Desafío Ruta 40 YPF INFINIA started with goals in style

Desafío Ruta 40 YPF INFINIA has kicked off. The fourth round of the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) opened its doors to the public at the bivouac located at Complejo Ferial Córdoba. Between photos and autographs, the teams finished the second day of scrutineering and finalized details.

The sports day focused the attention on Laguna Azul Private Test, in the Municipality of La Calera, where the fans could hear the first sounds of the engines. Tomorrow the action will start with the Prologue in El Condor-Copina.
Competitors testing…football. Photo credit: Paco Foto Agencia

 

Story of the day: A great goal of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF INFINIA
The day prior to the start of the competition was also an opportunity for drivers and riders to get to know Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium and have fun with a penalty shootout challenge.
Many of the protagonists of Desafío Ruta 40, such as Pablo Quintanilla, Ross Branch, Seth Quintero, Rebecca Busi, Sam Sunderland, Luciano Benavides, among others, came to Kempes Stadium to visit the stadium and enjoy a few minutes in one of Cordoba sporting icons, which was the setting of the 1978 Soccer World Championship, the 2011 Copa América and other international matches.

Manu Andujar announced his retirement from the quads category

This Saturday the opening Press Conference of Desafío Ruta 40 YPF INFINIA was held, and it gave us several important statements.
“It’s the last race I’m going to run in quads in a Rally Raid. Ruta 40 was the first race in which I won a stage and to be able to retire here, with my team, with my people, in my country is great. The truth is that when I say it, I am moved. It’s very nice to be here», Manu Andujar shared with emotion.

In turn, Luciano Benavides referred to the honor of racing in his country: “It is my home race, I am coming here as last year’s world champion, a title that has been very important to me. At the same time, I have the colors of Argentina on my bike, on my team, and the number one, too. So, it’s really something very special.”

Honda rider Tosha Schareina, winner of Desafío Ruta 40 in 2023, said: “We will try to do the same this year, but I am sure that they will make it very, very difficult for us, but I believe that here with all the Argentinean fans we will have the necessary support”.

Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah also said: “I want to thank the organizer, the country and especially Cordoba for hosting the DR40 for the start and finish. It’s good for the fans, for the media and also for motorsport. I have been here many times with the WRC and with the Dakar. The Prologue will be like a WRC stage of which I have many good memories, it will be amazing. Argentina is like my second home. I have many friends here. Also, I think DR40 has to stay in the championship because it gives more opportunities for South American drivers to compete”.

Dania Akeel, spoke about her first participation in this race and also about being the leading female figure in Saudi Arabia: It’s a pleasure to be in Argentina, it’s my first time here. All I know from Argentina is everybody I met in the Dakar. They are very friendly and so I’m happy to be here at their home event. I discovered the Rally Raid when the Dakar came to Saudi Arabia. I love this sport because you can see different landscapes and meet people from all over the world and I decided to race this race. It was a bit hard to start from home, it’s becoming more popular now. It’s becoming a bigger group. The process was just about finishing the race and improving. I am a woman and a representative of a different profile. But in the end, it is the same for everyone. My intention is to drive as fast as I can, as safe as I can. For sure my goal is to finish in the top positions.”
Finally, Pablo Eli, the Sporting Director of the race said: “Running in Cordoba gives us a new point in this kind of races, because everyone knows this province. They are going to be WRC Rally stages, only that, instead of 20 km sections we are going to have 400 km stages, super fun with changes of pace», he explained.

 

 

Sunday with Prologue and Starting Ramp
With El Cóndor-Copina as Prologue, this Sunday the engines will start up in Desafío Ruta 40 INFINIA YPF. Competitors will cover 17km of this classical Cordoba stage starting at 1pm.
The public wishing to watch the stage live will be able to do so in the spectator areas: www.desafioruta40.ar/zona-espectadores.
In the afternoon, there will also be a lot of activity. The start ceremony will take place across from the bivouac at Complejo Ferial Córdoba, at Parque del Chateau (meters away from the bivouac). The activity on site will start around 17:20hs. From 6 pm, there will be a MC Freestyle battle between Naista and Keid that will heat up the afternoon until 6:30 pm, when the competitors will choose the starting order (both for bikes and cars). Finally, at 7.30 pm, all the competitors of the race will make their way on the ramp.