Rally Kazakhstan – May 26-June 1, 2019
2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, round 3
For immediate release
Saturday, June 1st, 2019
MONSTER ENERGY CAN-AM’S VARELA CRUISES
TO EMPHATIC T3 WIN IN RALLY KAZAKHSTAN
AKTAU CITY (KAZAKHSTAN): The Monster Energy Can-Am Team cruised to a comfortable victory in the competitive T3 category at Rally Kazakhstan, round three of the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, in Aktau City on Saturday.
The Brazilian crew of Reinaldo Varela and Gustavo Gugelmin are taking part in the four-round series in a Can-Am Maverick X3 and they overcame six gruelling selective sections across some of the remotest terrain in the west of the world’s largest land-locked country to reach the finish with a winning margin of 1hr 32min 10sec over the Spanish driver Jose-Luis Pena Campo.
After around 1,860 kilometres timed against the clock in sand dunes, camel grass, undulating grassland and high-speed gravel tracks, Varela managed to win three of the six competitive stages and measured his pace to perfection on the other three to preserve the Can-Am for the finish.
The longest round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies ran over six gruelling selective sections through the Mangystau region of western Kazakhstan.
Varela and Gugelmin made the perfect start to snatch the lead in the FIA T3 category for modified cross-country vehicles through the opening 280.35km special. The Brazilians forged into an advantage of 2min 45sec to take into the first of the loop stages of 414.22km to the east of the bivouac in Kenderli to the south.
The second timed section was the longest of the entire rally – a stage of 414.22km that looped through the vast wastelands to the east of Kenderli and around the settlement of Senek. Varela continued his impressive run of form this season to set the fastest T3 time of 4hrs 59min 33sec and extend his category lead over stage runner-up Jose Luis Pena Campo to 59min 23sec and to second-placed Fedor Vorobyev to 58min 09sec.
The second of the loop stages around the deserts and scrubland to the east of Kenderli was the third selective of the rally and ran for 327.47sec. Varela maintained an outright lead of 49min 44sec, despite losing 8min 25sec to stage winner Vorobyev.
Stage four returned to Aktau City via a punishing 399.24km selective section from Kenderli that skirted the oil town of Zhanaozen and offered a variety of challenging terrain. Varela was second fastest of the T3 drivers, but the Brazilian dropped a chunk of time to his Russian Can-Am rival Vorobyev and reached the night halt in Aktau City with his lead reduced to 19min 27sec. He also held a fine ninth in the overall classification.
Varela put one hand firmly on victory with the fastest T3 time on the penultimate stage of 290.19km that looped through the deserts near Aktau City. This terrain crossed the sandy dunes of the Kyzylkum desert that had not been used on the event before and sections of steppe roads and salt marshes.
The Brazilian was able to increase his outright lead to over 90 minutes over Pena Campo, following time delays and problems for closest rival Vorobyev.
The final stage of just 148.76km looped through the deserts to the north of Aktau City and also feature a picturesque trail along the Caspian Sea shoreline. Varela stayed clear of trouble to secure the second fastest time and a winning margin of 1hr 32min 10sec.
Italy’s Michele Cinotto broke down on the road section to the final stage and lost out on a potential third place.
The FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies concludes with the Rally of Morocco in October.
2019 Rally Kazakhstan – T3 final results:
1. Reinaldo Varela (BRA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) Monster Energy Can-Am Maverick X3 24hrs 21min 22sec
2. Jose Luis Pena Campo (ESP)/Rafael Tornabell (ESP) Polaris RZR 1000 25hrs 53min 32sec
3. Maria Oparina (RUS)/Lyudmila Petenko (RUS) BRP Can-Am Maverick X3 83hrs 03min 35sec
4. Fedor Vorobyev (RUS)/Kirill Shubin (RUS) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 144hrs 13min 01sec
Ends
For further information: contact Scott Abraham, South Racing, Email: Scott.Abraham@southracing.com, Tel: + 49 172 6662880.
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