Desafío Ruta 40 YPF officially presented in Buenos Aires

The Desafío Ruta 40 YPF had its official presentation in Buenos Aires. The press conference was held at the National Ministry of Tourism and Sports in the presence of authorities and competitors.

The 11th edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF, which will be held from August 26 to September 1 and will take place in La Rioja, Belén (in Catamarca) and Salta, will be valid for the new World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), which unifies the FIA and FIM championships. Present for the presentation of this race were Matías Lammens, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Argentina; José Rosa, Secretary of Tourism of La Rioja; Roberto Brunello, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Catamarca; Mario Peña, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Province of Salta; Santiago Carreras, Manager of Institutional Affairs and Communication of YPF; David Eli, organizer of the Desafío Ruta 40; Carlos García Remohí, President of the CDA of the Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA) and Juan Carlos Taboada, Vice President of the Confederación Argentina de Motociclismo Deportivo (CAMOD).

 

 

Voices at the conference

Matías Lammens, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Nation: «Tourism and sports have an essential synergy. Events such as this one have an economic and social impact in each of the places where they take place. Argentina is a very important recipient of major sports events and this race positions the country, the destinations and Route 40 as a wonderful tourist product as it is».

José Rosa, Secretary of Tourism of La Rioja: «We are happy to receive an international competition of these characteristics with the riders who will join us with their teams racing through our province and natural landscapes, making them visible all over the world».

Roberto Brunello, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of Catamarca: «It is a pleasure to share this event with provinces such as Salta and La Rioja, and to highlight the importance of the north of the country as a destination. Fiambalá is the capital of the Dakar and Belén is a very important geographical location. The north is taking the preponderance it has for the country. We are waiting to welcome everyone in Catamarca”.

Mario Peña, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Province of Salta: «We are grateful. In Salta we say that our pride is the pride of each one of the people from Salta and Kevin (Benavides, Dakar Rally Champion in 2023 and 2021) is part of that pride we feel. The Desafío Ruta 40 is the possibility of showing again all our tourist attractions in a competition that is broadcasted worldwide and that has an priceless value».

Santiago Carreras, Institutional Affairs and Communications Manager of YPF: «YPF is proud to support this type of initiative. We are committed to continue supporting this type of event, knowing that it brings together three provinces in an emblematic place in Argentina. It is an enormous responsibility to carry out everything we do. We are very happy to be the official sponsor of this Desafío Ruta 40». 

David Eli, organizer of the Desafío Ruta 40: «Thanks to the provinces and the Ministry of Tourism for their support. At the partial closing of registrations, so far, there are more than 80 competitors entered and registrations close on August 12. We believe that we will exceed a hundred competitors. We expect a great presence of top level pilots. It will be a great Desafío Ruta 40. We would also like to thank YPF, who are also our internal engine”.

Carlos García Remohí, President of the CDA of the Automóvil Club Argentino (ACA): » The Desafío Ruta 40 is once again a World Championship in motorsport and motorcycling and that fills us with pride. We have a lot of experience in Argentina and that is something that the international authorities value very much».

Juan Carlos Taboada, Vice-president of the Argentine Confederation of Motorcycling Sports (CAMOD): «This is one of the most important events in the country. Argentina has the most important international events and besides, we have champions. It will be a great Desafío Ruta 40».

Kevin Benavides, RED BULL KTM Factory Racing (motorcycles): «In the Desafío Ruta 40 anything can happen. The nicest thing, for me, is to be able to race in Argentina again. I haven’t done badly in Saudi Arabia – he won two Dakar Rally titles there. But even though it’s a fantastic place to compete, I really miss the atmosphere in Argentina and we are all desperate to come back here. Thank you for bringing this event back.

Sebastián Halpern, X-raid MINI JCW Team (car): «I’m super excited that a World Cup round is being held in Argentina again. The passion, the atmosphere and the Argentinean landscapes are very much missed and all the drivers are very happy to be back here. It’s going to be a very competitive Desafío, a world-class event”.

Nicolás Cavigliasso, Wevers Sport (UTV): «I’m happy to have the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina again. I will be racing in UTV, which is a very competitive category. We are local and we know that we have very demanding terrain, so I am focused on what is coming, which will be a very tough race».

Juan María Nimo, Particular Revo (Motorcycle): «It is an important effort to be in a race like this for me. To compete at a world level, a person with a disability, I think it will be the first time it happens. We are not improvised, I train a lot. We believe we can do it and like any other competitor, the idea is to beat the experience. I think it’s something that will mark the history of our country with respect to motorsport, sport and inclusion».