For the past two years, Neil Woolridge Motorsport have brought two of its Ford Rangers V8 to compete at Brazils most demanding cross-country competition: the Rally dos Sertões, with the Baumgart brothers X Rally Team, achieving good results, stage wins and two overall podiums. Now, the Pietermaritzburg-based team will have one of its drivers to compete in South America: 25-year old Lance Woolridge, Neils son, will get to the grips with the wheel of the NWM-built Ford Ranger to race for the first time out of South Africa.
"Im looking forward to it. Obviously, the competition will be very hard. I watched it the past two years and I know the drivers who are really fast like Guiga (Mitsubishis Guilherme Spinelli), (Toyotas Reinaldo) Varela, and of course Marcos and Cristian as well, so I think the five of us definitely will have a tight competition", he told.
The Sertões is in its 24th edition. Starting in Goiânia next Saturday, the race will be 3,212 kilometers (74% against the clock) and seven days long on all kinds of terrain and two marathon stages. Lances car will be maintained alongside the two Ford Rangers of Cristian and Marcos Baumgart, who had also raced in South Africa in two opportunities this season.
"I have seen videos, pictures, and the terrain is very similar to what we have in South Africa - maybe even a little smoother - which is exciting. I am looking forward to it", says Lance.
A new country, a new competition. Moreover, the news do not stop for Woolridge, as he will have a new co-pilot: Marcelo Haseyama, from Brazil. "Its nice and exciting to be part of this. It is very different being in another country, especially with another language, which is the Portuguese. However, I am very lucky to have Marcelo next to me as co-pilot. He speaks a good English, he is also very experienced, so I am thankful that he agreed to come with me. I think we will be a good team together", he pointed.
They had already met and discussed some things to get to Goiânia the most prepared as they can be. "Weve been speaking, calling each other to check how he likes things, how do I like things
We will have a shakedown, the prologue and the first stage, which is short, to get to grips and get an idea, to adapt to each others style as well", Lance stated.
The T1 FIA class is the fastest in the Sertões. The competition among the likes of the Baumgart brothers Fords, last year champion Reinaldo Varelas Toyota and Guilherme Spinellis Mitsubishi is going to be one of the highlights of the year. Lance wants to be a part of it, but the first thing to do, according to him, is to finish.
"Ive got to be realistic, since it is my first international race and everyone is very fast. Getting the car to the finish is the first call. I think it would be amazing if I could get a podium. Anything more than that will be out of this world, so lets see how the race progresses", he concludes.
The Rally dos Sertões starts this Saturday with the Prologue in Goiânia and finishes on September 10th in Palmas.
04/09 - Round 1
Goiânia (GO) - Padre Bernardo (GO)
Stage: 111,79 km
Total: 364,54 km
05/09 - Round 2
Padre Bernardo (GO) - Cavalcante (GO)
Stage 374,84 km
Total: 418,3 km
06/09 - Round 3
Cavalcante (GO) - Posse (GO)
Stage: 376,41 km
Total: 643,48 km
07/09 - Round 4
Posse (GO) - Luís Eduardo Magalhães (BA)
Stage: 361,94 km
Total: 560,15 km
08/09 - Round 5 - Marathon Stage
Luís Eduardo Magalhães (BA) - Mateiros (TO)
Stage: 425,67 km
Total: 461,14 km
09/09 - Round 6 - Marathon Stage
Mateiros (TO) - Ponte Alta (TO)
Stage: 514,98 km
Total: 520,95 km
10/09 - Round 7
Ponte Alta (TO) - Palmas (TO)
Stage: 191,54 km
Total: 243,61 km
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FURTHER INFORMATION IN BRAZIL
P1 Media Relations
CLEBER BERNUCI, Press Officer
+55 (19) 992 222 517
cleber@xrallyteam.com.br
FURTHER INFORMATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
Mileman Media
+27 (82) 897 6145
COLIN MILEMAN, Press Officer
colin@milemanmedia.co.za