Tribune News Network
Aqaba (Jordan)
Argentina’s Diego Martinez, Jordanian Abdullah Abu Aisheh and Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Al Shayban claimed the quickest times in the car, motorcycle and quad categories on the three-kilometre Prologue stage that got the competitive action underway at the Jordan Baja at South Beach in Aqaba on Thursday afternoon.
Martinez and his co-driver Sergio Lafuente clocked a time of 2min 51.7sec to top the times in the car section in their South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3.
The times in the FIA event are only used to determine the choice of starting position for the opening desert stage on Friday, but the results do count towards the general classification in the FIM Bajas World Cup. Abu Aisheh (GasGas) beat Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Shatti (Husqvarna) by 11.1 seconds to lead the motorcycle contingent.
Saudi Arabian rider Abdulaziz Al Shayban headed the quads from Abdulaziz Al Atawi and championship leader Hani Al Noumesi on his Yamaha Raptor 700.
The Prologue preceded the ceremonial start at the Arab Revolt Plaza in Aqaba on Thursday afternoon, where 19 FIA crews and 13 riders in the FIM Bajas World Cup were joined by 11 entrants in a National Rally and 27 competing in a new non-competitive Wadi Al Qamar Navigation Rally.
Illness meant that Slovakian navigator Marek Sykora was unable to take part and Pole Marcin Pasek was a late replacement alongside Czech racer Miroslav Zapletal in his Ford F-150 Evo.
Behind Prologue winner Martinez, his Challenger category rival Eduardo Pons and SSV front-runner Joao Dias finished second and third in the FIA category. Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari came home in fourth and title contender João Ferreira was fifth. His main rival Fernando Alvarez carded the 13th quickest time.
Starting positions for the leading riders on the first desert stage are critical and Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi stopped before the end of the stage for over a minute and finished ninth. That stoppage ensured that Abu Aisheh claimed the stage win from Al Shatti, Lebanon’s Rafic Eid and the Jordanian duo of Hamza Al Zawahreh and Tia’at Al Shishane.
The Emirati duo of Sultan Al Balooshi and Marwan Al Rahmani were non-starters among the bikers and quad rider Haitham Al Tuwaijri was unable to compete after his accident at the recent Qatar International Baja.
On Friday, the stage through Wadi Rum region is split into two sections of 200.60km and 133.53km by a short liaison section and a motorcycle, SSV and Challenger category refuelling opportunity before a return to Aqaba for the night halt.