Excitement Builds for Baja Morocco 2023
From September 16 to 21, Baja Morocco will take place, serving as a pivotal testing ground for numerous teams evaluating their developments in a controlled environment. Scheduled just a week before the prestigious Rallye du Maroc, this event is designed with five days of intense action centered around Merzouga, allowing for terrain variation within a few kilometers. This year, a number of Argentine competitors will participate, prominently featuring Manuel Andújar, who is making his international debut in the Challenger category with a Taurus Evo Max, transitioning from the Side by Side vehicle class.
Andújar's Transition and Competitor Overview
The Baja Morocco will host 40 vehicles in the UTV category out of the 68 registered for the race, supplemented by 17 motorcycles and 11 cars. Andújar, a double Dakar champion in the quad category and a two-time world champion in the same discipline, marks another significant milestone in his career as reported by campeones.com.ar. The Lobos native is leaving behind the challenging SSV subcategory, where official teams often excel due to their exclusive electronic engineering. In this new chapter, he will continue to collaborate with navigator Andrés Frini in the Challenger category, formerly known as T3, utilizing the Taurus Evo Max.
Andújar will not be the only Argentine competing with vehicles of this classification at Baja Morocco, as Augusto Sanz, a Buenos Aires native now based in Patagonia, will also race alongside Dutch navigator Puck Klaassen. Together, they represent the forefront of the KTM X-Bow development, which originated from the G-Rally team prototype and the involvement of a new shareholder group associated with the Austrian motorcycle brand.
Among the key competitors for the aforementioned crews are the duo of Brian Baragwanath and Jayden Els, along with Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Ferreira. Both teams have substantial experience in cross-country racing and will each drive an Odysée CRX. This race will feature the Challenger vehicles under the designation of "Open Plus".
Additionally, the motorcycle category will include the young French rider Noa Sainct, son of the legendary Richard Sainct, a three-time Dakar winner (1999, 2000, and 2003) who achieved his victories with BMW and KTM. Rising star Konrad Dabrowski will also be competing, aiming to solidify his presence in the two-wheeled arena.
In the premier car class, Matthieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier will pilot a Century CR7, just like Simon Vitse and Delphine Delfino, who will race an MD team Optimus buggy. Other notable participants include Yasir Seaidan and Jean Michel Polato in a Toyota 300 GR Sport, as well as the ever-present Kees Koolen with Wouter Rosegaar in a Ford Raptor.
