They finished third overall in a PRK Sport Rally Team Can-Am Maverick X3, first in the registered Challenger category and were the highest-placed crew registered for the European series.

Nineteen-year-old Rogeira said: “Third overall and first in the European Championship. I’m really happy for this result. I want to dedicate this victory to my family, especially my dad who supports me every time and is racing here with me. It was not an easy Baja, a lot of mud, difficult terrain and a lot of rain as well. We did not have a puncture. I don’t know if it was the right choice in tyres but they were pretty good in terms of punctures.”

Can-Ams filled the top three places in the points’ standings with Paulo Rodrigues and Fausto Mota finishing fourth overall and first of the SSVs, ahead of Rúben Rodrigues and Tiago Magalhães.

Paulo Rodrigues said: “It was a very tough Baja in Cuenca. We started with problems and the terrain was very difficult. In the end, everything worked out. Other drivers were unlucky and we had a bit of luck.”

The Spanish GPR Sport Toyota Hilux crew of Luis Recuenco and Daniel Cámara led the event from start-to-finish to secure a comfortable overall victory over Gäel Queralt (Taurus) and Marc Sola, but neither crew were registered for the FIA European Baja Cup.

“There was a lot of mud and rain on the last stage,” said Recuenco. “The car was sliding everywhere and you can’t really control it the way you want to. We just kept pushing, little-by-little. Congratulations to the organisers. It’s a privilege to have a European Championship race here in Cuenca.”

Filipe Lopes and Gonçalo Reis finished sixth overall and picked up points for fourth in the FIA European Baja Cup.

The Trebur-based X-Raid Team ran a Mini JCW Rally 3.0d for Maria Gameiro and her Spanish navigator Rosa Romero. Gameiro lost time with a puncture and a broken driveshaft on the first stage but survived to finish ninth overall and first of the registered drivers in the Ultimate category. 

The triumphant Dinis’s father Jose Rogeira and Paulo Marques guided their PRK Sport Rally Team Ford Ranger to 12th overall and second of the registered crews in the Ultimate section behind Gameiro.

Slippery conditions prevailed over the two days across narrow and twisty rural tracks in the Cuenca area of central Spain and the rate of attrition was high. Only 18 teams (eight registered) reached the finish.

The Portuguese duo of Fernando Barreiros and Jose Sa Pires were 17th overall and picked up maximum points in the Stock category in a Isuzu D-Max.

Poland’s Magdalena Zając and navigator Blazen Czekan suffered delays on the first day but managed to finish the final stage to take 18th overall in their Proxcars TME Rally Team Toyota Hilux.

Twenty-five cars eventually started the event laid on by Club Deportivo Cuenca Motor 4x4 and included in the European series for the first time. Six registered crews were listed in the Ultimate category, with a single entrant competing in both Challenger and Stock and three taking part in the SSV section.

Starting orders were determined by a 10.20km Prologue stage, near Cuenca, on Friday afternoon. João Ramos led the way in his Toyota to beat Benediktas Vanagas to the bragging rights by 6.7 seconds.

“The prologue was nothing like the tests,” said Vanagas. “If the morning was soft and technical, this was the opposite: washouts, hard ground, deep holes and plenty of rocks. It was totally different.”

Juan Gasso was the quickest of the Challenger entrants and Enrique Reyes led the way amongst the SSVs, although Rúben Rodrigues was the leading registered SSV driver.

Saturday was the longest in terms of competitive distance with crews tackling an opening stage of 172.45km in close proximity to the villages of Nohales and Colliguilla across typical rural Castilla-La Mancha landscapes.

Recuenco clocked the fastest time of 2hr 35min 50.3sec in wet and muddy conditions to move into a 39.6sec lead over the SSV class-leading Afonso Oliveira in a Polaris.

Neither were registered for the FIA European Baja Cup and fourth-placed Paulo Rodrigues was the highest-placed FIA Baja runner in his Can-Am Maverick R. Dinis Rogeira was sixth, top Challenger and second of the registered drivers to complete the stage. Filipe Lopes was third.

Early pace-setter Vanagas lost power steering and retired his Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics Toyota Hilux after the 101.85km checkpoint.

The disappointed Lithuanian said: “Power steering disappeared and, when we stopped, we found that the high-pressure power steering hose was missing. It was impossible to cover the remaining 65 or so kilometres. The Toyota was fixed in service but we could not restart because of the regulations. The stage was very technical, narrow with lots of rocks, mountains, trees, meadows and it was slippery and raining.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal rivals Joāo Ramos and Pedro Ré incurred penalties for failing to finish the stage and it was a disappointing start to another FIA European Baja Cup campaign for Zając. She also picked up stage time penalties.

A shorter stage of 101.85km rounded off the day’s action in the afternoon. A dominant Recuenco beat Gäel Queralt by 23 seconds in his battle-scared Toyota to lead overnight by 5min 45.7sec. Rogeira was the leading registered driver in fourth, ahead of Paulo and Rúben Rodrigues in a pair of Can-Ams. Filipe Lopes and Alliyyah Koloc were fourth and fifth of the registered contenders.

Koloc said: “I didn’t have a lot of experience of European rallies. This was my second one. My first was in Portugal. I was surprised to see how many girls there was competing here, fighting each other and supporting each other.”

Sunday’s competition centred on a single weather shortened stage of 97.05km between Colliguilla and Villar de Domingo Garcia in the Castilla-La Mancha region to the south and east of Madrid.

Queralt beat Recuenco by over three minutes to claim the stage win and Rogeira was the first of the registered drivers home. Ultimate drivers Joāo Ramos and Alliyah Koloc retired and they were joined on the list of non-finishers by Challenger runners Juan Gasso and Luis Climent and SSV pace-setter Afonso Oliveira.

Action in the FIA European Baja Cup resumes with Baja Greece on June 4th-7th. The event will also act as round three of the FIA World Baja Cup.

Baja TT Cuenca – final result:

1. Luis Recuenco (ESP)/Daniel Cámara (ESP) Toyota Hilux Evo                                                   5hr 33min 02.5sec

2. Gaël Queralt (ESP)/Marc Sola (ESP) Taurus Evo Max                                                                5hr 35min 46.3sec

3. Dinis Rogeira (POR)/Nelson Ramos (POR) Can-Am Maverick X3                                            5hr 43min 40.7sec*

4. Paulo Rodrigues (POR)/Fausto Mota (POR) Can-Am Maverick R                                           5hr 46min 03.1sec*

5. Rúben Rodrigues (POR)/ Tiago Magalhães (POR) Can-Am Maverick R                                 5hr 50min 31.4sec*

6. Filipe Lopes (POR)/Gonçalo Reis (POR) Can-Am Maverick R                                                   6hr 03min 40.3sec*

7. Kevin Haran (GBR)/Daniel Jordão (POR) Polaris RXR Pro R                                                      6hr 08min 02.4sec

8. Federico Mogni (ESP)/David Nieto (ESP) Polaris RXR Pro R                                                     6hr 16min 41.8sec

9. Maria Gameiro (POR)/Rosa Romero (ESP) Mini JCW Rally 3.0d                                             6hr 21min 20.1sec*

10. Miguel Casaca (POR)/Carlos Mendes (POR) Volkswagen Amarok                                       6hr 21min 22.9sec

11. Enrique Reyes (ESP)/Carlos Ruiz (ESP) Can-Am Maverick R                                                  6hr 22min 25.4sec

12. Jose Rogeira (POR)/Paulo Marques (POR) Ford Ranger T1+                                                 6hr 24min 55.4sec*

13. Adam Lacko (CZE)/Mirko Brun (ITA) Red-Lined Revo T1+                                                      6hr 31min 22.4sec

14. Mariusz Wiatr (POL)/Lukasz Laskawiec (POL)   Ford F-150                                                    6hr 33min 39.4sec

15. Philip McVay (ESP)/Santiago Costa (ESP) Can-Am Maverick R                                              6hr 50min 46.5sec

16. Alexis Romero (ESP)/Javier Alvarez (ESP) Herrator Inzane 901                                            7hr 12min 25.6sec

17. Fernando Barreiros (POR)/Jose Sa Pires (POR) Isuzu D-Max                                                 7hr 46min 02.3sec*

18. Magdalena Zając (POL)/Blazej Czekan (POL) Toyota Hilux                                                    13hr 42min 13.2sec*

Josep Sole (ESP)/Oscar Bravo (ESP) Century CR6                                                                           RETIRED

Afonso Oliveira (POR)/Rui Pita (POR) Polaris RXR Pro R                                                               RETIRED

Juan Gasso (ESP)/Ion Del Cid (ESP) G-Rally Team OT3                                                                  RETIRED

Aliyyah Koloc (UAE)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Red-Lined Revo GTR                                                   RETIRED*

Luis Climent (ESP)/Ricardo Ranero (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3                                                  RETIRED

João Ramos (POR)/Pedro Ré (POR) Toyota Hilux                                                                           RETIRED*

Benediktas Vanagas (LTU)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Toyota Hilux EVO                                  RETIRED*

*denotes registered for FIA European Baja Cup