Baja Hail 2 – December 14-16, 2020
2020 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round 5

For immediate release
Wednesday, December 16th, 2020

SOUTH RACING-BUILT CAN-AMS CLAIM
VICTORIES IN T3 AND T4 AT HAIL BAJA 2

· FIA World Cup T4 title for Kees Koolen – Khalifa Al-Attiyah wins T3 in Hail Baja 2

HA’IL (SAUDI ARABIA): South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3s enjoyed further success in Hail Baja 2, with Qatari driver Khalifa Al-Attiyah winning the FIA T4 category and team-mate Kees Koolen securing the World Championship crown (subject to FIA approval) on an event where Saleh Al-Saif won T3 in a South Racing-built Can-Am Maverick X3.

Taking part in his first ever Baja-type event after a four-year lay-off, Al-Attiyah and Italian navigator Paulo Ceci finished third on the day’s stage, but their victory on Monday’s longer and more demanding special was sufficient to seal the win and third place in the championship.

Koolen and fellow Dutchman Jurgen van der Goorbergh were classified fourth on the day’s stage, but held on to second place in the overall classification to snatch the title from Poland’s Aron Domzala. The latter had been badly delayed with an electrical issue on the first stage in his Monster Energy Can-Am and finished the season 2.5 points behind the Dutchman. The Portuguese crew of Lorenço Rosa and Joaquim Dias came home in third overall.

A second successive Hail victory fell to Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif in a South Racing-built Can-Am, despite Russian rival Vasily Gryazin winning the day’s stage. By finishing second overall, Gryazin had done enough to confirm the FIA T3 World Championship (subject to FIA approval).

Talented young Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius and navigator Martijn Wydaeghe finished third in the points’ standings after winning the day’s stage. Time delays had cost him dearly on the opening day.

South Racing Can-Am Team’s Scott Abraham said: “It was a great race for all of the team with some new drivers and Khalifa winning T4 on only his second Cross-Country event in the T4 category and with Kees winning the World Cup. This was a great result for him. It was a mixed event for Guillaume but he has once again reaffirmed that he has the pace to be at the front with the fastest stage time today.”
Domżala’s title challenge suffered a setback when electrical problems plagued his progress on the opening selective section of 311.57km and the Pole slipped 25 minutes behind the stage-winning Al-Attiyah and second-placed title rival Koolen in their South Racing Can-Ams.

Al-Saif completed the stage in 15th overall and staked a claim to the bonus points for the fastest time in T3, but Gryazin kept his title hopes alive with second place after De Mevius’s challenge suffered a time-consuming setback.

South Racing’s attention now turns to the Dakar Rally at the start of 2021.

2020 Hail Baja 2 – T3 results (provisional)
1. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 5hr 55min 45sec
2. Vasily Gryazin (RUS)/Oleg Uperenko (RUS) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 01min 44sec
3. Guillaume de Mevius (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 38min 55sec

2020 Baja Hail 2 – T4 results (provisional)
1. Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Paulo Ceci (ITA) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 00min 19sec
2. Kees Koolen (NLD)/Jurgen van den Goorbergh (NLD) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 07min 43sec
3. Lorenço Rosa (PRT)/Joaquim Dias (PRT) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 19min 00sec
4. Aron Domzala (POL)/Maciej Marton (POL) Monster Energy Can-Am Maverick X3 6hR 25min 16sec

FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas – T3*:
1. Vasily Gryazin (RUS) 70 pts
2. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU) 58 pts
3. Guillaume de Mevius (BEL) 45 pts
4. Bernd Hoffman (ESP) 31 pts
*Subject to FIA approval

FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas – T4*:
1. Kees Koolen (NLD) 67 pts
2. Aron Domzala (POL) 64.5 pts
3. Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT) 46.5 pts
*Subject to FIA approval

Ends

For further information: contact Scott Abraham, South Racing, Email: Scott.Abraham@southracing.com, Tel: + 49 172 6662880.

www.southracing.com
Facebook group: South Racing Can-Am

Published On: 16 December 2020