2017 Dubai International Baja

Media Information

Dubai International Baja

09 March 2017

 

2017 Dubai International Baja – Round 2 FIA Cross Country
Rally World cup.

 

  • Two privateer MINI crews to compete at Dubai International Baja.
  • Abu Issa and Xavier Panseri reunite after successful 2017
    Dakar Rally.
  • Vladimir Valisyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov start World Cup attack.

 

Munich. The
2017 Dubai International Baja
takes place 9-11 March 2017 and is the second round of the
prestigious FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup – a championship that
has seen MINI lift the World Cup title no less than four times
(2012-2015). The Dubai International Baja was, until 2015, formerly
known as Dubai International Rally and as such is the longest
running motorsport event to be held in the United Arab Emirates.

 

Official prerace procedures for the start of Dubai International Baja
begin Thursday 9 March with the regulatory signing-on of competitors
and scrutineering of race equipment and, of course, the competing
machinery. Race action begins on Friday 10 March with the competitors
grouped at the Bab Al Shams event arena complex before departing to
start the first of two Special Stages. A third, and final, Special
Stage takes place on Saturday 11 March. Total race distance including
liaison is given as 476 km.

 

Two MINI ALL4 Racing cars will be amongst the competitors of the FIA
class and crewed by privateers from the MINI Family. Fresh from a
successful first Dakar Rally competition at the controls of a MINI
ALL4 Racing and wearing race number #309 is Qatar’s Mohammed Abu Issa.
Joining Abu Issa in a MINI cockpit once again is co-driver Xavier
Panseri of France. Together these two stalwarts of desert racing
managed an incredible 10th place finish at this year’s
Dakar Rally despite it being their first competitive race in the same cockpit.

 

Also lining up at the Bab Al Shams starting stage will be rally
veterans Vladimir Valisyev and co-driver Konstantin Zhiltsov (#304).
This duo has proved on many occasions they are a force to be reckoned
with over all manner of rally terrain and regardless of weather
conditions. The Russian duo will obviously be looking to achieve
another win with a MINI ALL4 Racing – the last coming on
14th January, when they crossed the finish line of the
ninth Africa Eco Race (Monaco to Dakar) in first place.