Less than four weeks to the start. Inside Pordenone 4x4 Off Road Club the “countdown” is already starting, turning , day by day, the sheets of the diary in order to face up all the daily engagements.
In the meantime the number of entries is increasing day by day, merging Italian and foreign pilots of various nationality. A list of names, more or less famous, can already be notified: the actual Italian champion Lorenzo Codecà with his faithful navigator Fabio Ferro, ready to run again on their Suzuki Grand Vitata for another season, in order to reach the high top position in the “tout terrain” races.
Among the most important rivals, the racing team partners Andrea Luchini and Bruno Fedullo, with their undestroyable Suzuki Super Jimny.
Suzuki`s Raid team have been the winner at the end of the past season, but it’s logical to expect the wish of revenge from the Mitsubishi army with its Division Fuoristrada Ralliart – with “general” Roberto Ciampolini on the top followed by “colonels” Pietro Larini and Marco Auteri – and the assault crews of RTeam, Riccardo Colombo, Paolo Abini and Alessio De Angelis: free license for each one to scratch in their own way. Great three coloured challanges, hoping not to be in the shadow of the foreign duelers, only in the year 2000 Italian Baja Franco Germanetti broke the foreign predominance in the international race.
TRACK. As usual, the finishing work of the race track will be completed only on the last available days . The general curtain of the track is already down: two selective sectors with very different numbers of kms (74 kms “Tagliamento” and 20 kms “Monte Jouf” ; consiting of 50 kms of river bed on Tagliamento gravel, 20 kms on dirt packed earth on the surrounding country, and then 20 kms of hard up and down on the mountain. A mix of adventure, spectacle and amusement, calculated risk, and out of city in its purest way, with the full respect of tout terrain and cross country bajas formula.
PROGRAM. Cordenons is confirmed the central point of reference for Italian Baja. The official start of the race will be at “Dream Village” – Viale del Benessere, operating headquarters – on Friday afternoon 14th March. First to leave are the bikes, followed by quads and cars. Final arrivial will be on Sunday afternoon 16th March at Piazza della Vittoria, creating a moment of great motoristic suggestion with the parade of the vehicles along the center of the town.
BIKES/QUADS AND CARS. Italian Baja 2008 proposes again the “continuos race” held when the race was run for the Rallies Tout Terrain World Cup. Cars, bikes and quads will leave at the same time. But, while bike drivers start from Monte Jouf, cars will start from Tagliamento, alternating the two selective sectors.
