20-year-old Jeremías Pascual could be a newcomer to rally raid, however he regarded like a seasoned veteran when he completed second amongst all bikes within the South American Rally Race in February. As August approaches, he already has the best rally raid of all on his thoughts.
Hoping to make the 2024 Dakar Rally, Pascual intends to enter the Desafío Ruta 40, racing a Beta 430 RR for MEC Crew. He’ll take part within the Rally2 class with emphasis on the Highway to Dakar, a subclass for these with no prior Dakar Rally expertise. The perfect performing RtD entrant in races that fall below its umbrella—which incorporates all 4 World Rally-Raid Championship rounds just like the DR 40—earns free admission for Dakar.
“The Desafío Ruta 40 will solely be my third rally raid, for which, to start with, I need to proceed studying from the self-discipline,” he advised Vía País. “Studying is one thing that you simply by no means end doing.
“Racing Dakar is a dream for any racer. It’s for me too. I’ll do all the things doable to win the registration.”
Pascual got here to rally from the Campeonato Argentino de Motocross, Argentina’s nationwide motocross collection, the place he received the MX2 B championship in 2019. In 2022, he made his FIM Motocross World Championship début on the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina, ending thirteenth in MX2.
In February, he and his family-run workforce entered the South American Rally Race on what he admitted to Campeones was an impulsive resolution, explaining they “had been taking a look at issues on our cell telephones and noticed that registration was open so we signed up.” Regardless of SARR being his first rally, Pascual shortly impressed by ending on the bike podium in all however one of many 9 levels and received 4. He would end second behind four-time Dakar racer Martin Suplessis.
Since SARR, he has taken half within the navigation-based Campeonato Argentino de Rally y Navegación (CaNaV). Nevertheless, his season was placed on maintain in Could when he crashed in Stage #2 of the CaNav spherical in Caucete, leading to tendon ruptures in his proper thumb.
Now recovered from his accidents, he can start his Dakar pursuit. On 20 July, the FIM and Amaury Sport Organisation will choose the preliminary wave of riders for the 2024 Dakar Rally, although others can clinch spots in the event that they impress in later races.
No matter how issues go, Pascual is joyful to be alongside for the experience.
“Indisputably, participating on this occasion that will likely be for the World Rally-Raid Championship is one thing that may make me get pleasure from,” Pascual continued in his interview with Vía País. “I’ll share it with my household, who at all times accompanies me and we’re an awesome workforce. I really feel joyful simply realizing that I’ve the chance to compete along with them on this nice race.”
Pascual would be the first rider to race a Beta bike in a W2RC spherical since its inception in 2022. The Italian off-road bike producer is likely one of the high manufacturers within the Enduro World Championship, profitable 5 straight EnduroGP titles from 2017 to 2021. Beta final appeared at Dakar in 2021 with Tiziano Internó, who competed within the Malle Moto class for solo riders and retired after three levels; a Beta piloted by Mirko Pavan completed fourth in Malle Moto on the 2019 version.
The Desafío Ruta 40 YPF begins on 27 August. Lots of Pascual’s SARR rivals will participate together with Joaquín Debeljuh, Martín Franco, Iván Martín, and Marcio Yampa.
