Tribune News Network
Lusail
Isle of Man TT legend James Hillier is heading to Doha next week to take part in the Qatar International Baja for the first time.
The three-day event is based out of the Lusail Sports Arena and is the sixth counting round towards both the FIA World Baja Cup and the FIM Bajas World Cup.
Bournemouth-based Hillier, 39, is one of the world’s leading motorcycle road racers but he also took part in the Malles Moto section of the 2023 Dakar Rally without service support.
Better known for his successes at the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200, Hillier will face a totally different challenge across the winding gravel trails in the State of Qatar, where outright speed needs to be combined with excellent navigational skills to achieve top results.
Hillier began riding at the tender age of four and started competing in trials two years later. By the age of 17, the Hampshire rider had moved into the Virgin Mobile R6 Cup, finishing fourth in 2004, before moving into the British Supersport and British Superstock 1000 Championships.
James had a fascination for road racing and his first appearance at the world-famous TT meeting on the Isle of Man came in 2008. He competed in a pair of Supersport events for Jackson Racing, finishing a modest 19th and 17th on his debut. Lapping with an average speed in excess of 119mph, he was awarded the prestigious Newcomers’ Trophy during a successful 10-year spell with the Bournemouth Kawasaki Team.
Hillier went on to earn his first podium in 2012 and then he claimed a win in the Lightweight TT. He now has five podium finishes to his name across the Supersport, Superbike, Senior and Superstock categories and is currently the seventh fastest rider of all time with a best average speed of 132.414mph for the gruelling Mountain Course.
Hillier also has nine podiums at the North West 200, the highlight being a Superstock victory in 2019 when he earned the Man of the Meeting award. He is also a top 10 finisher at the Macau Grand Prix.
One of the main reasons that Hillier is competing in Qatar is to fine tune his off-road riding and navigational skills in advance of a second attempt at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with WTF Racing in January 2025. He has been tackling events such as the Setra Enduro during the course of the year to get his physical fitness up to speed before the epic desert challenge.
The Qatar International Baja is being organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and will run under the chairmanship of QMMF President Abdulrahman Al Mannai, QMMF’s Executive Director Amro Al Hamad and board member Abdulrazaq Al Kuwari.
The full entry list for both the FIA and FIM sections of the Qatar International Baja will be announced at 17.00hrs on Thursday.
