BAJA GB 2008 - CANCELLED

Baja GB 2008 Cancelled

Posted: September 9, 2008 8:59 PM

Baja GB

ENTRIES OPEN FOR NATIONAL 'A' AND BIKE CATEGORIES OF BAJA GB 2008

Posted: June 25, 2008 1:03 PM

New centralised service park close to rally HQ in Aberystwyth Bikers and quad riders set to take part in start ceremony and super special

Marches 4x4 Motorsport Management Limited, the organisers of Baja GB 2008, announced today (Monday) that entries have opened for both the National 'A' category rally and the Baja GB for bikes, quads, and the new discipline of sidecars. Event officials are just completing the last paperwork before the main FIA event regulations are finalised. Baja GB 2008 takes place on September 25th-28th.

There will be a hefty discount for competitors keen to tackle the National 'A' section of the four-day event. National 'A' runners will be offered a generous 221 competitive stage miles in a total route of 361 miles for the value-for-money price of £700, the fee reducing to £600 with £100 cash back if the total number of competitors in the category exceeds 20 at the start.

"This is a substantial reduction on the amount charged for the category last year," said chairman of the organising committee Chris Tomley. "There is a lot of interest in this category from British competitors, particularly those who usually take part in hill rallies and the Britpart MSA British Cross-Country Championship (BCCC) and we feel that the high entry fee in 2007 may have put some competitors off taking part. The National 'A' runners will take part in all three competitive days of the rally."

Caerphilly's Hugh Haines and Bamber Bridge-based Dan Lofthouse won the first two Baja GB National 'A' rallies and Tomley is convinced that this year's event will attract the largest entry in the three years of Baja GB history. "There has been a lot of interest from BCCC drivers already."

There will be three groups for production, super production and prototype entrants, sub-divided into 10 classes to cater for nearly all of the 4x4 and 4x2 derivatives that are currently competing in the UK.

Meanwhile, radical changes have been made to the Baja GB Bikes' event. Riders will now be able to take part in the official start ceremony in Aberystwyth and the 10-kilometre super special stage in Tarenig forest on Friday, September 26th. For an entry fee of £225, riders will benefit from their own clerk of the course, Mark Vaughan, and new Baja liaison officer Dave Lucas.

Subject to ACU approval, there will be an exciting new Class E for sidecars - to meet competitors' demand - in addition to Class A for two-stroke bikes, Class B1 for four-stroke bikes up to 450cc, Class B2 for four-stroke machines between 450cc and 620cc, Class B3 for bikes over 620cc and Class D for the increasingly-popular quad category.

"The Baja is a specialist event for the enduro community, but it has been well supported in the last two years, with Cannock's Lee Edmondson and Llanidloes rider Rowan Jones winning the first two events," added Tomley.
"Last year several of the bikers complained that they did not feel part of the main international event, so for that reason they will now take part in the start ceremony and the super special and will benefit from their own area of the main service area in Aberystwyth."

Bikes, quads and sidecars will also be able to tackle 221 stage miles in a total route of 361 miles and there will be a camping area within the main rally service park.
"Bikers will be at the centre of the action throughout the weekend," added Tomley. "There will be refuelling locations at Sweet Lamb between stages and at Steddfa after the second stage before they return to service."

Rally headquarters and the media and officials' offices will be located at the Park Lodge Hotel in Aberystwyth, with the service park and trade area situated within walking distance of the event headquarters. The ceremonial start and finish will be in Aberystwyth, although there will be a designated spectator area in the Sweet Lamb complex over the weekend, with commentary, catering and toilet facilities and continuous action expected throughout the two days of forest competition.

Every category of the rally will be no further than 300 metres from the main headquarters, where the mobile telephone signal is strong and the re-location to Aberystwyth eliminates the minor problems that affected communications in 2007. A rally show and trade stands will also be location near to the HQ and event officials are working on a corporate hospitality package for VIPs, sponsors and guests who may want to entertain clients during Baja GB weekend.

Cars complying with FIA T1 and T2 regulations will be permitted to enter the main Baja GB, as was the case in 2006 and 2007. Regulations are being finalised and the cost will be £1500 before August 23rd, rising to £1800 afterwards.

Baja GB

BAJA GB 2008 ORGANISERS ANNOUNCE NEW RALLY BASE AND FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES

Posted: January 8, 2008 11:48 AM

---

08/01/08
BAJA GB 2008 ORGANISERS ANNOUNCE NEW RALLY BASE AND FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES
Marches 4x4 Motorsport Management Limited announce this week at the Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre, that Baja GB 2008, round five of the 2008 FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, will be based in the mid-Wales coastal town of Aberystwyth for the first time and will take place at the later date of September 25th-28th, 2008.

The route and format of Britain's premier off-road event has been revised to offer a greater degree of efficiency and communication for officials, media and competitors. Baja GB takes place in Wales with the support of the Welsh Assembly Motorsport Initiative, the Forestry Commission Wales and the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and joined the FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas for the first time in August 2007 after running as a candidate in August 2006.

To avoid a clash with other events in mid-Wales, Baja GB slots into the revised September date and the headquarters moves from the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Showground in Builth Wells to a top class facility adjacent to and including the Park Lodge Hotel in Aberystywyth.

Baja officials are also working to expand the stage mileage for 2008 and are looking at new forestry venues in mid-Wales, with the super special stage set to move from Radnor to another challenging section of forest nearer to Aberystwyth.

Centralised servicing for Baja GB 2007 and the bulk of the action was centralised at the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex, near Llangurig, but event officials have confirmed that servicing will move to Aberystwyth where teams, officials and media can benefit from better cellular 'phone service and the close proximity of accommodation and services. The central location, within walking distance of rally headquarters and the media centre, will also be closer to the town's parking facilities and be better suited for spectator access.

Exact details of the route and event timetable will be announced at a later date, but Baja officials have confirmed that the ceremonial start will take place in Aberystwyth on Friday, September 26th and this will be followed by the new 10km super special stage.

Leg two will consist of up to four selective sections in the mid-Wales forests on Saturday, September 27th and the event draws to a conclusion on Sunday, September 28th with the third and final leg, again consisting of up to four selective sections, and the ceremonial finish in Aberystwyth.

Cars complying with FIA T1 and T2 regulations will be permitted to enter, as was the case in 2006 and 2007, and there will be a National 'A' category for non-homologated cars and a Baja GB for motorcycles and quads running under the auspices of the Auto Cycle Union (ACU).

"We have taken on board what we have learned from competitors, officials and the media over the last two years and will introduce several improvements and changes to the format of Baja GB in 2008," said Chris Tomley, Event Founder and Chairman of the Organising Committee. "We are very excited by the enthusiasm shown by people in Aberystwyth, who are keen to host this event for the first time, and we are confident that we will have some excellent new forestry to give our competitors a challenging route.

"There will be much better 'phone service available on much of the route we have chosen this year, without sacrificing our compact format. We are currently working on event regulations and these will be finalised in the next couple of weeks, so that will give everyone involved in Baja GB plenty of time to prepare fully for the event this year."

---

Baja GB