Pordenone, 2nd July_ The fulfillment is great, indense, deep. The Italian Baja is again part of the FIA World Championship after just one stand- by edition. Another chapter opens after the ones of 1994-2003 (tout terrain) and 2011-2023 (cross country baja).
But there’s no joy at the Fuoristrada Club 4x4 Pordenone, and in no other motorsport association in the city. The wound for the loss of Matteo Doretto, who tragically passed during rehearsals, is still open. The young italian champion in the junior category was chasing his European dream, supported by an amazing motorsport family: who knows which accomplishments he could have reached and maybe, in the future, he could have also experiment with offroad like many others did, going from the art of drifting to the adventure of cross country. As a sign of grief and respect, the entire timing of the competition will be postponed of a minute, starting with the departure on friday morning, not at 9.00 as programmed, but at 9.01 and so on until the final award ceremony of saturday night.
Today is the first of 4 high-pressure days in Pordenone Fiere, where the Italian Baja has relocated its headquarters after 4 years post Covid at the Interporto Centro Ingrosso. Now arriving in Pordenone 80 teams from 3 continents (Europa, Asia, America), a total of 30 nations represented for 4 challenges with independent rankings: besides the world championship, the European Championship, the Italian Championship and Hungarian Championship. To the go the provisional leaders of each series, in the order Czech Miroslav Zapletal (Ford F150 Evo), Polish Barlomiej Wajzer (Toyota Land Cruiser), Sicilian Alfio Bordonaro (Suzuki Grand Vitara), Hungarian Lörinc Mészáros (Grally Team Ot3) and others opponents of excellent expertise.
Tomorrow the sportive checks for drivers and navigators (from 8 to 18), the technical checks on the vehicles (from 9 to 19), the shakedown in San Marino al Tagliamento (from 17 to 20), the briefing with the race director (21.30). Friday will be the first of the two timed days , with the prologue of 11 km in Cordenons (start at 9.31) that will be broadcasted live on ACI Sport TV, channel 228 of the Sky platform, as well as on the Italian Baja youtube channel. In the afternoon double passage on the selective sector “Rivignano” (35 km), starting at 14:31 and at 17:31, one for each national race.
Saturday the double FIA challenge, World Championship and European Championship, will race the selective sector “Tagliamento” (120 km) three times (start at 08:01, 12:31, 17:01), divided in two parts: one of 84 km and another of 36 km from a neutral zone located near the bridge of Madrisio, with the Italian Aci Sport and the Hungarian TROB will only do the first two passages. During the evening from 20.30 on ACI Sport TV and on YouTube the report of the competition day and the live award ceremony. All the information is on the website www.italianbaja.it
Italian Baja Press Office
