2023 Sonora Rally: Sweeps, surprises close out Stage 5

The Sonora Rally got here to a detailed Friday with a 139-km run from Puerto Peñasco to San Luis Río Colorado. Some courses noticed upheavals within the World Rally-Raid Championship whereas others had been tales of utter domination.

Rally2 and T3 had been circumstances of the latter as Romain Dumontier and Rokas Baciuška received their respective courses in each stage. Dumontier’s closest rival Jacob Argubright tailed him till the ultimate stage however might solely end over seventeen seconds again, whereas Prologue winner Bradley Cox was stricken by mechanical troubles.

Not like Dumontier, Baciuška accomplished a clear sweep by claiming all six days together with the Prologue. He iced the win in Stage #5 by beating Rebecca Busi by over 13 minutes; Eduard Pons had completed 9 minutes again of Baciuška however obtained fifteen minutes of penalties.

Alternatively, the “three-numbered” classes of Rally3 and T3 noticed David Zille and Ardit Kurtaj rating their first stage wins to finish the rally. Zille had been within the high 5 total earlier than a damaged wheel hub in Stage #4 tumbled him down the order, however he rebounded on the ultimate day when he edged out total winner Mitch Guthrie by simply twenty-one seconds.

Kurtaj’s win denied Massimo Camurri an opportunity to go six-for-six as he had received each leg. However, Camurri’s domination and his rivals’ varied troubles enabled him to take the general with almost one and a half hours on Kurtaj.

Regardless of main the stage early in T3, Mattias Ekström was caught behind the T1s of BAIC ORV till a punctured tyre delivered the demise blow to his hopes of getting previous Guthrie for the general.

Bother additionally struck Toby Worth in RallyGP. After profitable Stage #4, a late error through which he went onto the mistaken highway triggered him to lose his shot at sneaking previous Luciano Benavides for third total. On the entrance, chief Daniel Sanders received the stage by 2:41 forward of Tosha Schareina.

The win is Sanders’ first in W2RC.

“I made a little bit mistake proper on the finish of the ultimate stage,” said Price. “I didn’t fairly get the fitting highway, so I needed to lower throughout after which come again, after which once I was again on the highway I turned left as an alternative of proper. The championship nonetheless seems good, however I’m gutted to have missed out in Mexico.”

Yazeed Al-Rajhi received in T1 to guide all drivers in stage wins at Sonora with three, beating Nasser Al-Attiyah by one minute. Nevertheless, the hole was not sufficient for him to shut on Al-Attiyah within the total because the latter nonetheless received that by 6:22. Al-Attiyah is now the T1 factors chief.

Stage #5 winners

Total winners