Depraved-Country – Ten Brinke/Colsoul claim victory in Portugal

The Toyota Hilux Overdrive crew of Bernhard Ten Brinke and Tom Colsoul received a rain-soaked and truncated Baja Portalegre 500 this day, the third round of the FIA World Cup for Depraved-Country Bajas. The Dutch/Belgian pairing clawed their draw from third overnight to lift conclude their first series rating of the season. Guillaume de Mévius and Martijn Wydaeghe took a highly spectacular 2d total of their Can-Am Maverick X3 whereas Vladimir Vasilyev and Dmitro Tsyro climbed from seventh to lift conclude the final podium diagram.

The 34th model of the Baja Portalegre 500, staged to the east of central Portugal, proved to be indubitably one of the major trickiest in its lengthy historical previous. Friday’s opening day of opponents used to be characterised by chronic heavy rain, mud and overflowing river crossings and within the slay the 2d 75 kilometre share needed to be deserted as a result of deteriorating conditions. Saturday’s action used to be moreover shortened and, of the 2 stages scheduled to flee, handiest SS4 at 79 kilometres used to be contested.

Ten Brinke and Colsoul took third diagram within the speedy qualifying stage on Friday morning and maintained that diagram after selective share two, the set simply 9 autos executed the stage and the capable crews had been allocated notional times. Factual over three minutes adrift of the lead this morning, the Hilux Overdrive pairing remarkably region equal quickest time in SS4 to claim victory by one minute 17.1 seconds.

Prerequisites clearly suited de Mévius and Wydaeghe, the Belgians powering their Cam-Am Maverick X3 through the mud-strewn stages. The duo, who had been 2d total through the qualifying stage, elected to beginning out up third on the avenue for SS2 and claimed not handiest the stage rating however took the outright overnight lead by nearly three minutes of their less unheard of T3 machinery. This day, the pair had a neatly-liked flee through the final stage to claim 2d total and first within the T3 category.

Vasilyev and Tsyro had been competing in a Mini Cooper Countryman for the first time this season. The Russians received the qualifying stage however it used to be a clear memoir in SS2 the set they accomplished seventh and 4 minutes 24.1 seconds adrift of the overall lead. This day, on the other hand, the crew claimed equal quickest time with Ten Brinke to vitality into the final podium diagram a mere 3.1 seconds adrift of de Mévius.

Aron Domzała and Marciel Marton moreover impressed of their T4 Can-Am. The Poles took the category lead within the qualifying stage and built a huge income within the 2d share with yet one more T4 stage rating. Within the final stage their lead used to be enough to lift diagram and not handiest rating the category however claim a delicate fourth within the strange classification.

Vasily Gryazin and Oleg Uperenko accomplished fifth and 2d in T3 in more Can-Am machinery. The Russian/Latvian pair had been never outdoors the live four within the category and their capable stage rating secured spectacular aspects on the mid-point of the season. They accomplished nearly 5 minutes sooner than the leading Portuguese crew of Alejandro Martins/José Marques in a Mini John Cooper Works Rallye.

Newly-crowned nationwide wrong-nation champion, Miguel Barbosa, has been a strange entrance-runner on his home round of the series, having received on three previous times. Alternatively, he and co-driver Pedro Velosa had been unable to lend a hand out the 2d selective share having lost the vitality guidance on their Hilux Overdrive. The T2 category rating used to be taken by fellow countrymen João Ferreira/David Monteiro in a Nissan Pathfinder.

The capable two rounds of the FIA World Cup for Depraved-Country Bajas possess conclude region consecutively within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (December 10-12 and December 14-16).

Baja Portalegre 500 – Final Classification