Gareth Woolridge finishes Sertões day 4 in second place

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After wining yesterday’s stage between Posse and Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Gareth Woolridge finished second in the fourth day of the Rally dos Sertões, when the competitors reached the city of Barra, Bahia. The South-African, who races alongside Brazilian co-driver Marcelo Haseyama, crossed the line with a time only 21 seconds off overall leaders and teammates Cristian Baumgart and Beco Andreotti.

“It was a fast day, really similar to Botswana, with low vegetation, sandy roads and lots of jumps. Two excellent results in those two days. We brought the car in one piece, which is the most important when it comes to a marathon stage”, Gareth said.

Competitors faced 355 kilometers against the clock in the marathon stage, in which the teams are not allowed to do any kind of intervention in the cars. The roads put the machines to be proven, and the Ford Rangers V8 4x4 from the joint effort between X Rally Team and Neil Woolridge Motorsport, built in Pietermaritzburg and São Paulo, stood out with a 1-2-3-4.

As for the 24-year old racer, who makes in the Sertões his international racing debut, the strategy is to go flat out all the way. “Since we did not finish the first day, we have been taking off the advantage of Facco (Luiz Facco, overall leader in the T1 Brazil class), hoping we can catch him if he faces some kind of issue. Despite of that, the experience of racing in the Sertões has been imensely valuable and I am really enjoying the challenge”, said Neil Woolridge’s youngest son, who stands in second, 1h23min42secs behind the T1 Brazil leaders.

“Our job is being done. Our mechanics and engineers are facing severe working shifts to get everything done and ready – they had slept only for a few hours before the marathon, and the job they have being doing is beyond recognition. What Hasa (Marcelo Haseyama) and I have to do is to compensate their work pushing hard at the track”, he recognized.

With only three rounds to go, the Sertões will leave Barra this Thursday morning heading to São Raimundo Nonato, in Piauí. There will be 400 kilometers of stage and a short 46-km liaison to the bivouac, where finally the teams will resume working on the cars.

Day 5 Results (X Rally Team): MARATHON STAGE
LUÍS EDUARDO MAGALHÃES (BA) – BARRA (BA)
1. 301 Cristian Baumgart/Beco Andreotti (Ford Ranger) – 3:55:08
2. 319 Gareth Woolridge/Marcelo Haseyama (Ford Ranger) – 3:55:30
3. 303 Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea (Ford Ranger) – 3:58:03
4. 315 Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani (Ford Ranger) – 4:01:05
7. 348 Gunter Hinkelmann/Fábio Pedroso (Ford Ranger) – 4:15:13

General Classification (X Rally Team – T1 FIA):
1. Cristian Baumgart/Beco Andreotti – 11:41:29
2. Sylvio de Barros/Rafael Capoani – a 13:37
4. Marcos Baumgart/Kleber Cincea – a 22:14

General Classification (X Rally Team – T1 Brazil):
2. Gareth Woolridge/Marcelo Haseyama – a 1:23:41
3. Gunter Hinkelmann/Fábio Pedroso – a 6:53:52

Press Contacts:
Brazil - CLEBER BERNUCI - imprensa@p1media.com.br
South Africa - COLIN MILEMAN - colin@milemanmedia.co.za