MINI prepared for Silk Way Rally 2017.

Media Information

Silk Way Rally 2017

06 July 2017

 

MINI prepared for Silk Way Rally 2017
.

 

  • Three MINI Family crews line up for Silk Way Rally 2017
  • Silk Way Rally 2017 to cover two continents and 9559 km over
    14 days.
  • Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and Bryce Menzies (USA) to race the
    new MINI John Cooper Works Rally.

 

Munich. Silk Way Rally 2017 is go. Three MINI Family crews
line up for the start of the 9559 km rally that crosses two
continents and three countries. Starting date for Silk Way Rally
2017 – the second longest marathon cross-country rally of the year
after the famous Dakar Rally – is 7th July 2017, with the
opening ceremony once again in Russia’s historical Red Square in
Moscow, The podium event takes place 22nd July, after 14
days of spectacular racing and just one rest day (16th
July), in

Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province in central China.

 

Of the 9559 kilometre route, 42.6% km is designated as Special Stage,
where speed, driving skill, navigation and a cool head are required by
the two-man crews. Let us not forget stamina, too – the previous Silk
Way Rally (sixth edition) placed competitors in some of the most
scenic landscapes, but which are also some of the remotest and
difficult regions to traverse.

 

Taking the MINI competitive spirit to Silk Way Rally 2017 are three
MINI Family crews; two from X-raid Team and a privateer crew under the
banner of G-Energy Team. All three crews are experienced and respected
combatants in the world of cross-country rally, rally raid and Baja.

 

Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) is no stranger to Silk Way Rally. Together with
regular co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER), the pair made a significant
mark when they raced with MINI at last year’s event. The duo completed
this exhausting race in second position, taking two stage wins along
the way.

 

Al Rajhi returns to Moscow for this year’s start of Silk Way Rally
with the new MINI John Cooper Works Rally but without Gottschalk by
his side. The German co-driver is recovering from injury, of which the
MINI Family, competitors and fans of this incredible sport wish him a
speedy recovery.

 

Joining Al Rajhi in the X-raid Team MINI John Cooper Works Rally
machine (#101) for Silk Way Rally 2017 is yet another experienced MINI
Family member, Tom Colsoul (BEL). Colsoul is presently experiencing
good fortune within the 2017 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup with
regular driver Jakub Przygonski (POL) under the banner of Orlen Team,
where they presently sit second in the overall standings.

 

Al Rajhi: “This is our second participation in Silk
Way Rally. The first one in 2016 was a distinctive and unique
experience, where we managed to secure the second position overall.
This rally consists of diverse types of stages; each one is more
interesting than the other, with terrain that varies between dunes and
gravel. The legs are tough and very long, one of the stages measured
908km, all of that gives the Silk Way Rally its special trait.

 

“I expect the competition will be fiercer than last year, but we are
well prepared – crew, service team, the car – and ready to go to the
podium. Our car is ready to cruise in the Silk Way desert; the MINI
John Cooper Works Rally is a strong car that you can depend on in
tough situations, I hope everything will go well till the end.”

 

A second MINI John Cooper Works Rally (#105) of X-raid Team will
undertake Silk Way Rally. This car will feature Silk Way Rally
newcomers Bryce Menzies with co-driver fellow American Peter Mortensen
as part of the development programme towards the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Both are itching to be reacquainted with the MINI Family and spectacle
and competitive / technical nature of long-distance rally outside of
the U.S.A..

 

Following an unfortunate withdrawal from the start of this year’s
Dakar Rally due to injury, Menzies has been training hard for his
return to long-distance rally competition. Together, Bryce and
navigation specialist Mortensen are a force to be reckoned with. This
was clearly demonstrated in 2016 when Menzies placed highly in his
first experience with MINI, including select rounds of the FIA Cross
Country Rally World Cup.

 

Menzies: “I’m really looking forward to participating
in this year’s Silk Way Rally. There is no better race to get prepared
for Dakar so I’m taking this race very seriously. Pete and I have been
practicing our navigation as that’ll be really important in the latter
stages of the rally when we get into the dunes and we are looking
forward to seeing how we do. Aside from the race, I’m excited about
this adventure where, one day, I can tell my kids how I raced a MINI
from Russia to China!”

 

Long-term MINI Family members Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) and Konstantin
Zhiltsov (RUS) are hoping their vast experience along with terrain
knowledge of the opening stages of Silk Way Rally will assist their
MINI podium challenge.

 

Silk Way Rally 2016 saw the ever competitive Russian duo take their
G-Energy Team MINI ALL4 Racing to third overall through consistent top
three stage placings. This year’s start for the Russian duo mirrors
last year’s with the exception of their G-Energy Team’s iconic
four-wheel drive category MINI ALL4 Racing wearing the race number #102.

 

For further information on Silk Way Rally 2017 please click here.

 

Silk Way Rally 2017: MINI Family line up