The Alto Alentejo region is hosting the 40th edition of the bp Ultimate Baja Portalegre 500 this weekend, with temperatures unusually high for October. Dry, dusty tracks put both drivers and machines to the test from the very first day.
At the end of the day, it was João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro, driving a Toyota Hilux EVO, who had reason to celebrate.
The duo got off to the perfect start, setting the fastest time in the approximately five-kilometre prologue and securing first choice of starting position for the afternoon stage. Starting at the front of the field, Ferreira noted that, with the ground so dry, the course “seemed even more winding”. Nevertheless, he remained the fastest, although not without a moment of suspense. British pairing Sean Haran and Martin Hales, in a Polaris RZR Pro R, crossed the finish line with a quicker time and briefly took the lead. Their celebrations were short-lived, however: they failed to comply with a mandatory neutralisation and received a 3m24s penalty, dropping them out of the top 10.
Ferreira, meanwhile, opted for caution: “In the first part of the selective section, we just wanted to survive and get through without hitting anything. Everything went well, with no mistakes, and the real race only starts tomorrow.”
Luís Cidade and Valter Cardoso, in a BRP Can-Am Maverick R, are well placed in second, just 25.3 seconds behind, and head into the second day firmly in contention for victory. Ricardo Porém (Taurus EVO Max), who is chasing his fifth win in Portalegre, completes the provisional podium, 54.6 seconds off the lead.
In the national event, Lino and Fábio Carapeta (Ford Ranger) stand out with an almost two-minute advantage over Sérgio Matos and Sebastião Dominguez (Toyota Hilux).
If there was one category in which every tenth of a second counted, it was SSV. Roberto “Beto” Borrego and Domingos Cunha (Polaris RZR Pro R) won the prologue by a mere 0.3 seconds. The result gave the Ponte de Sor driver confidence, and he went on to set the fastest time again in the afternoon, ending the day with a 53.9-second advantage over Tiago Guerreiro and Carlos Paulino, in an identical machine. Championship leaders Pedro Antunes and Nuno Batalha, also driving a Polaris, finished third, 1m04.2s behind.
Borrego was pleased with his performance and already looking ahead: “We didn’t take many risks. We maintained a strong, consistent pace. Tomorrow is the main day.” A self-confessed fan of dry conditions, he admitted that the track suited him and made no secret of his goal: to reach ten victories in Portalegre.
To mark four decades of this classic Alentejo event, classic cars and the UMM Trophy also joined the field. Pedro Correia da Silva and Luís Resende (Toyota Land Cruiser) lead the classic cars, while João Couto and João Santos are at the front of the event dedicated to Portuguese off-road vehicles.
Tomorrow, the cars face two selective sections, covering almost 360 kilometres against the clock.
Micael Simão left no doubt about his ambitions for this 40th edition of the bp Ultimate Baja Portalegre 500. The KTM 500 EXC rider, who is aiming for his second victory in the iconic Alentejo event, was fastest in the prologue and repeated the feat in the first selective section.
Gustavo Gaudêncio, on a Honda CRF 250RX, was the closest challenger to the leader’s pace and starts the second day just 17.1 seconds behind. Bernardo Megre (KTM 450 EXC) completes the provisional podium, 41.9 seconds off the lead.
Despite leading the standings, Simão admitted that it had been a difficult day. The route faced directly into the low sun, making visibility challenging and causing him to miss several corners. “I may not have made the best choice of goggles either,” he admitted. He preferred to manage his pace and conserve energy: “Tomorrow there are almost 300 kilometres, and the goal is to attack and fight for the win.”
Among the quads, one name dominated the day: Tomás Paulo. Riding a Yamaha YFZ450R, he won the prologue by 4.7 seconds over Luís Fernandes, on an identical machine, before increasing his pace even further in the afternoon selective section. The result was an impressive 1m51.6s advantage at the end of the day. His pace was so strong that, in a combined classification of bikes and quads, Paulo would have finished... first!
Paulo himself played down the challenge of catching up with bikes on the course, particularly through the more technical sections: “You just need a little patience because the race is for everyone. It was an enjoyable stage, despite the dust. Bring on more tomorrow.”
The young competitors who lined up for the Mini Baja showed plenty of enthusiasm and proved that the future of the sport is in good hands. More than 50 youngsters aged between eight and 16 took part in the Mini Baja races in the prologue area, with sportsmanship the guiding principle. It was an entertaining afternoon that ended with a fun prize-giving ceremony as night fell.
For the two-wheel competitors, the second day gets underway early: the first bikes set off at 7:50 a.m., with the Promotion and Hobby categories leading the way. In total, they will cover more than 270 kilometres.