The 2022 Jordan Baja was officially launched with a podium ceremony in the Red Sea city of Aqaba on Thursday evening.
The event, a counting round of both the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the FIM Bajas World Cup, has drawn a strong final line-up. With formalities completed, 20 crews will start the FIA event, joined by 21 motorcycles, five quads and two SSVs in the FIM section. Nine teams will also contest a National Baja.
Before the start celebrations, top FIA seed Yazeed Al-Rajhi joined Miroslav Zapletal, Fernando Alvarez, Saleh Al-Saif, Yasmeen and Aliyyah Koloc and riders Mohammed Al-Balooshi and Abdullah Abu Aishah at the pre-event press conference on the podium.
Yasir Seaidan could not start after his Mini was damaged at the Dakar Rally.
I am in Jordan working as a team manager, but I will not be starting the Baja myself. The shortage of time between the Dakar and the Baja and the delay of the boat meant that I could not find a car.
Yasir Seaidan
Shakedown in the desert
Several drivers, including Fernando Alvarez, Filipe Nascimento, Eduard Pons and Pavel Silnov, used spare time on Wednesday to shake down their cars in nearby deserts. Nascimento started racing T1 cars about 15 years ago and switched to T3 around three seasons ago.
After Russia, three or four days ago, we are now trying the dunes. The landscape here is wonderful. Two weeks of different experiences. We made a short experience in the car. It was great. T3 is not as expensive as T1 and allows us to do more European and world races. We can do the World Cup on a lower budget and that is what we are doing this year.
Filipe Nascimento
This is my first time in Jordan. I started rallying in 1986 in Spain. My racing career is focused mainly on tarmac and gravel in the Spanish and Catalan Championships. This is my first race in the World Cup for Bajas. I will try and do the full season.
Eduard Pons
There were several late entry changes: Frenchman François Cazalet replaces Nasser Al-Kuwari alongside Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri, Russia’s Egor Okhotnikov joins Saleh Al-Saif, and Fahad Al-Amr becomes Muneef Al-Salmani’s co-driver for the weekend.
Friday
Competitors face two sections of a demanding selective section through the spectacular Wadi Rum, one of the world’s most beautiful desert locations. The route has been slightly revised for both FIM and FIA categories.
The motorcycles start the opening 232.71km section at 07.00hrs, with the first car following at 08.15hrs. A short transfer and a refuelling point lead to the second section of 81.97km, with the first motorcycle due at 12.40hrs and the leading car from 15.25hrs.
The event is supported by Mountain Dew, Budget, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), Hala and Bliss FM.