The 2024 FIA World Baja Cup has come to a rather abrupt end. On Wednesday, the İstanbul Off-Road Kulübü announced the cancellation of the Baja Troia Türkiye due to low entries.
The race was supposed to be the fifth and final round of the season, scheduled for 7–9 November. However, once registration closed on Tuesday, organisers found there were not enough drivers signed up to meet the minimum for the FIA. Wednesday’s news mark the second year in a row that an FIA Baja Cup season finale was cancelled after the World and Middle East Baja Cups’ Jordan Baja was canned in 2023.
ISOFF hopes to have the event back in 2025, where it will be the second race and planned for 15–18 May.
“Our club diligently worked for eight months to prepare for the Baja Troia 2024 race, planned to be held in Çanakkale,” begins a statement from ISOFF. “We conducted numerous meetings with local authorities to ensure a smooth operation for all stages of the race. As part of our meticulous preparations, we secured:
- 17 vehicles and 75 gendarmerie personnel
- 6 vehicles and 24 Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) personnel
- 8 fire trucks, including 6 4×4 vehicles, and 28 firefighters
- 6 4×4 ambulances, 2 4×2 ambulances, and 19 emergency medical personnel
- 22 radio communication vehicles
- A total of 160 hotel room reservations across 3 hotels
“With the support of the Governorship, the Provincial Special Administration, General Directorate of Highways, Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, Çanakkale Municipality, Provincial Security Directorate, Provincial Gendarmerie Command, Uludağ Elektrik, Regional Directorate of Forestry, and other institutions, we finalised the assignments and preparations for all teams involved throughout the race.
“However, due to the insufficient number of registered racers to constitute a ‘sporting’ event as per championship requirements, we have, in agreement with TOSFED (Turkish Automobile Sports Federation), concluded that the race cannot take place. Consequently, the FIA has also decided to cancel the event.
“The Baja Troia race will be included in the 2025 FIA calendar and is scheduled for May 15–18. We eagerly await the participation of all racers in the Baja Troia Turkey race in May 2025. We have designed exhilarating and enjoyable stages for your racing pleasure.
“See you on May 15–18, 2025.”
With the season cut short, João Ferreira officially clinches his second European Baja Cup overall title, narrowly holding off Stock champion Fernando Barreiros. Ironically, Turkey’s cancellation gives Ferreira a chance to also secure the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship (CPTT) because it was originally scheduled to take place on the same weekend as the CPTT’s Baja Escuderia Castelo Branco.
Since the European Baja Cup’s formation in 2021, the outright championship has alternated between Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Ferreira, the former winning the inaugural crown and in 2023 while the latter took the 2022 and 2024 titles. With Hołowczyc planning to take a sabbatical from cross-country rally, however, the pattern is unlikely to hold for 2025.
João Dias settled for third overall but won the Challenger championship, while Tomasz Białkowski claimed the production SSV title.
The 2024 EBC began with the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura in May followed by the Italian Baja, Hungarian Baja, and Baja TT Sharish Gin.
Final 2024 FIA World Baja Cup standings
Overall
Drivers
Rank | Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | João Ferreira | 168 | Leader |
2 | Fernando Barreiros | 155 | – 13 |
3 | João Dias | 142 | – 26 |
4 | Tomasz Białkowski | 127 | – 41 |
5 | Miquel Prat | 111 | – 57 |
6 | Alexandre Pinto | 101 | – 67 |
7 | Adam Kus | 81 | – 87 |
8 | Fidel Castillo Ruiz | 75 | – 93 |
T-9 | Włodzimierz Grajek | 65 | – 103 |
T-9 | Yağız Birinci | 65 | – 103 |
11 | Magdalena Zajac | 61 | – 107 |
12 | Paulo Rodrigues | 58 | – 110 |
13 | William Buller | 50 | – 118 |
14 | Rui Carneiro | 44 | – 124 |
15 | Fernando Álvarez | 43 | – 125 |
16 | Francisco Barreto | 41 | – 127 |
17 | Otávio Leite | 39 | – 129 |
18 | Rui Serpa | 34 | – 134 |
19 | Armindo Araújo | 32 | – 136 |
20 | Benediktas Vanagas | 29 | – 139 |
21 | Daniel Alonso | 25 | – 143 |
22 | Rui Farinha | 23 | – 145 |
Co-drivers
Rank | Co-Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Filipe Palmeiro | 168 | Leader |
2 | João Miranda | 128 | – 40 |
3 | Dariusz Baśkiewicz | 127 | – 41 |
4 | Antonio Rui Manuel Pereira | 115 | – 53 |
5 | Bernardo Oliveira | 101 | – 67 |
6 | Ion Del Cid | 82 | – 86 |
7 | Marcin Pasek | 81 | – 87 |
8 | Fausto Mota | 75 | – 93 |
9 | João Pedro Vitoria Re | 74 | – 94 |
T-10 | Michał Goleniewski | 65 | – 103 |
T-10 | Evangelos Sotirchos | 65 | – 103 |
12 | Błażej Czekan | 61 | – 107 |
13 | Rui Pita | 57 | – 111 |
14 | Ola Fløene | 44 | – 124 |
15 | Xavier Panseri | 43 | – 125 |
16 | Carlos Duarte | 41 | – 127 |
17 | Rui Antonio | 40 | – 128 |
18 | Valter Cardoso | 39 | – 129 |
19 | Gonçalo Reis | 30 | – 138 |
T-20 | Daniel Olivera Carreras | 29 | – 139 |
T-20 | Kuldar Sikk | 29 | – 139 |
T-22 | Candido Estevez Carrera | 25 | – 143 |
T-22 | Allan Stirlin | 25 | – 143 |
T-22 | Jorge Jordão | 25 | – 143 |
Teams
Rank | Team | Points | Margin |
1 | Santag Racing | 274 | Leader |
2 | X-raid Mini JCW Team | 168 | – 106 |
3 | G Rally Team | 136 | – 138 |
Ultimate
Drivers
Rank | Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | João Ferreira | 168 | Leader |
2 | Włodzimierz Grajek | 65 | – 103 |
3 | Magdalena Zajac | 61 | – 107 |
4 | Francisco Barreto | 41 | – 127 |
5 | Benediktas Vanagas | 29 | – 139 |
6 | Daniel Alonso | 25 | – 143 |
Co-drivers
Rank | Co-Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Filipe Palmeiro | 168 | Leader |
2 | Michał Goleniewski | 65 | – 103 |
3 | Błażej Czekan | 61 | – 107 |
4 | Carlos Duarte | 41 | – 127 |
5 | Kuldar Sikk | 29 | – 139 |
6 | Candido Estevez Carrera | 25 | – 143 |
Challenger
Drivers
Rank | Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | João Dias | 142 | Leader |
2 | Alexandre Pinto | 101 | – 41 |
3 | Adam Kus | 81 | – 61 |
4 | Paulo Rodrigues | 58 | – 84 |
5 | Rui Carneiro | 44 | – 98 |
6 | Fernando Álvarez | 43 | – 99 |
7 | Otávio Leite | 39 | – 103 |
8 | Armindo Araújo | 32 | – 110 |
Co-drivers
Rank | Co-Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | João Miranda | 128 | Leader |
2 | Bernardo Oliveira | 101 | – 27 |
3 | Marcin Pasek | 81 | – 47 |
4 | João Pedro Vitoria Re | 74 | – 54 |
5 | Ola Fløene | 44 | – 84 |
6 | Xavier Panseri | 43 | – 85 |
7 | Valter Cardoso | 39 | – 89 |
8 | Gonçalo Reis | 30 | – 98 |
SSV
Drivers
Rank | Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Tomasz Białkowski | 127 | Leader |
2 | Miquel Prat | 111 | – 16 |
3 | Fidel Castillo Ruiz | 75 | – 52 |
4 | Yağız Birinci | 65 | – 62 |
5 | William Buller | 50 | – 77 |
6 | Rui Serpa | 34 | – 93 |
7 | Rui Farinha | 23 | – 104 |
Co-drivers
Rank | Co-Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Dariusz Baśkiewicz | 127 | Leader |
2 | Ion Del Cid | 82 | – 45 |
3 | Fausto Mota | 75 | – 52 |
4 | Evangelos Sotirchos | 65 | – 62 |
5 | Rui Pita | 57 | – 70 |
6 | Daniel Carreras | 29 | – 98 |
T-7 | Allan Stirling | 25 | – 102 |
T-7 | Jorge Jordão | 25 | – 102 |
Stock
Drivers
Rank | Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Fernando Barreiros | 155 | Leader |
Co-drivers
Rank | Co-Driver | Points | Margin |
1 | Antonio Rui Manuel Pereira | 155 | Leader |