AQABA, JORDAN – Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi and German co-driver Timo Gottschalk stormed into a 6min 16.3sec lead over team-mates Martin Kaczmarski and Armand Monleón after the first stage of the sixth Jordan Baja through Wadi Rum on Friday.
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi (Husqvarna) beat Lebanese team-mate Rafic Eid (GasGas) on the day’s motorcycle stage to lead by 2min 25.1sec, and Saudi Arabia’s Hani Al-Noumesi stayed on course for a big haul of quad points.
Al-Rajhi dominates
The 294.03km timed section was split into two parts for the cars, and all 25 entrants started. Under this season’s new start-order rules, Juan Cruz Yacopini opened the road with Miroslav Zapletal and Al-Rajhi behind. The Saudi passed both, closed in on the leading bikes and won the first part by 5min 34sec. Kaczmarski won the second section, but Al-Rajhi kept a big overnight lead.
It was not an easy day for us. It was the first time in my life that Timo and I forget the helmet in the service but (Hamza) Bakhashab and his co-driver help us and gave us a helmet five minutes before the start. Everything went well. We see what we need to do tomorrow.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi
For me, it is not easy to come back after a few years. The stage was really tricky and stony in places. The car is really fast. I love it. The landscape here is simply awesome.
Martin Kaczmarski
Yacopini and Dani Oliveras were third, 1min 43.2sec ahead of Qatar’s Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah and Bruno Jacomy, who led both the Challenger category and the FIA Middle East Baja Cup in their QMMF Team Taurus T3 Max.
Very happy to finish day one. We really enjoyed the stage. It is similar in some ways to Argentina, really spectacular and very challenging. The plan now is to push Yazeed because anything can happen. He is a very good driver so it will be tough.
Juan Cruz Yacopini
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Oriol Mena were fifth and second in Challenger, ahead of Zapletal’s self-built Ford F-150 Evo. Defending champion Khalid Al-Jafla was seventh, Hamza Bakhashab led the SSVs in eighth, and Paul Severn and Sergei Remennik completed the top 10. Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Rabban led Stock. Aleksei Shmotov, Mansour Al-Helai and Amerigo Ventura lost time with mechanical issues, and FIA Middle East Baja Cup leader Dania Akeel damaged her Toyota’s suspension and steering in a ditch.
Al-Balooshi edges Eid on the bikes
After a delay because wind caused dust and safety issues, Britain’s Jason Joslin opened the road but was quickly caught. Eid, Al-Balooshi and Philip Horlemann pulled clear near the Saudi border before Horlemann dropped back. Hamdan Al-Ali stopped early and Thomas Cross lost a lot of time. Al-Balooshi took the stage win from Eid and is well placed to chase a fifth Jordan Baja victory.
I started fifth and within 35 or 40km I was opening the road. I was on my own with the road book, minor mistakes. I kept on going. The problem was the cars. We had a delayed start this morning. But they didn’t have a delayed start. The cars have more top speed. This part was not nice but I won the stage, I got to open and now I need to focus on bringing the trophy back home tomorrow.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi
It was such a great day. The weather was perfect, the landscape is beautiful and we finished well. I could have sped up a bit more but I focused more on the navigation.
Philip Horlemann
Thomas Childs (KTM) and local rider Abdullah Abu Aisheh (GasGas) completed the top five. Younes Al-Katatzi and Sakher Al-Khasasi led the Jordan National Baja in a Mitsubishi Pajero, while 26 crews contested the Wadi Al-Qamar Navigational Rally. Saturday’s final 189.92km stage through Wadi Rum is followed by the press conference and prize-giving at the Arab Revolt Plaza in Aqaba.
Top five after SS1 (unofficial)
- Cars: 1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi / Timo Gottschalk (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 3hr 05min 16.1sec; 2. Martin Kaczmarski / Armand Monleón (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 3hr 11min 32.4sec; 3. Juan Cruz Yacopini / Daniel Oliveras (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 3hr 11min 48.8sec; 4. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah / Bruno Jacomy (Taurus T3 Max) 3hr 13min 32.0sec; 5. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari / Oriol Mena (Taurus T3 Max) 3hr 15min 49.0sec
- Bikes: 1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (UAE) Husqvarna RR450 4hr 37min 12.5sec; 2. Rafic Eid (LBN) GasGas RX Rally Bike 4hr 39min 37.6sec; 3. Philip Horlemann (GER) KTM 450 Rally Replica 4hr 54min 20.7sec; 4. Thomas Childs (UAE) KTM 450 Rally 5hr 13min 42.3sec; 5. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) GasGas 450 Rally 5hr 18min 02.9sec
- Quad: 1. Hani Al-Noumesi (KSA) Yamaha YFM 700R 5hr 13min 14.6sec