In a sea of 450cc rally bikes, Greg Gilson will be on the oldest motorcycle by a wide margin at this weekend’s Qatar Baja when he races a 45-year-old Honda XLS 125cc.
To prevent early gamesmanship, the FIA has updated the start order for the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship. The first cars out for Stage 1 will be those with Prologue times within 110% of the winner, while repositioned Ultimate drivers with Silver priority will have new spots too.
While the Ultimate class is the top category in cross-country rally, side-by-sides sweeping the Baja Portalegre 500 podium makes Ultimate driver João Ramos feel he is “throwing money away and fighting a losing battle”.
Red-Lined Motorsport will sponsor a “single-make” championship within the South African Rally-Raid Championship for privateers in their vehicles.
After Carlos Tatay’s scathing video that slammed the FIM for not covering his medical insurance for his bike career-ending accident, the federation responded that they stand in solidarity with him. While the case is now in lawyers’ hands, Tatay urges everyone to take the FIM statement with a grain of salt.
Carlos Tatay slams FIM for not covering insurance, citing rallies as proof he isn't disabled
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Carlos Tatay, who switched from pavement bike racing to cross-country rally in an SSV due to his spinal cord injury, said the FIM refuses to provide disability insurance because his rallies are evidence that he is healthy.
The Baja Troia Türkiye has been called off due to low entries, prematurely ending the 2024 FIA World Baja Cup after just four rounds.
When the Baja Portalegre 500 went by the Campo Militar Santa Margarida, the Portuguese Army’s Brigada Mecanizada gave fans and soldiers a special vantage point to watch: atop a Leopard 2A6 tank, an M109 howitzer, and an M113 armored personnel carrier.
The Baja Portalegre 500 was not exactly a race to remember for João Ferreira, but he’s relieved to get out with breathing room in the Portuguese Championship and momentum in the FIA World Baja Cup.
Riders who sign up for any race in Rally2, Rally3, or Quad will automatically earn points for the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship even if they aren’t doing the full season. Meanwhile, drivers who finish worse than 15th will still earn 2 points while those who don’t finish at all can salvage a point (double both for the Dakar Rally).
Extreme H development driver Hedda Hosås will enter a rally raid for the first time when she runs the FIA World Baja Cup’s Dubai International Baja in November.
Missed The Checkered Flag’s coverage of the Rallye du Maroc? We’ve got you covered with this archive.
Bradley Cox went into Morocco trailing reigning Rally2 champion Romain Dumontier. He left with the title himself.
Although not eligible for the race win, the new Ford Raptor T1+ and Can-Am Maverick R looked right at home in Morocco.
Akira Miura’s Toyota Land Cruiser and Kay Huzink’s hybrid Renault truck, neither of which comply with FIA regulation, seemed quite accustomed to the desert environments in Morocco as Open vehicles.
The MM Technology EVO 4 is 1-for-1 after winning every stage in the Truck class in Morocco, while Kees Koolen finished behind Martin Macík Jr. to secure a 1–2 for the new truck.
In the closest FIA points battle where Yasir Seaidan and Sebastián Guayasamín were separated by just six points, Seaidan’s desert expertise kicked in at the perfect time to secure the SSV championship.
