Words: WESTx1000
Photos: WESTx1000, Rally Zone, DPPI, FOTOP
Sonora Rally 2023: Out of Sight
Another Day Full of Speed for the Sonora Rally Sets the Stage for Excellence
The desert is eerie. In a way that makes you feel watched when it appears like you’re all alone. Like a garden of statues. Everything is stiff. Colors are a bit muted. At first glance, it feels lifeless and empty. But if you stand there long enough, and look a little closer, creatures start to make an appearance – and they aren’t always natural. Beasts of metal and fuel scare of the beasts of flesh and blood. And they aren’t shy to let you know they’re coming. You could hear them for miles in a wasteland like this. Sound waves weave freely along an unobstructed path in valleys like those outside of Hermosillo. The coarse unwavering flora does little to stop its momentum. So, even with kilometers between them, any bystander would have been well warned about the approaching vessel before its arrival. But likely unprepared for how quickly it would disappear. The first of Sonora Rally’s moto magicians to perform at the event and subsequently vanish across the Finish line was RallyGP’s Tosha Shareina (#68, Honda Team) who officially took the overall win in FIM. But as he isn’t participating in the World Rally-Raid Championship, celebration of this victory went to Daniel Sanders (#18, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing) instead, who likewise outshone the group.
“It was a good day for me. I started back in 13th and was a little unsure about the dust as it looked really dry on the fast tracks. But I got into a nice rhythm in the tighter, flowing corners, so some of what we rode felt a little like enduro. I caught up to Kevin (Benavides) and managed to get passed him and away from his dust. There was one tricky note early on, so it was only really dust that was a bit of an issue from time-to-time. It was nice to get out into a desert that I’ve not raced in before and start learning wat it’s like. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve sat behind a road book in anger, so all-in-all it was good to get back to racing and through the first day here in Mexico.” – Daniel sanders, #18, Red Bull GasGas Factory RAcing, RallyGP
The Cars on the other hand couldn’t keep their wheels on the ground. Elite teams set their T1+ vessels to Fighter Jet mode, practically flying through the entire route. If it wasn’t for a few challenging notes in the roadbook, pilots like Sebastien Loeb (#200, Bahrain Raid Xtreme), Nasser Al-Attiyah (#201, Toyota Gazoo Racing) and Yazeed Al Rajhi (#202, Overdrive Racing) would never have let off the gas. With the final scores still up for debate, it’s Al-Attiyah leading the third round of the W2RC. Of the T3 machines, South Racing Ca-Am’s Mattias Ekstrom and Emil Bergkvist (#308) from Sweden sit at the top while Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing is doing its magic amongst the T4s with Rokas Baciuska and Oriol Vidal Montijano (#400) between their purpose-built utility vehicle and the next.
By the time the National classes reached the scene of Special Stage One, many bikes and cars had already broken the silence several times since departing Timing & Scoring. And now the sun has already climbed to an uncomfortably affective height as the lead bikes in the Enduro and Malle Moto categories began to carve their own set of tracks in the sand. More like fesh-fesh, that fine, powdery substance which fills your lungs with earth, clogs every filter and temporarily blinds everyone behind the first guy. The early part of the stage was through Bosque de Saguaro, a preservation for the sleepy giants. Even their cousins, the organ piped Carbon cacti, were growing among them. Then, the competitors carried on through more wide, fast ejidos (ranches) with similar energy to the Prologue. Yet again, in Special Stage One, the speed here blistered. It’s hard to say if this competition has had the chance to turn into a battle or if it’s going to remain a chase between the fastest. If Sonora’s environment has a say, things will start punishing very soon.
“It was beautiful [today]. The first half of the stage was completely destroyed by side-by-sides. It was either fesh-fesh or deep sand – ruts everywhere. It was really hard to maneuver there. The second half, however, was much and for me much better. Navigation was altogether pretty easy since all of those tracks were there.” – Etienne Galinas, #531, Freedom Rally Racing, Enduro
Hot tires stamped the ground in warm rubber with their signature knobs leaving behind the vehicle’s equivalent of a fingerprint. There was some deep sand here and there, hiding ruts which would swallow a set of tires in one gulp. Malle Moto star Matt Sutherland (#501) reminisced about the obstacles on the stage, and the slippery unforeseen whoops were at the top of the list. Despite them, he still took the special followed again by Benjamin Myers (#521). So far, Sutherland is off to a good start in not only the standings but avoiding injury – even with such formidable foes on course. Mountains in the distance surround this area. The tall peaks in the distance give you the feeling of being at the bottom of a bowl. Flat desert, sand, silt, dirt. It was a melting pot of terrain. Even the cacti had a peculiar look to them, grouped together like school children standing in clicks on the playground. The wide spaces in between created the perfect runways for taking flight or maybe having it out with the nearest adversary. Gates and barbed wire fences encircled the brawls not to contain as much as set boundaries. Luckily, all of the gates were open.
On the other hand, plenty of drivers found themselves in the same or better position than they’d been in before. Sara Price and her co-pilot (#605, Price Racing, UTV Pro) held down the fort in First keeping anyone else from joining her in the Winner’s Circle this week. Father-daughter duo Jim and Sienna Price (#608, Price Racing, UTV Pro) – of no relation to Sara – found themselves in a well-deserved Second Place, which at this rate could send them home with a trophy. And that much closer to winning the Sonora Rally, should fate decide to pick on the former Price. Mexican native, Jorge Cano and Abelardo Ruanova (#606, Nat UTV) have also landed on their feet again with the top spot in their class. It’s the third time on the podium so far, and it seems they may like the taste of victory too much to share.
Of the soldiers waging war in the Enduro realm, Brendan Crow (#513) is reigning king, beating out Francisco Alvarez (#526, Freedom Rally Racing) by a little over twenty minutes. Despite the implication of the title, this genre of the event is seeded with quite a global group. Alvarez harkens all the way from Colombia. While Brit Digby Norris (#515, Freedom Rally Racing) crossed the pond to hold a respectable Fourth position at the beginning of Sonora Rally, Keeping the vibes a bit more local on the podium, Patrick Reyes (#504), who found himself in Third today, is a Mexican native who also runs a more casual rally-raid (Coast 2 Coast) from Veracruz to Oaxaca. With such a deep pool of talent to choose from in the grassroots categories, it’s tough to say who will among them will reach the surface first.
The talent doesn’t stop at Bikes, of course. UTVs are displaying quite a force in the field, with Sara Price (#605, Price Racing, UTV Pro) as the pied piper. And local favorite, and defending champion, Daniel Gonzalez, and co-driver Jorge Hernandez (#604, Baja-Son Motorsports, UTV Pro), skipping at her heels. Price is certainly honoring her pole position so far, but Gonzalez isn’t going to let her have the podium that easily. He’s playing the long game. Channeling their inner tortoise, the pilots are maintaining a consistent rhythm and state of mind. Stay fluid; don’t taking risks; and stick to a respectable pace… Until the end at least. They started third and finished third, but with a clean ride behind them, all they need to do is wait for someone else to make an error. But it wasn’t Price who took the overall in SS2. It was Eric Pucilek (#601) in a 2wd *** who bested four-wheeled vehicles.
“So thrilled to be back at the Sonora Rally and participating to defend the 2022 UTV Championship title with my Polaris RZR Turbo R and my navigator Jorge Hernandez calling out exceptionally everything in the roadbook. Of course, he always adds jokes during his calls. Laughter is a part of each stage with him because this should be a fun adventure. This year is a bit different and at the same time am honored to be racing in the same ground as the W2RC FIA class. Prologue and Stage One went great. We are in the Top Three, I believe, and we’re anxious to start Stage Two toward Puerto Peñasco. Even more so, we’re more anxious to arrive in my hometown of San Luis Rio Colorado on Friday. Hopefully, still with the Championship Title.” – Daniel Gonzalez #604, Baja-Son Motorsports-Polaris Mexico, UTV PRO
The Sonora Rally, one of the most challenging rally-raid races in North America, officially kicked off with a bang on Monday morning. As the first day of racing began, competitors from all over the world eagerly took to the start line in Hermosillo, Mexico, excited to explore the beautiful and treacherous landscapes of Sonora. Putting in a bit more time at the wheel or behind bars than at the 10 kilometer Prologue the day before. As the international competitors made their way through the stunning Sonora landscapes, they faced the added challenge of unfamiliar terrain. For many of them, this was their first time racing in this part of the world, and they had to quickly adapt to the unique challenges of the region. The high temperatures, dusty conditions, and rocky terrain required careful navigation and precise driving to avoid costly mistakes. But with so many across the line on Day One, it’s still tough to say who will take home a victory by the end of the week.
Despite the challenges, the competitors all had one thing in common: a deep love of off-road racing and a determination to push themselves to their limits. As they navigated through the stunning Sonora landscapes, they were reminded of the raw beauty of nature and the thrill of exploring new terrain. For many of them, the Sonora Rally was the adventure of a lifetime, a chance to test themselves against some of the toughest conditions on earth and to experience the true beauty of the North American wilderness. For others, it was just another sunny Monday.
For more info, make your way to https://sonorarally.com/. And to follow along with the race, stay tuned @SonoraRally on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, plus, download the Sportity App for schedule, news updates, press releases, results, and more. Event code: SonoraRally2023
Stay tuned next week for more updates on the race as well.
