The appointment is about to come in three months . Italian Baja has been put on the calendar during the long week-end from 13th to 16th march.
A new race is going to begin. It’s complicated, captivating and exciting, just like the preceding ones since 1993. Our first objective is obtaining the same success as 2007 Italian Baja: 70 cars participating, that made us a top-event in the World Cup Rally Tout Terrain. Pilots coming from countries all over the world, 30 foreign crews facing 40 Italians; classification decided only at the last Selective Section. The winners were the Russian Gadasin-Mironenko (Nissan Pick-up) just ahead of the Hungarian Sandor-Peter (Autoport EVO4) and the Portuguese team Re-Re (Nissan Pathfinder TC) .
This success in mind, the organizing committee decided – first of all- to take the same entry fee as in 2007, not even ONE Euro more, for participating in the Italian Baja 2008. This will be the opening race of the International Cup for Cross Country Bajas and the Italian Tout Terrain Championship.
Second objective is the usual one: to offer the competitors and fans of this speciality a really good race on a hard and spectacular track, mixed with new elements in line with the tradition.
Finishing work for the track – top secret at the moment – are to find the best balance of driving conditions for the different types of off-road vehicles. All that in order to exalt the “tout Terrain” formula, not penalizing big and small vehicles because of their used engine .
The race shall especially be based on the comparison of ability, courage and determination among the pilots: that will establish the final classification.
Besides cars and quad, the 2008 Italian Baja sees the return of the motorcycles , three years after their last race at the Sardinia Italian Baja.
The “two wheelers” will compete for the Italian and European Championship, that’ll give a further interest to the event. The headquarters of the race will be again at “Dream Village” – Viale del Benessere - in Cordenons.
For the third year it is going to be the centre of the competition; race control, stewards, time keepers, secretary’s office and press room.
Finally, an historical target has to be pointed out: the Fuoristrada Club 4x4 Pordenone has officially obtained the support of ACI Pordenone: it’s the logical consequence of a partnership that merges together , on a large scale, the best rallye organizers in our province.
Carlo Ragogna Italian Baja Press Office
