo Luppi and Maykel Justo (Can-Am Maverick/Luppi Racing Team) also won their first stage in the 30-year BRB Sertões BRB, the sixth different winner in seven stages. The experienced duo had already won a Dakar stage earlier this year and now appears fourth in the overall standings, led by Rodrigo Varela and Matheus Mazzei (Can-Am Maverick/Varela Racing).

Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio (Toyota Hilux DKR T1+/MEM) confirmed their dominance in cars by winning for the fifth time. Second on the day, Sylvio de Barros and Rafael Capoani (Toyota Hilux V8 IMA/X Rally) scored their best result this year. In the sum of the stages, Lucas and Kaíque have a 6min10 advantage over Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea (Toyota Hilux V8 IMA/X Rally). Marcelo Gastaldi and Cadu Sachs (Buggy Century CR6/Baja Tek) are third, at 12min03.

Besides the rest, Saturday (3) will also mark the awarding of prizes to the best in the Sertões Sul, composed of the first seven stages. At the same time, the preparation of the pilots and navigators who will join the caravan on Sunday, for the Sertões Norte, which ends in Salinopolis, as well as the complete course.

Lucas Moraes, winner of the Car stage: "It was very different from what we had been doing up to now, no straight lines, very tight, twisty and narrow, but we won this special stage. The goal was to arrive in Jalapão with a good advantage in the overall standings and the car in one piece for the rest, and that's what we did."

Ricardo Martins, winner of the Motorcycle stage: "The stage had a very different type of floor, characteristic of the Bananal Island. Medium-speed stretches and more braked. The special was not easy, it was very demanding. It was great to win the day after the setbacks I had the day before. Now it's time to start a new rally, there is still a lot to happen. And the way of the race should change from now on".

Rodrigo Luppi, winner of the UTV stage : "We had been facing problems since the first day, details, but we managed a clean stage, Maykel (Justo, navigator) was perfect and we got a good rhythm. The special was technical, with no margin for error, we couldn't let the car get away. I'm happy, since we will be the first to start the second marathon, entering the Jalapão".

--- Automatic translation from the original Portuguese (Brazilian)version
Source: Rali dos Sertões BRB

Stage 7 – Filhos deste solo – 2/9 – Friday
São Félix do Araguaia (MT) – Palmas (TO)

1) #323 Lucas Moraes/Kaíque Bentivoglio, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (1)T1F, 1h38min21

2) #303 Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani, Toyota Hilux IMA V8, (2)T1F, 1h41min01

3) #305 Marcelo Gastaldi/Cadu Sachs, Buggy Century CR6, (1)T1F, 1h41min07

4)#304 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, Toyota Hilux IMA V8, (3)T1F, 1h41min16

5) #350 Julio Capua/Bina Cavassin, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (4)T1F, 1h42min45

MOTOS

1) #04 Ricardo Martins, Yamaha WR 450F, (1)MT1, 1h44min40

2) #06, Bissinho Zavatti, Honda CRF 450RX, (1)MT2, 1h46min39

3) #05 Tulio Malta, Yamaha WR 450F, (2)MT2, 1h46min52

4) #14 Marco Antônio Pereira, KTM EXC 450, (1)MT3, 1h47min52

5) #19 Gabriel Soares, Honda CRF 450RX, (2)MT2, 1h48min12

UTV

1) #227 Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UT1, 1h42min51

2) #203 Cristiano Batista/Robledo Nicoletti, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UOP, 1h44min05

3) #202 Deni Nascimento/Gunnar Dums, Can-Am Maverick, (2)UT1, 1h44min50

4) #220 André Hort/Idali Bosse, Can-Am Maverick, (3)UT1, 1h46min07

5) #216 Rodrigo Varela/Matheus Mazzei, Can-Am Maverick, (4)UT1, 1h46min27

Classificação geral

CARROS

1) #323 Lucas Moraes/Kaíque Bentivoglio, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (1)T1F, 24h56min41

2) #304 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea, Toyota Hilux IMA V8, (3)T1F, a 6min10

3) #305 Marcelo Gastaldi/Cadu Sachs, Buggy Century CR6, (2)T1F, a 12min03

4) #350 Julio Capua/Bina Cavassin, Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+, (4)T1F, a 1h05min51

5) #314 Mauro Guedes/Filipe Palmeiro, Ford Ranger V8 T1, (1)T1B, a 2h07min16

MOTOS

1) #06 Bissinho Zavatti, Honda CRF 450RX, (1)MT2, 27h12min42

2) #21 Martin Duplessis (ARG), Honda CRF 450RX, (1)MT1, a 23min24

3) #04 Ricardo Martins, Yamaha WR 450F, (2)MT1, a 30min34

4) #02 Jean Azevedo, Honda CRF 450RX, (3)MT1, a 38min22

5) #19 Gabriel Soares, Honda CRF 450RX, (2)MT2, a 57min48

UTV

1) #216 Rodrigo Varela/Matheus Mazzei, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UT1, 27h50min50

2) #203 Cristiano Batista/Robledo Nicoletti, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UOP, a 6min40

3) #301 Deninho Casarini/Ivo Mayer, Can-Am Maverick, (2)UT1, a 9min48

4) #227 Rodrigo Luppi/Maykel Justo, Can-Am Maverick, (3)UT1, a 18min13

5) #205 Fábio Pirondi/Marcelo Ritter, Can-Am Maverick, (1)UT2, a 21min50