World Rally-Raid Championship

Manuel Andujar “very happy” with P2 in SSV driving debut

3 Mins read
Credit: Ferioli Racing Team

Months after winning his first ever race in a side-by-side, Manuel Andújar nearly repeated the feat in his début as the driver of one when he finished second in class at the Rally Raid San Rafael to his team-mate Jeremías Gonzalez Ferioli. It might not have been a victory, but the run is still a good start as he prepares for life in a new discipline.

Andújar raced a Can-Am Maverick R prepared by Ferioli Racing Team but emblazoned with his 7240 Team branding, while Sergio Lafuente served as navigator. He set the fastest time in the Prologue, beating Nazareno López by forty seconds, before Ferioli took the lead the next day after he lost fifteen minutes due to the navigation tablet malfunctioning.

Ferioli continued to hold the advantage when he beat Andújar by 2:49 in the first Selective Section of the third and final day, then delivered the killing blow of 1:18 in SS2. By the end, Andújar settled for second and 16:45 behind Ferioli in a 1–2 finish for the team.

“I’m very happy with the results of our debut—P2 with a stage win included,” he wrote. “Despite some issues with the tablet on day 2, we were able to maintain a good race pace and keep it until the end. But honestly, being self-critical, there are several seconds per kilometre that can be improved, and we’re going to work on that.”

Even if not a win, a second is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially as Ferioli is one of the top SSV drivers in Argentina. He and Andújar both won their classes at the World Rally-Raid Championship’s Desafío Ruta 40 in June, the latter clinching the championship in the Quad category in the process.

Since the DR 40, Andújar set his sights on continuing his rally career in an SSV due to Quads being dropped from the Dakar Rally for 2025. He is the category’s final Dakar winner, claiming his second victory in January.

In June, he won the Rally Raid San Juan as the co-driver of a Can-Am Maverick piloted by Juan Cruz Yacopini. San Juan and San Rafael are rounds on the Campeonato Argentino de Rally Raid (CaNav Rally Raid), the latter being the fourth and penultimate date.

After San Rafael, his next planned start is the W2RC’s Rallye du Maroc on 5–11 October. If that goes well, he will be heading to the 2025 Dakar Rally on 3–17 January in his Can-Am. His car for both starts will be prepared by SSV powerhouse South Racing.

Overall results

Moto

FinishClass FinishNumberRiderTeamVehicleClassTimeMargin
115Jeremías PascualPascual TeamHonda CRF450XM16:51:38Leader
2210Benjamín PascualPascual TeamHonda CRF450XM17:11:56+ 20:18
334Joaquín DebeljuhRVM Racing TeamRVM Rally 450M17:25:31+ 33:53
4131Silvio MinnutoNihuil Rally SportHusqvarna 450 RallyM27:36:07+ 44:29
547Gastón BaldiMax Clean Rally TeamYamaha WR450FM17:47:18+ 55:40
6232Baltazar FrezeeMED Racing TeamKTM 450 RallyM27:50:44+ 59:06
7321Iván MartínMartín Rally TeamRVM Rally 450M28:37:50+ 1:46:12
8423Juan Cruz CarrizoJuan Cruz CarrizoM28:55:11+ 2:03:33
9533Eduardo AlanMED Racing TeamBeta 430 RRM28:56:19+ 2:04:41
10529Julián Sánchez DabinMax Clean Rally TeamHonda CRF450XM110:13:44+ 3:22:06
11634Marcelo Gennari349 RaceHusqvarna FE 350M211:23:37+ 4:31:59
12624Gustavo MilutínMax Clean Rally TeamHusqvarna 450 RallyM113:00:42+ 6:09:04

Quad

FinishClass FinishNumberRiderTeamVehicleClassTimeMargin
1168Andres FriniFrini QuadsYamaha Raptor 700Q17:47:13Leader
2173Fernando BustosTuercas RallyPolaris Sportsman 850Q29:52:49+ 2:05:35
3260José FauleSantiago del Estero Rally RaidYamaha Raptor 700Q110:05:19+ 2:18:06
4193Silvio ToselliTnT Racing TeamYamaha Raptor 700Q311:05:33+ 3:18:20
5291Matias TrujilloC.I.E.A.Yamaha Raptor 700Q313:23:26+ 5:36:13
6374Giuliano ToselliToselli RacingYamaha Raptor 700Q313:47:56+ 6:00:43
7357Danilo Ruben Franzoi MerloMuchoBrancaYamaha Raptor 700Q114:22:49+ 6:35:36

Auto

FinishClass FinishNumberDriverCo-DriverTeamVehicleCategoryTimeMargin
11161Francisco CastroPablo GarciaMendoza Rally TeamToyota HiluxT2.18:37:59Leader
22153Cristian BertonaAlvaro HidalgoBertona Rally TeamToyota HiluxT2.19:59:24+ 1:21:25
31134Antonio PennesiCarlos MirandaATV Sport RallyMitsubishiT1.210:06:40+ 1:28:41
43152Lisandro VillanovaJorge DeregibusTeam AviguriToyota HiluxT2.111:58:30+ 3:20:31
54165Maximiliano IglesiasFabricio LegniniMannol Racing TeamToyota HiluxT2.112:11:23+ 3:33:24
65156Oscar CrusCristian GomezTeam AlimezclasToyota HiluxT2.112:24:23+ 3:46:24
76154José Antonio MartinezJuan Carlos PereiraCoyote TeamToyota HiluxT2.113:42:17+ 5:04:18
82111Alberto TornatoreAnalia AlvarezTornatore Rally TeamVolkswagen BuggyT1.214:53:05+ 6:15:06
93112Daniel “Pilo” EstigarribiaNahuel BurgoaPilo Rally PinamarNissan Prototype V8T1.221:57:59+ 13:20:00
DNFDNF157Sergio LarreguyAugusto SanzEtap RacingToyota HiluxT2.1DNFN/A

UTV

FinishClass FinishNumberDriverCo-DriverTeamClassTimeMargin
11202Jeremías Gonzalez FerioliGonzalo RinaldiFerioli Racing TeamT3.16:19:30Leader
22212Manuel AndújarSergio LafuenteFerioli Racing TeamT3.16:36:15+ 16:45
31257Pablo MacuaAntonela FazziMacua Sport TeamT3.26:51:56+ 32:26
42262Francisco Diaz PeraltaAdriano Di BattistaPR Racing TeamT3.27:35:17+ 1:15:47
53259Alfredo OlmedoDaniel LópezOlmedo Racing TeamT3.27:44:10+ 1:24:40
64272Federico AltNelson SierraFederico AltT3.28:26:15+ 2:06:45
71228Fernando CastelblancoAndres Felipe SanchezGM MotorsportT3.38:33:00+ 2:13:30
85268Ricardo GragliaCamila GragliaCinzia TeamT3.2.T3.18:59:43+ 2:40:13
93226Augusto D’agostiniGonzalo MartínezGM MotorsportT3.39:04:01+ 2:44:31
102290Manuel Alvarez AntigaHoracio AlvarezCharrúa – Sisterna Rally Raid TeamT3.19:12:44+ 2:53:14
114205Nazareno LópezLisandro SisternaSisterna RacingT3.310:13:50+ 3:54:19
123273Paulo GragliaAlejandro PaugCinzia TeamT3.310:58:18+ 4:38:48
134288Jorge GrotschiJuan BadiaJorge GrotschiT3.212:58:45+ 6:39:14
DNFDNF275Leandro LópezDaniel Alberto LópezHV RacingT3.2DNFN/A
DNFDNF254Omar GandaraMauro MelanoGandara Rally TeamDNFDNFN/A

Navigation

FinishClass FinishNumberCompetitorTeamVehicleClassTimeMargin
11305Nicolas Omar ZalazarBetaBeta 350 RRN111:30:34Leader
21403Carlos Verza, Carlos Gabriel VerzaVerza TeamMitsubishiN211:25:14+ 14:41
32405Cleoris Manfre, Rocio MañasMsoluciones Racing TeamKia SportageN213:07:40+ 1:57:06
43406Marcos López, Juan Pablo LópezToyomec Racing RallyFord RangerN214:29:09+ 3:13:36
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