SOUTH RACING CAN-AM TEAM’S AL-SAIF AND RÉ SECURE TOP TWO PLACES IN FIA T4 CATEGORY AT ITALIAN BAJA

  • Portugal’s Alexandre Ré finishes second and seals FIA European Baja Cup’s T4 title
  • South Racing confirms FIA T4 Teams’ Championship title after Italian Baja
  • Kuwait’s Mshari Al-Thefiri suffers title challenge setback with retirement in Italy

South Racing Can-Am Team грабна първите 2 места в двудневното състезание Baja Italy, коеот се проведе по изключително тежки трасета в северната част на Италия

 

 

After Friday’s unfortunate accident we were not able to continue,” said the Kuwaiti. “But we look forward to Baja Portalegre where we are still in a fight for the championship. We can drop our two worst events. It is going to be difficult but we are there to fight.”

South Racing Can-Am Team’s manager Scott Abraham said: “Once again, it was a great event for the South Racing Can-Am Team and a brilliant job by two of our teams to secure the top two spots on the podium. It showed that the Can-Am was the fastest and most reliable SSV in the field. It was fantastic for Alex and Pedro to wrap up the inaugural European Cup. But it will be a nail-biting finale in Portugal with Saleh and Mshari going head-to-head to try and win the FIA World Cup. South Racing has also wrapped up the FIA T4 Teams’ Championship, as well as the European Cup.

“Now we have some big weeks of work ahead of us with the Rally of Morocco with a big entry at the start of October.”

Competitive action for the South Racing Can-Am Team began with the 7.55km Meduna qualifying stage on Friday lunchtime. Al-Saif pipped Al-Thefiri and Ré to the T4 win by just 1.2 and 2.1 seconds respectively, with Amerigo Ventura in fourth place.

“There was some very deep water in four or five places,” admitted Al-Thefiri’s co-driver Al-Kuwari. “The car was full of water. Our overalls were wet. But it was a good start.”

The starting order was duly arranged for the first of four selective sections, with teams tackling 74.94km across nearby riverbeds and flood plains on Friday afternoon. Al-Saif recorded a stage time of 1hr 09min 47sec but that dropped the Saudi into second at the night halt behind Ventura. Ré was third but Al-Thefiri suffered a costly retirement after an accident that severely dented his title ambitions.

 

 

Three runs through a selective section of 92.31km between Pasch and Dignano were on the cards for the final day.

Al-Saif won the opener in a time of 1hr 23min 59sec to snatch the outright lead from Ventura by 39.3 seconds. A second quickest time also enabled Ré to close the gap on the overnight leader and he was third, 61.8 seconds adrift of second overall.

Ré was quickest than Al-Saif by 25 seconds on the second pass and managed to overhaul Ventura to snatch second place. The Portuguese duly headed into the third and final run trailing his Saudi team-mate by 1min 16.1sec.

Ré said: “We tried again to do nothing bad to the car. The Can-Am was perfect. We needed to beat the Yamaha and we won the stage in the T4 with a good time. It was nice to drive in this stage.”

Ré managed to win the last stage by 71 seconds to force a thrilling finale but it was not enough to deprive Al-Saif of the category win by the margin of just 5.1 seconds. Ventura rounded off the podium places.

Support for the South Racing Can-Am Team came from Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, Bell, Lazer and OMP.

 

2021 Italian Baja – FIA T4 result

1. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Kirill Shubin (RUS) South Racing Can-Am Maverick 

2. Alexandre Ré (PRT)/Pedro Ré (PRT) South Racing Can-Am Maverick 

3. Amerigo Ventura (ITA)/Mirko Brun (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000 R 

4. Armen Puzian (RUS)/Oleg Uperenko (LVA) Can-Am Maverick  

5. Miguel Valero (ESP)/Jacqueline Ricci (ESP) Can-Am Maverick 

6. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Can-Am Maverick  

Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) South Racing Can-Am Maverick

 

 

 5hr 26min 37.9sec

5hr 26min 43.0sec

5hr 31min 15.2sec

6hr 07min 00.3sec

6hr 07min 32.7sec

6hr 49min 13.4sec

DNF