The outcome of the overall Drivers’ and Navigators’ Championships and the Stock category may already be decided in favour of the Polish duo of Bartlomiej Wajzer and Ernest Górecki but there are several other category awards still up for grabs.

This year’s event has attracted 38 entries with the majority chasing points in the Portuguese Off-Road Championship. Only seven of the contenders are registered for points in the FIA European Baja Cup, with three taking part in the Ultimate section and two in each of the Challenger and SSV categories.

The Baja has also attracted several of the leading names from the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), thanks to its close proximity to the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal at the end of the month. Teams like Toyota Gazoo Racing, Overdrive Racing and X-Raid will use the event as a shakedown before the penultimate round of the W2RC.

The Portuguese duo of João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro won the event last year on their way to the FIA European Baja Cup title and the duo return this season as part of Toyota Gazoo Racing with a Hilux. They remain in contention for podium finishes in the Ultimate category after taking a pair of wins on the two events in Spain and with two events remaining in their native Portugal.

Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov will provide the registered competition in the Ultimate category over stages in close proximity to the Spanish border. The duo wheel out one of two X-Raid Mini JCW Rally 3.0is on the entry list. Krotov trails Ferreira by just two points in the Ultimate class, as X-Raid chases a fourth victory on the event.

The absent Benediktas Vanagas (270pts) leads the way from Wlodimierz Grajek (267pts) and Magdalena Zając (265pts). Of the three, only Grajek is present in Portugal and the Pole has the perfect opportunity to move into the lead before the final round in October. Likewise, his navigator Michal Goleniewski will be aiming to leave Portugal with a lead in the Ultimate Navigators’ Championship.

Spaniard Miguel Angel Valero (Can-Am) and his navigator Carlos Ruiz currently hold an eight-point cushion over the absent Lőrinc Mészáros and Albert Horn in the Challenger category. The Hungarian has already scored from six events this season and Valero has the perfect opportunity to finish the season in style.

Registered competition in the Challenger section comes from the Portuguese duo of Tiago Reis and Paulo Fiúza in their Taurus T3 Max. They hold fourth in the rankings and have the chance to snatch a podium finish to the season. Reis finished fourth overall on the event in 2024.

The outcome of the SSV category has developed into a three-horse race since the recent round in Poland. The local crew of Afonso Oliveira and Fábio Belo take the start in their Polaris RXR Pro R Sport holding a 29-point cushion over the absent Balázs and Gabriella Molnár.

But the British Polaris crew of Sean Haran and Martin Hales are also in contention for honours and hold third in the points’ standings. They are currently 49 points behind in their Polaris RXR Pro R Sport, but have only scored points from a pair of wins in Italy and Spain and a second place in Hungary.

Three crew members are returning from injury and they include the defending Dakar champions Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk. The pair were injured in a high-speed fall into a washaway hole at the Jordan Baja in Wadi Rum and have spent nearly six months on the sidelines recovering from back injuries. They return to action in an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux.

French navigator Mathieu Baumel was involved in an horrendous road accident on his way to the Monte-Carlo Historic Rally at the end of January. After being struck by a car on the road side while helping a stranded motorist, Baumel has been battling back to fitness after having his right leg amputated. He is delighted to return to action with the X-Raid team in the second of the Mini JCW 3.0is with Belgian driver Guillaume de Mévius after a brutal and traumatic eight-month rehabilitation programme.

Baumel has taking part in a test exercise in France and the crew will use the event to enable him to adapt to the car and fine-tune the use of his prosthetic leg in a competitive environment for the first time.

Baumel said: “I’m extremely happy to finally be competing in a rally again and to be working with the team and with Guillaume. I still need to train my left leg further and there are also some improvements needed on my prosthetic. But, by now, I have all the documents I need to be cleared for racing. That’s why I want to get started again as soon as possible. Of course, my big goal is the upcoming Dakar.”

Toyota have also entered a pair of Hiluxes for their front-running W2RC drivers Henk Lategan and Seth Quintero and their navigators Brett Cummings and Andrew Short. The duo will use the event as a shakedown before the penultimate round of the W2RC. Lategan is entered under the Overdrive Racing banner.

Action gets underway with a Prologue of 5.71km, near Mourão, to determine the starting order on Friday, September 12th.

Competitors will then tackle two passes through a 116.12km stage on Saturday, September 13th and two further runs through a shorter stage of 89.70km on Sunday, September 14th. In a route of 697.62km, 417.53 kilometres will be timed against the clock.

Baja TT Sharish Reguengos – entry list:

1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA)/Timo Gottschalk (GER)                                                                            Toyota Hilux

2. João Ferreira (POR)/Filipe Palmeiro (POR)                                                                                  Toyota Hilux+

3. Seth Quintero (USA)/Andrew Short (USA)                                                                                  Toyota Hilux

4. Guillaume de Mévius (BEL)/Mathieu Baumel (FRA)                                                                  Mini JCW Rally 3.0i

5. Henk Lategan (RSA)/Brett Cummings (RSA)                                                                                Toyota Hilux

6. Denis Krotov (KGZ)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (KGZ)                                                                            Mini JCW Rally 3.0i+

7. Wlodzimierz Grajek (POL)/Michal Goleniewski (POL)                                                               Toyota Hilux+

8. Francisco Barreto (POR)/Oriol Mena (ESP)                                                                                  Toyota Hilux

9. Alejandro Martins (POR)/David Monteiro (POR)                                                                       Mini JCW Rally Plus

10. César Sequeira (POR)/Filipe Sequeira (POR)                                                                             Mercedes-Benz 350 SLC

11. José Rogeira (POR)/Paulo Marques (POR)                                                                                Ford Ranger

12. Edgar Condenso (POR)/Nuno Silva (POR)                                                                                  Ford MO EXR05 Proto

13. Lino Carapeta (POR)/Fábio Carapeta (POR)                                                                              Ford Ranger

14. Miguel Casaca (POR)/João Luz (POR)                                                                                         Volkswagen Amarok

15. João Franco (POR)/Ricardo Batista (POR)                                                                                  Mini Cooper D Prototipo

16. Pedro Helfenstein (BRA)/Joseane de Sousa (BRA)                                                                  Ford Ranger

17. Willem Zeelen (NED)/Baas Voogd (NED)                                                                                   Toyota RAV4

18. Miguel Angel Valero (ESP)/Carlos Ruiz (ESP)                                                                            Can-Am T34+

19. Tiago Reis (POR)/Paulo Fiúza (POR)                                                                                           Taurus T3 Max+

20. Edgar Reis (POR)/Fábio Ribeiro (POR)                                                                                        Taurus T3 Max        

21. Daniel Silva (POR)/Gonçalo Magalhães (POR)                                                                          Taurus T3 Max

22. Nuno Matos (POR)/Ricardo Claro (POR)                                                                                    Volkswagen Amarok

23. Amândio Alves (POR)/Nuno Sousa (POR)                                                                                  Kaizen S1

24. Mario Ferreira (POR)/Miguel Silva (POR)                                                                                  Can-Am Maverick XR3

25. Pim Klaassen (NED)/Mark Laan (NED)                                                                                       Taurus T3

26. Afonso Oliveira (POR)/Fábio Belo (POR)                                                                                    Polaris RXR Pro R Sport+

27. Sean Haran (GBR)/Martin Hales (GBR)                                                                                      Polaris RXR Pro R Sport+

28. Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR)/Joel Lutas (POR)                                                                               Polaris RXR Pro R

29. Luis Cidade (POR)/Valter Cardoso (POR)                                                                                   Can-Am Maverick R

30. Tiago Guerreiro (POR)/Carlos Paulino (POR)                                                                            Polaris RXR Pro R

31. Herlander Araújo (POR)/Tiago Magalhães (POR)                                                                    Polaris RXR Pro R

32. Paulo Rodrigues (POR)/Fausto Mota (POR)                                                                              Can-Am Maverick R

33. Filipe Lopes (POR)/Gonçalo Reis (POR)                                                                                      Can-Am XRS Turbo RR

34. Filipe Cameirinha (POR)/Jérémy Dubois (FRA)                                                                         Can-Am Maverick R

35. Nuno Faria (POR)/João Martins (POR)                                                                                       Can-Am XRS Turbo RR

36. Rúben Rodrigues (POR)/Rui Paulo (POR)                                                                                  Can-Am Maverick R

37. Rui Serpa (POR)/Rui Pita (POR)                                                                                                    Polaris RXR Pro R

38. Renato Duarte (POR)/Daniel Jourdão (POR)                                                                             Polaris RXR Pro R

+denotes registered for FIA European Baja Cup

Timetable of events

Thursday, September 11

Administration checks                                                               07.00-14.30hrs, Rally HQ

Scrutineering checks                                                                  08.00-15.00hrs, Rally HQ

Shakedown                                                                                     15.00-19.00hrs, TBA

Pre-event press conference                                                    19.45hrs, Media Centre, Rally HQ

Friday, September 12

Prologue – Mourão, 5.71km                                                  10.30hrs - first car

Saturday, September 13

SS1A Granja 1 – 116.12km                                                       09.00hrs – first car

SS1B Granja 1 – 116.12km                                                       13.15hrs – first car

Sunday, September 14

SS2A Casas Novas Mares 1 – 89.70km                                08.30hrs – first car

SS2B Casas Novas Mares 1 – 89.70km                                11.05hrs – first car

Prize giving ceremony                                                                17.00hrs, Rally HQ

Post-event press conference                                                  18.00hrs, Rally HQ