Tribune News Network
Aqaba (Jordan)
Emirati driver Khalid Al Jafla and his co-driver Andrei Rudnitski secured a dramatic victory at the Aqaba-based Jordan Baja after the final 185.30km stage through Wadi Rum on Saturday.
After trailing the Portuguese Can-Am duo of Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro by 3.5 seconds at the night halt, the Taurus T3 Max crew were 42 seconds quicker on the final sprint into the finish to win the event for the first time by 38.5 seconds. Santag Racing’s Joao Dias and Goncalo Reis rounded off the podium finishers in their Can-Am Maverick X3.
Al Jafla said: “We pushed today as much as we could to try and win the stage. Yesterday, we only lost 3.5 seconds. It was a shorter distance but it was a very fast track and we lost some time in the dust for around 20km. But we won the rally and the Challenger class. Now we go to Dubai. It is my home and my ground.”
MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al Balooshi was in a class of his own on two wheels and a fourth successive win at the Jordan Baja since 2019 has given the Emirati a major boost to his FIM Bajas World Cup ambitions before the final round in Dubai at the end of the month.
His winning margin over Saudi rider Abdulhalim Al Mogheera was a staggering 31min 09.3sec after Lebanon’s Rafic Eid missed three waypoints on the run into the finish and slipped to third.
Al Balooshi said: “Amazing to open the day from kilometre zero to the finish line, leading and navigating. It was a really fun day. I had a good rhythm and the road book spot on. There were some moments when I thought the guys maybe would catch me until I reached the first refuel. I waited three minutes, looked and no-one came. I just managed after that, calmed down and brought the bike home. This is my fourth Jordan Baja. I am so happy. I think I need just six points to secure the title back home. I would dedicate this win to my mom. She was worried about me even at my age. This win is for her…”
Yamaha rider Abdulaziz Al Shayban held off championship leader Hani Al Noumesi to win the quad category. Fellow Saudi Abdulaziz Al Atawi finished third. Al Shayban and Al Noumesi will now face off for the title at the final round.
Abdulaziz Al Kuwari returned to final day action in the cars with a fistful of time penalties after a cooling fan issue burst a water pipe and he was forced to turn off the engine on Friday afternoon when he shed coolant. He was second quickest overall on the last stage.
All 19 FIA entrants started the final stage and Al Jafla managed to close in on the stage-opening Ferreira to beat the Portuguese by 42 seconds to finish 38.5 ahead of his FIA World Baja Cup rival.
Qatar’s Rashid Al Muhannadi finished sixth and was the leading finisher in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup, Fernando Alvarez lost his lead to Ferreira in the overall FIA World Baja Cup by coming home seventh and Dania Akeel set up the prospect of a nail-biting finish to the FIA Middle East Baja Cup by finishing eighth and one place ahead of title rival Ahmed Al Kuwari.
