Jordan Baja – September 19-21, 2019
2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round 7
For immediate release
Saturday, September 21st, 2019
SOUTH RACING CAN-AM TEAM’S VOROBYEV CLAIMS T3 WIN
IN JORDAN TO EDGE EVER CLOSER TO FIA T3 TROPHY TITLE
AQABA (JORDAN): South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fedor Vorobyev delivered a stunning performance in the gruelling three-day Jordan Baja to claim victory in the T3 category and move within a whisker of claiming the 2019 FIA T3 Trophy Championship title.
The Russian and his co-driver Kirill Shubin dominated the event through the spectacular deserts of Wadi Rum in southern Jordan and won each of the demanding desert selective sections, overcoming punishing temperatures, tricky navigation and varied terrain to seal the win by the margin of 1hr 11min 20sec.
The Russian was never troubled in his Zavidovo Racing Team Can-Am Maverick X3 on this new seventh round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and only needs to finish inside the top eight at the final round in Portugal next month to secure the title.
Vorobyev came into the race weekend leading Italy’s Michele Cinotto by 15 points and has now extended that advantage to 22 heading to the final round. With 25 available should the Italian win in Portugal, Vorobyev will need to finish at least eighth to secure the T3 Trophy.
“It was another great race for Fedor and Kirill and that is three race wins in a row after their victories in Hungary and Poland,” said South Racing Can-Am Team’s Scott Abraham. “This has taken their lead to 22 points in the FIA World Cup for T3 vehicles. The Can-Am Maverick ran faultlessly the whole race. It is a testament to the strength of the vehicle and the team.
“Now we look forward to hopefully closing the championship in Portalegre in October. This is the first of four races completed this weekend for the South Racing team with other events in Poland, Portugal and Spain. Now we also look forward to the next FIA event, which will be Rally Morocco in 10 days’ time.”
Vorobyev finished third of the T3 runners through the dusty and twisty opening super special stage in downtown Aqaba. The three-kilometre stage preceded the ceremonial start and the Russian clocked a time of 3min 17sec, which put him three seconds behind Cinotto and two adrift of Saleh Al-Saif.
But the real meat of the action began in punishing heat on Friday morning with a gruelling selective section of 211km through the heart of Wadi Rum – one of the most spectacular deserts anywhere in the world. Vorobyev started strongly and continued to push, despite tricky navigation and the need to preserve his car on the rocky terrain. He carded a time of 2hrs 44min 39sec and that put him into a massive lead over a struggling Cinotto amd Al-Saif, who was also delayed.
Another stage win on the shorter 79.77km stage that followed enabled the Russian to guide the South Racing Can-Am to the night halt with a lead of 1hr 02min 15sec over the Italian. Saudi rival Al-Saif was over five hours adrift.
The final selective ran for 210.85km and was a reverse run through the previous morning’s competitive section. There were no late dramas for the Russian and he cruised to the finish to give the South Racing Can-Am Team another memorable victory and the day’s stage by the margin of 7min 04sec.
Portugal’s Baja Portalegre will decide the outcome of the series at the end of October
2019 Jordan Baja – T3 Trophy positions (unofficial):
1. Fedor Vorobyev (RUS)/Kirill Shubin (RUS) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 32min 55sec
2. Michele Cinotto (ITA)/Rafael Tornabell (ESP) Polaris RXR 1000 Turbo 7hr 44min 17sec
3. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Moath Al-Arja (JOR) Can-Am Maverick X3 12hr 26min 20sec
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas – T3 Trophy standings after round 7 (unofficial):
1. Fedor Vorobyev (RUS) 132pts
2. Michele Cinotto (ITA) 110pts
3. Santiago Navarro (ESP) 76pts
4. Adel Abdulla (QAT) 45pts
5. Aleksandr Dorosinskiy (POL) 43pts
6. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN) 34pts
7. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU) 15pts
7. Gerard Farrés (ESP) 15pts
7. Dmitrii Ponomarenko (RUS) 15pts
7. Eric Abel (FRA) 15pts
11. Alexey Shmotov (RUS) 12pts
11. Michal Goczal (POL) 12pts
13. Michel Fadel (ARE) 10pts
13. Frederic Chavigny (FRA) 10pts
15. Maria Oparina (RUS) 6pts
16. Tatjana Sycheva (RUS) 4pts
16. Ilya Rouss (AND) 4pts
18. Adrian Yacopini (ARG) 2pts
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