To all mud lovers...

[derco]

Hi to all.

Last weekend was disputed in Portugal one of the most spectacular races of the last years, the Ervideira Rali TT , with a lot of good and fast cars and drivers, including some from the Dakar. The JMB Stradale was present with 2 of the new Racing Lancer Turbo ( ex-Mitsubshi Ralliart Cars) and also BMW X-Raid with 3 BMW X-3 CC from the Portuguese wing and the Russian Leonid Novitskiy.
The races was on gigant sea of mud from start to the end, leaving drivers very tyred and public very happy.
I leave here the link to our image gallery.

http://www.todoterreno.pt/index.php?...gens&Itemid=13

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[Desert Dog]

Thanks Derco, it looks horrible! ;-)

[michalCCR]

Man, this was hell of a race. I didn't believe my own eyes when I saw Bowler on the first place. It was crazy.

[derco]

Hi there

The results on this race were caused by good or bad choises of tyres. At some point in the race, a good tyre choice allowed to the T2 D-Max Isuzu (a almost series car) to overtake the "powerfull" Mitsubishi Racing Lancer (one "former" works car from Mitsubishi, the last attemp of the Japanese factory to win the Dakar), that was using ( i think) the wrong type of tyres for the sea of mud. More impressive, is that the D-Max overtaked the other inside a mud pit, with just pure and simple "power to the ground".

[michalCCR]

Comparing Mitsubishi Racing Lancer and production Isuzu D-Max seems to be crazy at the first sight. But when you add some technical issues on a Mitsubishi's side and (beware! here comes the point) Nuno Matos on Isuzu's side... well nothing is so certain. Matos is a gifted driver (that's my opinion) and he can compensate the lack of a power with his mastery. My prediction: he is going to be this year's T2 Baja Cup holder.

[derco]

Well, before this race were all waiting to sea gigantic batle bettew Campos and Novitskiy on X-Raid side, and Misslin and Barbosa on Mitsubishi side (both with the new version of the Racing Lancer that as a fantastic engine sound, full of bangs and pops and gigantic flames from the exaust), but the extremly muddy race mixed up everything in a way almost unseen here. In the particular batle Nuno Matos versus Miguel Barbosa i can even had some more data, Nuno passed him on the road, and at the check points everybody was amazed wend see the T2 on front of the Racing Lancer. Unfortanly one lose wheel that went of the car, made Nuno retire... wend he as leading the race overall, just at 15kms from the end. This leaved the yellow Bowler on top of the field.
We have do some "bets" to see who is the winner in every race, and no one of us predicet that in a race with 3 X-Raid oficial cars, 2 Racing Lancers, several Navarras, we will see a T2 car leading, or a bowler wining.

About Nuno Matos, he has a good chance to win the Baja Cup FIA T2. The following races are much more like the ones he is used, after the amazing "frozen" race in Russia, and the very very "rocky" race in Italy ( where i was also and enjoy a lot that race). The adversaries aren't sleeping, but if they want to be better than him, than they will have to work very very hard. On normal racing situation without problems, he is one of the best.

Regards

[Desert Dog]

Don't forget the Bowler heritage is from the UK playing in muddy fields!

[derco]

No, i don't forget the Bowler's ADN. That ADN, allied to the very precise tire choice allowed the win to yellow bowler. But this particular team as no "great" record of results, this Bowler result , was mostly to a very very rare combination of factors. For example this next weekend we will have the next round of championship, and i bet that now the bowler will be out of top 5, and maybee even out of top 10. The X-Raid cars, Mitsubishi, and army of Nissan's will not give space for him.

[Desert Dog]

Whatever happened, it's great for the underdog to give a bloody nose to the big buck guys! Good for them... it will also help them with sponsors!

[derco]

It is in fact a great result, and this car really needs that. The reason why they didn't get more results is not their fault, but from the "adversaries" because the competition is really well equiped. X-3 and Racing Lancers aren't the usual cars, but the top "Dakar " cars as you know.