Cross Country – Jordan Baja is back as the title race heats up at the World and Middle East Baja Cups.

Jordan Bach (14-16 November 2024) – FIA World Bach Cup, rounds 7/8 and FIA Middle East Bach Cup, rounds 3/4.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan returns to the FIA ​​Baja calendar after a one-year absence when it hosts the Aqaba-based Jordan Baja at Jordan Motorsport over three days from November 14-16.

Due to late registration, the event field grew to the 20’s. Two of them are registered in the Ultimate section, eight are competing in the Challenger group, seven in SSV and three in the Stock category for series production cross-country machines. Nine crews are aiming for FIA World Baja Cup points, and 11 crews are targeting FIA Middle East Baja Cup.

Alvarez and Pereira go head-to-head in Wadi Rum.

Argentina-based Spaniard Fernando Alvarez and his French navigator Xavier Panseri were paired with Portugal’s João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro in the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championships. They head to the Red Sea city in southern Jordan with a slim five-point cushion over their opponents. Ferreira is putting his Ultimate category lead at risk as he tackles his second event in two weeks aboard his Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR in the SSV class. He will be looking to track down Alvarez over the last two rounds in Jordan and Dubai. .

Alvarez is virtually certain to clinch the SSV title in Jordan, but Ferreira’s 49-point lead in the Ultimate category is in serious jeopardy by Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal. The Ford F-150 driver is one of two contestants taking part in the Ultimate class, with maximum points across the incredible Martian landscape of Wadi Rum setting the prospect of finishing the series in a grand stand in Dubai.

Marek Sýkora, co-driver of top seed Zapletal, said: “We are looking forward to Baja Jordan. It is a unique and interesting country. Although there are many rocks, the color of the land is almost similar to Mars, with red sand. It’s really amazing. “I went there for the first time in 2022 and it felt like I was on Mars!”

As far as the overall drivers’ championship is concerned, Spain’s Eduardo Pons and Emirati Khalid Al-Jafla still have a mathematical chance of taking the win, but to do so they’ll need both Alvarez and Ferreira to keep the two Taurus T3 Max drivers from making mistakes. do. badly.

Pons and Jafla are more interested in the thrilling fight for supremacy in the Challenger category. The Spaniard leads Al-Jafla by just seven points towards Jordan, while South Racing Can-Am team’s Diego Martinez is still in contention for the title, just 18 points adrift. Al-Jafla’s co-driver Andrei Rudnitski leads Martinez’s navigator Sergio Lafuente by 11 points in the Challenger Co-drivers’ championship.

Barring a mathematical miracle, Alvarez and Panseri could win the SSV title in Jordan. Miguel Toril will not travel to the Middle East and the South Racing Can-Am driver holds an 80-point lead over third-place Quaddy Racing Yamaha driver Amerigo Ventura. Italian navigator Erika Mingozzi is 81 points behind Panseri in the co-drivers’ championship.

Santag Racing’s João Dias is also making the trip with Ferreira in a two-car team. The Portuguese pair finished second and third overall in Qatar two weeks ago. Saudi Arabia’s Ibrahim Al-Muhanna completed the lineup.

With Overdrive Racing not traveling to Jordan, the South Racing Can-Am team holds an unassailable 135-point cushion in the team championship.

Ahmed Al-Kuwari defends slim FIA Middle East Baja Cup lead

Eleven drivers will chase points heading into round four of the FIA ​​Middle East Baja Cup. Saudi Arabian driver Dania Akeel recently achieved top points at the Qatar International Baja with a fifth place, which helped her close to within seven points of Quaddy Racing’s Ahmed Al-Kuwari in the overall standings.

Saudi will be teaming up with Sébastian Delaunay in Jordan, but has swapped her Overdrive Racing Toyota for the Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR she entered in the SSV category at Jordan Baja. Al-Kuwari has also made changes and Argentina’s Augusto Sanz will partner Qatar on a Yamaha.

The results of the FIA ​​Middle East Baha Cup are wide open with two events remaining in Jordan and Dubai. Stock category leader Majed Al-Thunayyan is one point behind Akeel in third place in the rankings, while the Saudi duo of Maha Al-Hamali and Hamad Al-Harbi are close to completing the top three.

Leading co-drivers Manuel Lucchese and Stéphane Duplé will both miss the trip to Jordan, which could open the door for Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari’s sailing brother Nasser to mount a late title challenge. He is fourth in the points standings alongside Al-Thunayyan’s partner Fahad Al-Sufyani.

The Qatar Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) fielded three Taurus T3 Max machines for Al-Kuwari, Khalifa, brother of five-time Dakar winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, and Rashid Al-Muhannadi. All three drivers competed under the Nasser Racing banner and were registered for the FIA ​​Middle East Baja Cup.

Quaddy Racing has a 50-point cushion over Team QMMF heading into the team championship weekend, while Can-Am drivers Al-Hamali and Al-Harbi are separated by just three points in the Challenger category. Al-Kuwari leads Al-Hamali’s navigator Oriol Mena by three points in the co-driver standings.

Nasser Al-Kuwari said: “I’ve competed here twice. It is a very unique landscape that is difficult to navigate in some areas. “The terrain is similar to Tabuk or northern Saudi Arabia and is the best preparation for Dakar.”

Neither Abdullah Al-Khelaifi nor Moaaz Hariri entered Jordan Baja, leaving the door firmly open for Ahmed Al-Kuwari to clinch the FIA ​​Middle East SSV title with one round remaining. His only rival in South Jordan will be Can-Am’s Dania Akeel.

Al-Thunayyan and Al-Sufyani advanced to the second round in the cross-country machine series production stock category, beating Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Rabban and Emirati Ali Hassan Obaid by 33 points. Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Meer drives the third Nissan Patrol.

A short 3km prologue at Aqaba South Beach on Thursday (14 November) will determine the starting order but will not be included in the general classification.

The action then shifts to the legendary Wadi Rum, with its majestic red rock formations and eerie lunar landscape, for opening day action on November 15. The day’s stage is divided into two sections of 200.60km and 133.53km, returning to Aqaba at night. stop.

The second day’s action will center around a 185.30km stage before the podium, with awards presentations and a post-event press conference taking center stage at Aqaba’s Arab Rebellion Square. On a compact route of 749.30 km, 522.43 km are timed.