Italian Baja 2021

FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS COUNTRY BAJAS

ITALIAN BAJA, 9th-11th SEPTEMBER 2021

Holowczcy leads Saturday’s race, but Al Rajhi sings his second triumph
Seaidan leaves the race and the Overdrive pilot gains the World Cup’s lead

The double Italian race assigns the victory to Galletti (Ccr) and Borsoi (Ssv)

Pordenone 12th September 2021_ An Italian Baja hard and unforgiving, as by tradition. Exalting the first arrived ones and disheartening all competitors who suffered the track difficulties, the dust, the thousands of traps characterizing a route always treacherous in the labyrinth of tracks along the Meduna, Cosa and Tagliamento riverbeds. The restart edition, with Head Quarter at the Freight Village – Wholesale Centre (promoted), is a “hate and love” swing of the old and new protagonists, firing up the engine and stepping on the gas like Edi Orioli (1993) and Pierre Lartigue (1994-1997), pioneers of a World Cup wonder in Pordenone, which makes the history.

WORLD CUP. Yazeed Al Rajhi deserves victory, by duplicating the success got in 2014, this time with a Toyota Hilux Overdrive that gives the rythm on Friday and goes on a bit slower yesterday, when the World Cup scene was taken by the Mini John Cooper Works Rally of Krzysztof Holowczcy, hunting an impossible recovery after the double sufference of the first Leg. The Pole first overturned on the Meduna riverbed crossing a ford, then he succeeded in restarting but on the long sector because of the dust he lost the track and a lot of time. He was formidable in signing the best time in all the three Selective Sectors, but he crossed the arrival line reaching just the 14th position, no scores for the World Cup ranking. Al Rajhi, first in 5:02’47’’, defeated the Portugues Tiago Reis, who came second with a gap of 3’03’’, and the Lithuanian Benediktas Vanagas, third after 10’46’’, creating a podium dedicated to Hilux and Toyota even for the fourth position thanks to the Dutch Erik Van Loon who preceeded Miroslav Zapletal with Ford 150, the Czech already used to the Italian Baja (second place in March at the Artugna Race). Italian colors exalted by the perfect Amerigo Ventura (Yamaha Quaddy), eighth in the World Cup overall ranking, navigated by the co-driver from Pordenone Mirko Brun, who grew up with “bread and Italian Baja” working since years for the Fuoristrada Club 4x4 led by Mauro Tavella. As for the World Cup overall ranking, thanks to this victory Al Rajhi climbs to the lead before the last race in Portugal in October, overpassing Yasir Seaidan who got no scores because of the broken turbo manifold of his Mini.

ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. A decisive Italian Baja for the assignation of victories, thanks to the coefficient 2 of the first Leg and 3 of the second one. The Italian challenge stopped at the second sector yesterday, cancelling the third passage along the over 90 km track for safety reasons, due to the darkness falling when cars should restart. Sergio Galletti with his Toyota Hilux Overdrive prepared by the R-Team of Renato Rickler, first on Friday with a time of 1:20’47’’ (50 scores) and first yesterday in 2:51’49’’ (75), became unreachable for the challengers of the Italian Championship for Cross Country Rally boasting 300 scores, while Codecà confirmed the second position in both legs, yesterday and today, and after the 90 gained now he got a total of 192 scores. Third on the podium on Friday Andrea Castagnera (Nissan Navara) and yesterday Gabriele Seno (Fiat Pandakar). Victory signed also in the Italian Championship Ssv Baja Sprint and great satisfaction for the pilot from Treviso, Elvis Borsoi, already winner in the Cross Country specialty (2017), protagonist of a Season of high level with a Can-Am Maverick which defeated the Yamaha challengers. Without his closest rival as for the ranking, Alessandro Tinaburri, Borsoi just paid attention in not loosing the rythm, offering the stage to Ventura and keeping Valentino Rocco behind him during both Legs, finishing in 1:15’48’ on Friday, in 2:50’05” yesterday. The victory of Borsoi with 308 scores, Ventura on the second place with 223 ahead on Rocco with 207, anyway a good rival, while Tinaburri stopped at 152.

FUTURE. It is too early to say it, but probably also in 2022 the Fuoristrada Club 4x4 Pordenone will organize the race of the Italian Championship and the World Cup, hoping in a defeated pandemic and therefore in a higher number of competitors.

Carlo Ragogna

Press office Italian Baja