Sandstorms by the Sea
A Sketchy Stage Two Made the Serene Backdrop of the Sonora Rally Even More Stunning
Words: WESTx1000
Photos: WESTx1000, Rally Zone, DPPI, FOTOP
The sun came up gently this morning. As the longest transfer of the Sonora Rally, it was an early start for everyone, and participants had the pleasure of a Mexican sunrise with an incredible seaside backdrop. Light shone through a thin veil of dust, kicked up by the passing fishermen. It sparkled as the camel-colored granules fell softly back down to earth. Almost as a compliment to the shimmering air, the ground – be it mineral or a millennium of broken glass – too had a sort of sparkle to it. Gold flakes in the dirt were so prevalent that it seemed as if the heavens emptied a bag of glitter on the floor. This was only matched in impact by the diverse terrain and colorful flora. Saguaro mixed with all types of bizarre, but resilient, succulents, bushes and sparse trees, providing such a rich blend of green, charcoal grey and the occasional pop of bright flowers. Jagged peaks hid this oasis from the rest of the region and from the top, magic seemed to slide down the face across the dense garden and into the salty waters. Starting the special on the Seri Nation reservation, teams indulged in a calm, serene view of the Sea of Cortez – a body of water famous for its whale watching and sport fishing.
But don’t let her fool you, Sonora can be as cruel as she is beautiful. Alluring in her features, but unforgiving, no matter how much you grovel and plead for a little mercy. If she wants to teach you a lesson on respect, you will be taught, whether that’s just at the beginning of your race or just before the finish. She will have her say in the matter, and her tongue is sharp. Even after the stage was cut short into a seemingly leisurely day along the Sea of Cortez, some riders still suffered the scorn of a tempestuous landscape. Sadly, within the first 25km, Sam Sunderland (#1, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, RallyGP) suffered a crash after around km18, with a moderate injury to his leg. He wants everyone to know he’s okay, but it’s still the end of his race. Another great disappointment was for our favorite mustache, and its own, Skyler Howes (#10, Husqvarna Factory Racing, RallyGP), who also sustained an injury in an off-bike incident. He likewise is insisting his shoulder won’t keep him out of service for long. Defending champion and figurehead of the Sonora Rally, Howes will be sorely missed these final days. A few others had similar encounters early on as the possible perils seemed to be crammed into the first quarter of the route. But those who were observant enough, took caution in the early stretches and avoided the same fate. While others just took their lashings and carried on.
“A few ups and downs… I started on the gas – even though I swore I wasn’t going to – and crashed at KM 20 into the bushes then, of course, damaged my wrist. After an hour or two, I finally stopped and wrapped it, took ibuprofen and after that it was okay! Swelling went down, speed came up, and it was a good day. I didn’t like the road section, but the rest was fun. Thankfully, they shortened it! We got into the wild beds and a lot of sand today. The rally cars really turned it up, and it was a lot of work going in. But it was fast, flowy, good time! Looking forward to tomorrow.” – Michael Myers, #541 M2 AV Consulting, National Enduro
RallyGP & T1+: Special Stage Three offered some twists on the tale. The Sonora Rally didn’t just plan a full sprint from start to finish (you can go to Baja for that). While you can’t ever really categorize a world championship pace as slow, there were at least a few triple dangers on the menu to keep pilots from shoveling kilometers in their faces. This trick didn’t work on most of the factory riders so much, the obstacles hardly took a toll on the slender (by comparison) and nimble rally bikes. But at a cost. Many riders, who are used to staying on the limiter, found themselves in sketchy, if not dangerous situations from the get-go. But those who held back a little, surveyed the environment and decided they wouldn’t beat that section with speed, ended up on top. Daniel Sanders (#18, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing, RallyGP) did just that, and how he’s holding the title for SS2 in Rally GP just ahead of Tosha Schareina (#2, Honda Team, RallyGP) and Ricky Brabec (#2, Monster Energy Honda Racing, RallyGP).
Considering the narrow roads and lowered visibility, the Autos were forced to heed the warnings a bit more deliberately. The T1+ class saw some impressive performances from top-level off-road racers. Sebastien Loeb (#20,0 Bahrain Raid Xtreme) emerged victorious, followed by Nasser Al-Attiyah (#201, Toyota Gazoo Racing) in second place. Marcos Baumgart from X Rally Team rounded out the podium, demonstrating his driving skills in a highly competitive field. Two-time W2RC Champion and Dakar Rally winner, Austin “AJ” Jones (#301, Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, T3) also displayed strength on-course, fighting against his teammate Mitch Guthrie Jr. (#302) for the top step. He ultimately took a lower place than had hoped, but this only adds to the value of the overall total standings in the long run. And that’s what Daniel Gonzalez is likely banking on as well. He and co-pilot Jorge Hernandez (#604, Baja-Son Motorsports-Polaris Mexico, UTV Pro) have been steadfast with their achievements here at the rally, and albeit they haven’t won a stage yet, this fact doesn’t directly contribute to a triumph in the general standings. Unless you’re Sara Price (#605, Price Racing), and you decided to just win every stage. Perhaps the odds will be in your favor. Or, maybe you’re cutting your teeth at your first rally? Whatever the case, Special Stage Three was the perfect set for an unforgettable battle.
“It was awesome today, a great track, a great course. It was a little bit more technical. I felt very fast and very good at it. Shannon Moham did a great job co-driving for me and making sure I didn’t fall into any big holes. It was my first time at Sonora Rally. This is a great place, I’ve never been out in this part of the world and this is great – the atmosphere, the camaraderie as well as the competition.” – Zach Lumsden, #610, TrophyLite, UTV Mod
By the halfway mark, the UTVs seemed to have clumped together, creating a sort of high-speed parade along the coastline. And the hard-packed dirt made it much easier to see the spectacle than in the fesh-fesh they endured in SS1. The quintessential high-strung whining from each side-by-side sang out in unison, stressing the cars’ “vocal cords” in an attempt to squeeze out every drop of power to in their way forward, faster. It was the fight we’d all been waiting for since we heard the World Rally-Raid Championship was coming to town. Ultimately, the dust settled with Sara Price in UTV Pro, Jim and daughter Sienna Price (#608, Price Racing) for National UTVs, Erick Pucilek (#601) in 2WD and Luis Perocarpi (#602) in 4WD at the top of the dog pile.
Maybe about 30 kilometers from DSS, still short of the final turn away from the water, Brendan Crow (#3, National Enduro) was completely alone. He bested his Enduro comrades by at least ten minutes at one point, a feat for such a short course. But the next motos kept a closer distance between them with Francisco Alvarez (#526, Freedom Rally Racing) hot on Crow’s trail, Matt Sutherland (#501) just behind him holding onto the Malle Moto title. But somehow, the story changed heroes before the final chapter, and there are now some new names on the leaderboard today, and a couple old ones as well… Despite a two-minute penalty, Gavin Ferguson (#540, M2 AV Consuling), who returned after a several-year hiatus from the rally, won the stage – and he edged out the two faster guys in the National group to do so. Those fellas being Crow who took Third and Ash Thixton (#525, Freedom Rally Racing) who stepped back up to Second. After them, the gap extended again with groups of two to four traveling in close quarters. Unlike FIM, bikes in the National classes were neck and neck, for much of the shortened course, which likely helped during the tougher sections of nav – assuming the guide was savvy with a roadbook. But in the safe zones, throttles opened wide again and the atmosphere switched to the kind of high stakes tension you’ll find at Supercross.
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.
