2024 BP Ultimate Rally-Raid: Carlos Jorge Mendes, Johan Senders complete race in Stock, Open

Carlos Jorge Mendes and Johan Senders had been the BP Final Rally-Raid‘s solely entrants within the Inventory and Open classes, respectively, which means their solely competitors had been the forests of Portugal and Spain and any mechanical gremlins that strike their autos. Whereas the latter actually occurred a bit greater than both would really like, they had been in a position to full the race ultimately.

Each vehicles began on the again behind the opposite FIA lessons and forward of the non-World Rally-Raid Championship Nationwide class, the latter run in tandem with the Portuguese Cross Nation Championship. Whereas they had been in a position to full the Prologue earlier than harm finished to the course compelled the leg to be cancelled for Nationwide, the challenges shortly accrued from there. Neither of them nor the Nationwide entrants had been in a position to full Stage #2 resulting from poor observe situations attributable to heavy rain and those that raced earlier than them, and estimated occasions had been assigned for Mendes and Senders.

Mendes, nicknamed “Cajó”, and his navigator Rui Silva completed second within the CPTT’s T2 class, which ended its race after two levels, earlier than becoming a member of the remainder of the W2RC for the ultimate three. Satirically, though rally raids are unforgiving for Inventory autos and their Isuzu D-Max had gotten caught throughout the early levels, they had been in a position to full the longest day in Stage #3 with out main problem save for doing the final eighty kilometres with rear-wheel drive. By the top, Mendes’ whole time was good for forty-seventh amongst all FIA vehicles.

“Mission completed. We confronted an excellently organised race, with wonderful levels marked by a wide range of surfaces, with a big viewers that by no means moved from the primary to the final car,” Mendes informed AutoLook. “It was 5 unforgettable days with quite a lot of work, however we additionally had quite a lot of enjoyable.”

Senders, a Dutchman and CPTT common, and his Toyota Hilux set a remaining time quick sufficient to rank thirtieth in FIA. The Hilux is eligible for CPTT competitors within the T8 class, however doesn’t meet the FIA’s laws for Final (T1) or Inventory (T2), forcing him to enter it into the Open class for autos exterior specs. It was the primary time a W2RC spherical had Open entries in 2024 and the fourth for the reason that championship’s formation after the 2022 and 2023 Rallyes du Maroc and 2022 Andalucía Rally.

Regardless of being an FIA-overseen class and a part of the World Rally-Raid Championship, Inventory is just like the collection’ red-headed stepchild. It sometimes attracts solely two to 3 entries, nearly solely on the Dakar Rally and Rallye du Maroc with Group Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Physique comprising most if not all of them; three vehicles, two from Toyota and a non-public effort by Ibrahim Almuhna, raced the Dakar in January. Resulting from its small standing, it and Truck are the one FIA classes that don’t award a W2RC trophy.

Inventory general outcomes

Open general outcomes

Inventory stage winners