Rokas Baciuska on verge of Challenger title as Can-Am factory Team seals third victory of the W2RC season in Argentina

– South Racing Can-Am Team’s Garces finishes fifth in Challenger category
– Rebecca Busi guides her South Racing Can-Am to third place in SSV class

The Can-Am Factory Team’s Rokas Baciuška teamed up with Frenchman Sébastien Delaunay and delivered one of his finest performances to lead the Challenger category from start-to-finish and come home in sixth overall in Argentina’s gruelling six-day Desafío Ruta 40.

The event was the fourth round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) and the result means that Baciuška and the Can-Am Factory Team are within just a couple of points of securing the title. The Lithuanian’s success also marked a third successive W2RC Challenger category victory this season for the all-conquering Can-Am Factory Team following wins for Austin Jones and Baciuška in Abu Dhabi and Portugal.

Baciuška said: « It’s our first time winning this rally and it was a pleasure to race in front of these fans. We’re still missing some points to be world champion and we’ll be back to finish the job in Morocco. »

The Chilean duo of Hernan Garces and Juan Pablo Latrach were not registered for W2RC points but brought their South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 to the finish in fifth in the Challenger category.

Rebecca Busi teamed up with the South Racing Can-Am Team for the first time and worked with Uruguayan co-driver Sergio Lafuente. The second quickest time on the fourth stage propelled the Italian into second place in the SSV category and kept her in the hunt for a podium finish in the championship before the final round in Morocco. She slipped behind Sebastian Guayasamin on the final stage but rounded off the podium places in third with the win falling to Spaniard Ricardo Ramilo.

South Racing Can-Am Team’s managing director Scott Abraham said: « Another fantastic event for the team and Rokas is on the verge of the title. This was also the third successive win for the Can-Am Factory Team in the W2RC, proving yet again that this is the car to beat at the top echelon of cross-country rallying. »

The on-stage action began with a 16.25km Prologue stage that would not count towards the overall classification but would enable the leading drivers to choose their starting positions for the opening selective section that was made up of two parts of 147.18km and 202.16km. The Prologue used the former El-Condor-Copina WRC stage from the Rally of Argentina and was held in foggy conditions.

Baciuška was in inspired form in the Can-Am Factory Team Maverick and clocked the third quickest time behind the powerful Ultimate class cars of Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Yazeed Al-Rajhi. Garces was 10th and fourth of the Challenger drivers.

Baciuška stormed through the opening foggy stage to set the fastest time in the Challenger category by 4min 12sec and also snatch fifth in the general classification. Garces settled into fifth in Challenger and Busi recorded the second quickest time in the SSV section behind Guayasamin after championship leader Yasir Seaidan lost his early lead on the mountainous special, stopped after 300km and incurred massive time penalties.

Baciuška said: « It was a nice stage, the first part was really fast. After the refuelling, there were so many corners so that slowed things down for everybody. It was a long stage, almost 400km. Now we want to keep the pace we have found. »

Busi, who led the stage at one point, added: « This championship is full of firsts for me. After the Dakar, we had a 100% dunes event I’d never tackled before, then mud in a Portuguese round and now I’m discovering Desafío Ruta 40! »

The second selective section left Córdoba and entered the neighbouring province of San Juan. Competitive action was split into two sections of 231.27km and 190.53km to the east of the Andes. Baciuška was again in a class of his own in the Challenger category and extended his lead to 11 minutes with another fastest time. Garces came home in seventh and held fifth in the category.

Busi recorded the third quickest time in the SSV section and held a similar position in the overall rankings, albeit just 3min 18sec adrift of leader Enrico Gaspari.

The third stage wound its way through remote terrain around the San Juan bivouac and was split into three timed sections of 141.93km, 31.42km and 145.00km by a neutralisation and a transfer zone. Baciuška ceded the stage win to title rival Cavigliasso but maintained an overall advantage of 5min 44sec to take into the penultimate stage into the city of La Rioja. Garces finished sixth on the day and maintained fifth overall. In the SSV category, Busi was fourth and slipped to a similar position in the rankings.

The fourth stage into La Rioja included the only tricky sand dunes of the event in a competitive route that was split into two sections of 175.55km and 125.81km by a transfer zone. A stunning drive by Baciuška netted the Lithuanian the overall third quickest time and the Challenger stage win saw his lead increase to 9min 23sec over Cavigliasso.

Garces was fifth on the day to retain fifth overall, while Busi delivered another polished performance in the SSV category to finish second behind Ramilo and move into a similar position in the rankings.

The final stage ran for 218km between La Rioja and Córdoba. Baciuška took no risks and a measured drive earned him the Challenger class victory by 8min 49sec. Busi lost out on second place in the SSV class on the final stage but rounded off the podium places.

The South Racing Can-Am Team receives valuable support for the race programme from BRP, Rotax, Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, J.Juan Brake Systems, Oakley and Sparco.

Desafío Ruta 40 – Challenger final standings:
1. Rokas Baciuška (LTU)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Can-Am Factory Team Maverick X3, 18hr 54min 59sec
2. Nicolas Cavigliasso (ARG)/Valeria Pertegarini (ARG) Taurus T3 Max, 19hr 03min 48sec
3. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Taurus T3 Max, 19hr 16min 43sec
4. Marcelo Gastaldi (BRA)/Carlos Sachs (BRA) Taurus T3 Max, 19hr 16min 53sec
5. Hernan Garces (CHL)/Juan Pablo Latrach (CHL) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3, 20hr 11min 48sec*
6. Lucas Del Rio (CHL)/Bruno Jacomy (ARG) Can-Am Maverick X3, 20hr 38min 45sec*
7. Nadia Lafuente (URY)/Maria Uribe (COL) Can-Am Maverick X3, 23hr 49min 51sec*
8. Juan Carlos Cerda (CHL)/ Álvaro León (CHL) Can-Am Maverick X3, 37hr 44min 46sec*
9. Oscar Santos (PRY)/Mirna Periera (PRY) Can-Am Maverick X3, 39hr 47min 11sec*
10. David Zille (ARG)/Jose Cesana (ARG) Taurus T3 Max, 39hr 51min 15sec
11. Nazareno Lopez (ARG)/Lisandro Sisterna (ARG) Taurus T3 Max, 59hr 28min 37sec*
Puck Klassen (NLD)/Augusto Sanz (ARG) Taurus T3 Max, RETIRED – SS5
Sandro Peppi (CHL)/Raimondo Peppi (CHL) Can-Am Maverick X3, RETIRED – SS3*
*denotes NOT registered for W2RC

Desafío Ruta 40 – SSV final standings:
1. Ricardo Ramilo (ESP)/Fausto Mota (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, 20hr 35min 43sec
2. Sebastian Guayasamin (ECU)/Fernando Acosta (ARG) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, 20hr 47min 45sec
3. Rebecca Busi (ITA)/Sergio Lafuente (URY) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, 20hr 47min 50sec
4. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Serge Gounon (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, 22hr 53min 12sec
5. Enrico Gaspari (ITA)/Cesare Rickler del Mare (ITA) Polaris RZR Pro R Sport, 39hr 52min 58sec
Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Michaël Metge (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR, RETIRED – SS1
*denotes NOT registered for W2RC

Neil Perkins,

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