Record entry for the 35th edition
On 20-22 July, Baja Aragón will see more than 230 vehicles at the starting line in Teruel, including the three leading crews of the FIA World Cup and more than 80 motorcycles
More than 230 vehicles have been entries for the 35th edition, making it the most numerous in recent years. In the categories FIA cars, Aragón Trophy, Spanish Championship, Regularity, motorcycles, quads, trucks, buggies, Polaris Experience and ParaBaja, there will be approximately 232 crews to tackle the tracks of the province of Teruel in this edition.
In trucks, there will be a total of 12 crews, with Martin Macik, winner of last year, and regulars such as Aguirregaviria, Mariezcurrena, Javier Herrero and Javier Jacoste.
In motorcycles, the title defender of the last two editions, Joan Barreda will be at the starting line again, together with other top riders such as Michael Metge, or Dani Oliveras, and altogether more than 80 bikes.
Ex-biker Gerard Farrès, multiple winner of the event, announced his farewell last year, but this year he will be back in Teruel in category SxS, as training for the Dakar.
In cars, the presence of the three leaders of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies stands out: Jakub Przygonski, Martin Prokop and Vladimir Vasilyev will all line up for the start. Beside the big guns, it will be interesting to watch drivers like Aron Domzala, Miroslav Zapletal, Isidre Esteve, Manuel Plaza or Xevi Pons.
And not only the professionals
But Baja Aragón would be nothing without the hundreds of non-professional competitors who throughout its history have been part of the entry lists, and who are the ones who have contributed to make this race big and perpetuate.
For this reason, for the 35th edition it has been decided to give an even more special presence to all the “anonymous” pilots who combine their professional activity with the raids and who strive both personally and financially to be able to access the Baja: they will be given a special presence at the press conference presentation, in which they were represented by Javier Grasa, Rubén Gracia and Emilio Eiroa, as well as throughout the race.
Beside the promotional categories and programs such as Road to Dakar and Road to Merzouga, which give the winner the chance to obtain a place and participate in the Dakar, the category of ParaBaja will give access to the race for disabled drivers. There are ten entries in the category, including Albert Llovera.
Growth in the number of women
In addition, this edition stands out for the great growth in the number of entries of women. In cars, there will be a total of five teams formed entirely by women, among which is for example the local driver Cristina Gutiérrez, whose co-driver this year will be Monica Plaza, daughter of Manuel Plaza, multiple Spanish champion and regular participant of Baja Aragón.
They will compete with France’s Marion Andrieu, who will compete in Baja for the second time, the Chinese crew of Chen Yanjun and Wang Zijie, or Christine Giampaoli and Maria Luisa Galán, who have participated in some rounds of the Spanish Cross-Country Rally Championship (CERTT) this year, as well as the Portuguese crew of Margarida Sa and Maria Joao Duarte. There are also two lady drivers arriving from Poland to tackle their second ever international event in a pair of Dacia Dusters in the Open category of CERTT: Patrycja Brochocka (with co-driver Krzysztof Wicentowicz) and Magdalena Zajac (with co-driver Tomasz Mroczek).
In motorcycles, there six women, including Rosa Romero, who will participate for the sixth time in the race, trying to score a victory in her category again after 2016.