23rd October 2018
Baja Portalgre 500, 2018 – Round 11, FIA
Cross Country Rally World Cup
.
-
Two MINI John Cooper Works Rally to compete at Baja
Portalegre 500, 25-27th October. -
Stéphane Peterhansel and new co-driver David Castera to
debut in MINI JCW Rally as part of final preparations for Dakar 2019. -
Joan “Nani” Roma / Alex Haro continue pre-Dakar development
tests of MINI JCW Rally at Baja Portalegre 500.
Munich. Baja Portalegre 500 (Round 11) is traditionally the
last race of the
FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and 2018 is no exception.
The Portuguese round is also renowned for being the last major
rally-raid race of the season where entrants are able to make final
preparations under race conditions ahead of the 2019 Dakar that will
take place in Peru, January 6-17th January 2019
Winner of 13 Dakar titles (seven car, six motorcycle), Stéphane
Peterhansel (FR) will make his first race appearance under the banner
of X-raid MINI JCW Team in Portugal. David Castera (FR) will be
Peterhansel’s new co-driver for Baja Portalegre 500 and, of course,
Dakar 2019. This crew is one of three who will challenge Dakar at the
controls of MINI John Cooper Works Buggy cars. The other two crews of
Cyril Despres (FR) / Jean-Paul Cottret (FR) and Carlos Sainz (SP) /
Lucas Cruz (SP), successfully concluded their pre-Dakar tests earlier
this month at Rallye du Maroc, Round 10 of the FIA World Cup.
With the three MINI JCW Buggy cars now being prepared for Dakar 2019,
to reacclimatise to long-distance rally conditions, Peterhansel and
Castera will race the proposed 685 km routes of Baja Portalegre 500 in
a MINI John Cooper Works Rally.
The Spanish duo of Joan “Nani” Roma and co-driver Alex Haro are
another crew from the MINI Family to compete at Baja Portalegre 500 in
a MINI JCW Rally. As well as concluding development tests of the car
ahead of Dakar 2019, Roma and Haro will be looking to further sharpen
their navigation and driving experience.
Baja Portalegre 500 will get under way on 25th October
with scrutineering of cars and crews. Rally action begins on Friday
26th and finishes with the Podium Ceremony on the evening
of Saturday 27th October.
Stéphane Peterhansel: “Baja Portalegre 500 is a
really well-organised event and the route is very technical. I have
always had a lot of fun there. It will also be my first rally with
David Castera, which makes it an important practice for us.”
Joan “Nani” Roma: “I am looking forward to the Baja
Portalegre 500 – I have never raced there before. The routes are not
easy. It is twisty, narrow and is often very muddy and slippery.”
For more information about Baja Portalegre 500, please visit the
host’s event home page here.
FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup 2018 calendar