– Strong performance by X-raid
– Victory No. 2 for the youngest member of the X-raid family
Denis Krotov and Oleg Uperenko secured victory at the Hungarian Baja, the sixth round of the FIA European Baja Cup. For Krotov, it marked his second win in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. He had already celebrated the debut victory of the petrol-powered desert racer at the Qatar Baja 2025.
Although the Baja lasted only two days, this year’s edition proved to be extremely demanding. The route put the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i to a tough test: alternating between very fast and slow sections, consistently bumpy, and featuring countless corners. Under such conditions, it was difficult for the crews to find a steady rhythm.
Krotov opened the Hungarian Baja with third place in the prologue and entered the race with great ambition. He ended the first day already in second overall. On Saturday, he increased the pressure, taking the lead after the first special stage of the day and defending it successfully in the following two stages until the finish. With this win, he collected valuable points for the FIA European Baja Cup overall standings and now ranks inside the top 10.
The next event for the X-raid team will be the Baja Poland, the seventh round of the FIA European Cup. The line-up will be announced in due time.
Statement
Denis Krotov (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): « We successfully finished the Hungarian Baja – it was my first time at this race. I really enjoyed it, even though today was very tough. Three special stages of 130 kilometers each in great heat, and the air conditioning in the car did not work at 100 percent. In itself, the rally was not overly difficult, but the tracks were exciting and diverse. Overall, everything went very well, and I had a lot of fun. It is already our second victory with the MINI petrol version, after the Qatar Baja. Many thanks to the X-raid team, my co-driver, and the organizers. »
Overall standings
1. D. Krotov / O. Uperenko – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 5h 20m 07s
2. G. Wlodzimierz / M. Goleniewski – Toyota – 5h 20m 22s
3. P. Spierings / M. Salomons – Taurus – 5h 22m 35s
4. H. Al Wahaibi / I. Minor – Taurus – 5h 23m 54s
5. CsuCsu / M. Mesterhazi – Taurus – 5h 34m 38s