AQABA, JORDAN – Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Lebanon’s Rafic Eid and Hani Al-Noumesi set the fastest times in the car, motorcycle and quad categories on the opening 5.15km Prologue of the sixth Jordan Baja at South Beach near Aqaba on Thursday afternoon.
The result let Al-Rajhi and co-driver Timo Gottschalk choose a favourable start position for Friday’s first special stage through Wadi Rum.
This rally is special to me. Racing in Jordan always feels unique and the landscapes are truly spectacular. We’ve put in serious work with the team — the pace notes are tight, the set-up is optimised and our strategy is clear. The objective is simple: fight for the win and extend our championship lead.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi
Cars
Twenty-five FIA cars started. Czech veteran Miroslav Zapletal (Ford) was second, 21.5sec behind, with Al-Rajhi’s Overdrive team-mates Martin Kaczmarski, Dania Akeel and Juan Cruz Yacopini completing the top five.
The QMMF Team’s Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari was fastest in Challenger in sixth overall in his Taurus T3 Max, ahead of team-mates Ahmed Al-Kuwari and Mohammed Al-Harqan. Italy’s Amerigo Ventura (Yamaha) led the SSVs from Hamza Bakhashab (Can-Am) and Paul Severn (Polaris).
Eid tops the bikes
Eid was fastest on his GasGas RX Rally Bike among 12 riders, after Sultan Al-Balooshi and Saudi quad riders Haitham Al-Tuwaijri and Abdulaziz Al-Shayban were left off the start list. FIM Bajas World Cup quad leader Al-Noumesi was the only quad starter, and his 5min 28sec was quicker than any of the bikes.
Thomas Childs (KTM), Thomas Cross (Kove) and local riders Abdullah Abu Aisheh (GasGas) and Abdullah Al-Bataynah (Honda) completed the bike top five. Defending champion Mohammed Al-Balooshi was seventh.
I am very excited to be participating for the fifth time and I hope to defend my title here and extend my lead in the World Cup. I finished second in Hail and fifth in Portugal and I lead the championship. This is one of my favourite stops and I love the terrain here. The organisers do am amazing job and keep us on our toes. I did the first one (2018) that was not even an FIM international and I fell in love with the Jordan Baja and, when I am in one piece, I cannot miss it.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi
Friday’s stage through Wadi Rum is split into competitive sections of 215.02km and 78.55km for the cars and a single 294.03km stage for the bikes and quad, with the first bike starting at 06:55. The event also features a Jordan National Baja with 10 teams and the second Wadi Al-Qamar Navigational Rally with 29 entries.
Prologue top five (unofficial)
- Cars: 1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi / Timo Gottschalk (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 4min 23.7sec; 2. Miroslav Zapletal / Marek Sýkora (Ford F-150 Evo) 4min 45.2sec; 3. Martin Kaczmarski / Armand Monleón (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 4min 51.3sec; 4. Dania Akeel / Stéphane Duplé (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 4min 51.9sec; 5. Juan Cruz Yacopini / Daniel Oliveras (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) 4min 52.0sec
- Bikes: 1. Rafic Eid (LBN) GasGas RX Rally Bike 5min 32.8sec; 2. Thomas Childs (UAE) KTM 450 Rally 5min 46.8sec; 3. Thomas Cross (UAE) Kove 450 EX 5min 48.9sec; 4. Abdullah Abu Aisheh (JOR) GasGas 450 Rally 6min 13.4sec; 5. Abdullah Al-Bataynah (JOR) Honda CRF 450R 6min 15.6sec
- Quad: 1. Hani Al-Noumesi (KSA) Yamaha YFM 700R 5min 28.0sec