With many events packed into FIA calendars at the start of 2022, drivers in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas face two events in 10 days.
This week’s Jordan Baja comes straight after last weekend’s Baja Russia Northern Forest, and nine drivers have arranged logistics to go from the icy north of Russia to the deserts of southern Jordan. Sub-zero temperatures and snow flurries in Russia’s Leningrad region give way to the warm sands of Wadi Rum and Wadi Araba.
Saudi drivers Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Dania Akeel, Mashael Al-Obaidan, Saleh Al-Saif and Yousef Al-Dhaif had mixed results in Russia but have hurried to the Hashemite Kingdom.
Al-Rajhi seeks to bounce back
Al-Rajhi was the pre-event favourite for a second win in Russia, but his Toyota Hilux hit a stone on the first real forest stage, damaging the steering and lower front suspension. Heavy time penalties followed and the Saudi chose not to restart on the final day, so he arrives in Jordan 40 points behind Baja Russia winner Vladimir Vasilyev.
Last weekend was a disappointment and we had planned to restart on the final morning and try and climb up the field and catch and pass some cars. But the organisers wanted us to restart in P10, which meant we would catch a lot of cars and no chance to overtake on those roads. We must put that behind us now and focus on a big result in Jordan.
Michael Orr, Al-Rajhi’s co-driver
T3 and T4 battles
Akeel and Al-Obaidan were seventh and 10th in FIA T3, while Akeel’s South Racing Can-Am team-mate Fernando Alvarez, fifth overall and second in T3 in Russia, also makes the trip. Al-Saif was ninth overall and fifth in T3. With T3 winner Anastasiya Nifontova not travelling to Jordan, Alvarez has a great chance to stretch his series lead after two rounds, while Al-Saif aims to close the gap.
Al-Dhaif was 14th overall and third in T4 behind local driver Sergey Remennik and Spain’s Miguel Angel Valero. With neither rival in Jordan, the Saudi sees a chance to top the standings against new opposition.
The Saudi group will be joined in Aqaba by the Nakusi Rally Team pair of Pavel Silnov and Armen Puzian and Brazil’s Cristiano de Sousa Batista in a Snag Racing Team Can-Am. The Russians were seventh and 10th overall and fourth and sixth in T3, and aim to close on Alvarez in the southern Jordan deserts. De Sousa Batista retired in Russia.
The Russian event was not part of the 2022 FIM Bajas World Cup, so Jordan will be the first competitive outing for motorcycle and quad riders since January’s Dakar Rally.
The Jordan Baja is based at the Hyatt Regency Aqaba Ayla Resort on the Red Sea, with support from Mountain Dew, Budget, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), Hala and Bliss FM.