X-raid - Season 2018

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X-RAID - SEASON 2018

Dear reader, A successful year lies behind us: Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul won the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallyes in their MINI John Cooper Works Rally. Nani Roma and Alex Haro secured three victories in their MINI this season - one of them at the first edition of the Turkmen Desert Race in Turkmenistan.

Furthermore, great news could be announced at the beginning of October: reigning Dakar champion Carlos Sainz, 13-times Dakar winner StĂŠphane Peterhansel and five-time winner of the legendary desert rally Cyril Despres, will join the X-raid team. They will each drive a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy during the Dakar 2019.

We are looking forward to an exciting year 2019.

Kind regards,

THOMAS QUANDT

SVEN QUANDT

TOBIAS QUANDT

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SEASON 2018 DATE

RALLY

BEST POSITIONED X-RAID CREW

02.01. - 14.01. Dakar 2018 5th 16.01. - 18.01.

Baja Russia (FIA World Cup) 4th 09.03. - 10.03.

Dubai International Baja (FIA World Cup) 1st 24.03. - 29.03.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (FIA World Cup) 2nd 17.04. - 22.04.

Qatar Cross Country Rally (FIA World Cup) 1st 27.05. - 02.06.

Rally Kazakhstan (FIA World Cup) 1st 21.06. - 24.06.

Italian Baja (FIA World Cup) 1st 20.07. - 27.07.

Silk Way Rally (Russia) 1st 20.07. - 22.07.

Baja Espana Aragon (FIA World Cup) 2nd 09.08. - 12.08.

Hungarian Baja (FIA World Cup) 1st 30.08. - 02.09.

Baja Poland (FIA World Cup) 1st 14.09. - 16.09. Desafío Inca 1st 03.10. - 09.10.

Rallye du Maroc (FIA World Cup) 2nd 25.10. - 27.10.

Baja Portalegre 500 (FIA World Cup) 1st

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Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Yazeed Al-Rajhi / Timo Gottschalk Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Yazeed Al-Rajhi / Timo Gottschalk Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Nani Roma / Alex Haro Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Orlando Terranova / Ronnie Graue Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul Nani Roma / Alex Haro

VEHICLE

MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally MINI John Cooper Works Rally

Baja Poland Hungarian Baja Italian Baja Baja Aragon Baja Portalegre 500 Rally du Maroc

Silk Way Rally Rally Kazakhstan DĂŠsafio Inca

Turkmen Desert Race

Rally Dakar

Qatar Cross Country Rally

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Dubai Baja

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2018 Dakar: Tough Dakar – strong team It was not a Dakar like any other: the 40th edition of the prestigious event was one of the most difficult ones in the recent past. And it also proved to be a tough rally for the X-raid Team, with seven MINI pairings representing the team’s colours. After 14 stages and more than 7,000 kilometres across Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul, in a MINI John Cooper Works Rally, secured an excellent fifth place. Boris Garafulic and Filipe Palmeiro took their MINI JCW Rally to 13th place. Meanwhile, Mikko Hirvonen and Andreas Schulz secured 19th place in their debut Dakar of the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, with Orly Terranova and Ronnie Graue in another MINI JCW Rally following right behind their team-mates and finishing 20th.

Przygonski and Colsoul succeeded in avoiding any problems throughout the Dakar. Due to this strategy they benefitted from the mistakes made by their rivals and worked their way up in the overall standings step by step. “We are very happy to reach Cordoba”, said Przygonski. “It was a tough Dakar. All pilots in front of us have either won here before or stood on the podium.”

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Hirvonen and Schulz succeeded in taking their John Cooper Works Buggy to the finish line in Cordoba. The MINI JCW Buggy was the first in-house designed and built buggy the Trebur based team entered in the Dakar. After two weeks the conclusion had to be positive: The MINI John Cooper Works Buggy coped with sand, dunes, mud and the tight WRC-like sections without encountering any major problems. “We were really amazed how the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy acquitted itself,” said team boss Sven Quandt. “Apart from a sensor problem it did not encounter any further difficulties. The JCW Buggy and the JCW Rally both showed that they are very reliable vehicles.”

Unfortunately, the car’s competitiveness was not reflected by the result as bad luck was X-raid Teams ‘faithful’ companion right from the start. For Bryce Menzies and Pete Mortensen (MINI JCW Buggy), the Dakar ended as early as on day two after a bad rollover. On the following day, another rollover forced Nani Roma and Alex Haro (MINI JCW Rally) into retirement. Thanks to the rugged roll-cage X-raid opted for when designing the cars, everybody involved survived the incidents without any bad injuries. Some days before the end of the Dakar Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk (MINI JCW Buggy) got disqualified for missing too many waypoints.

Despite all these difficulties all X-raid team members never lost their motivation and all pairings could go to sleep with being sure that their vehicles would be well prepared on the next morning.

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Cleaning technology on the racetrack: Safety and sustainability at the Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally pushes man and machine to their limits. Cleanliness is essential for servicing the vehicles and keeping the track safe to drive on. Kärcher has been the event’s official supplier since 2012, offering cleaning stations along the course. As a long-standing partner, the cleaning specialist provides the X-raid team with a number of additional services, all of which prioritise the responsible use of water.

Giving mechanics a clear view Ivan Villamil (Kärcher South America), who has been following the rally for many years, explains the challenges that setting up the cleaning stations brings: “The centres need to work fully autonomously – i.e. without a water or electricity connection – in the middle of the desert. A lot of organisation and logistics go into making this happen.” Technicians and industrial building specialists need five days to get everything ready for the big race. Once the vehicles arrive, working flat out is par for the course, with one technician for each motorcycle or car and two for each truck. “In our best ever year, we managed 2,500 vehicles over two days – there were significantly more competitors and some drivers brought their vehicles past twice.”

For the mechanics the real work starts once cleaning is complete, but cleanliness is important since it enables potential weak spots to be discovered.

Filipe Ferrao from X-raid describes the workflow: “Bonnet up, clean the engine compartment, filter and radiator, check parts that are subjected to a great deal of stress or those that have a limited service life. We’re under time pressure but we can’t afford to miss anything – and checking is considerably easier if you don’t have to root around in dust or dirt.” X-raid is therefore very grateful for assistance from Kärcher, whose powerful and efficient solutions can be relied upon even under harsh conditions. “This is how we help to keep the drivers safe,” adds Ivan Villamil.

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Transforming dirty water into drinking water Kärcher places particular importance on minimising water consumption and acting in a sustainable manner, both within and outside the Dakar Rally. Its high-pressure technology uses up to 80 per cent less fresh water than manual cleaning with a water hose. The water used during the rally is collected and recycled as well.

When part of the 2017 race course ran through drought-stricken Bolivia, Kärcher and rally organiser ASO spontaneously decided to donate a mobile water treatment system to the local population. It is measures like this that once again demonstrate how the company is taking responsibility for the people in the countries where it operates. The system extracts 13,200 litres of water a day from seawater or impure sources. How? A membrane filter allows water molecules through while reliably holding back salt, bacteria, viruses, lime, heavy metals and pesticides.

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Baja Russia: Kuba Przygonski comes in fourth It was a bumpy start for Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul into the 2018 season. On snow they secured fourth place at the Baja Russia – Northern Forest. For the young Pole it was the first FIA Cross Country World Cup event he had to contest on snow and ice. “I am happy that we succeeded in completing the five special stages without making any major mistakes”, said Przygonski after the baja. “Furthermore, contesting the Baja Russia was big fun. The route was fast, with numerous jumps and corners.”

The Polish-Belgian crew gathered a lot of experience on the unfamiliar terrain and improved special stage by special stage. In the Super Special on Friday they finished seventh and on Saturday, they added a fifth and a sixth place to their tally. “Racing on ice and snow represented a completely new experience for me,” revealed the MINI JCW driver. “It is very slippery and making mistakes is easy.”

In the final two special stages on Sunday, Przygonski took his MINI JWC Rally to fourth and third places. “Prior to the final special stage we found the best setup and it went really well for us,” said the Pole. “I would love to return to this baja next year, but then I will practice on snow in the run-up, as I have to admit, that I have been lacking experience racing in these conditions.”

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Dubai Baja: Przygonski wins in MINI John Cooper Works Rally Great cheering at the X-raid service park of the Dubai International Baja: Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul took the victory win in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally. With this success in the second round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, the young Pole can take the lead in the overall standings.

The foundation for the victory was laid by Przygonski and Colsoul on Friday when they won the first special stage. “It was a quick stage in the dunes”, reports the Pole. “I pushed hard and was able to overtake three competitors. The terrain was not too heavy, soft sand and dunes, but no special difficulties.” However, this success also meant that they had to open the second and final stage in the dunes. But they also mastered this challenge. The third place in the stage standings was enough for the duo in the MINI JCW Rally to win the Baja. “We are very happy,” smiles the Pole at the finish. “The last stage was not so easy. We were first in the stage and the sand was very soft. But we pushed from the beginning. The MINI ran without any problem and we are extremely happy that we were able to take the lead in the overall standings.”

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ADDC: Sensational rally comeback of Luc Alphand The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Liwa-Desert dunes proved to be a good place for X-raid. In the cockpit of their MINI John Cooper Works Rally, Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul finished second. Meanwhile, Stephan Schott and Paulo Fiúza in a MINI ALL4 Racing clinched the very fine fifth place.

By coming eighth, Kris Rosenberger and Nicola Bleicher made it to the top 10 in their maiden race with a MINI ALL4 Racing. However, the focus was on Luc Alphand, who contested another rally after an eight-year break. The Frenchman and his co-pilot Andreas Schulz took their MINI John Cooper Works Buggy to 15th place which did not reflect his performance. Eugenio Amos and Filipe Palmeiro finished 17th in a MINI ALL4 Racing. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk unfortunately had to retire at the end of stage two for health reasons.

Przygonski made a great start into the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the third round of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, and started as leader into the third day of the event. Unfortunately, the young Pole got stuck – an incident that cost him about 20 minutes and made him drop back to second position behind Martin Prokop. On the following days, closing the gap to Prokop proved to be impossible and so he finished runner-up behind the Czech. “Although we could have won the event we are delighted with having finished second in Abu Dhabi,” said Przygonski who now also holds second position in the FIA World Cup standings. “After all, we got stuck twice and lost a lot of time. Our battle with Martin Prokop was great. The MINI John Cooper Works Rally ran flawlessly and our pace was really good. In Qatar we will push once again.”

Stephan Schott also was delighted with his achievements. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is the Germans favourite event. “It was a tough race,” he said afterwards. “The heat was enormous and the sand extremely soft. But the MINI ran perfectly and we did not encounter a single problem hampering us. Unfortunately it took me some time to re-adapt to racing in the dunes and on day two we got stuck for 37 minutes. But this proved to be our only mistake in the entire rally.”

Rosenberger and Bleicher also impressed. They virtually were thrown in at the deep end, in the ADDC: due to shipping problems, they had no chance of executing a shakedown or contesting the prologue, with their MINI ALL4 Racing. But the Austrian and German pairing familiarised themselves quickly with their MINI and made it to the top 10 right away.

Alphand delivered in sensational style in his comeback rally – although his competitiveness was not reflected by his 15th place. It was the Frenchmans first off-road rally after a multi-year motor-racing break and he convinced with two stage wins and a total of four top-five results. “I am over the moon,” the Frenchman said. “I love this rally and the dunes. This event also was a test for my neck and everything is fine. Without the gearbox problems we certainly would have been a factor in the fight for the win. The buggy is a great design and has got a lot of potential.”

Like Rosenberger, Amos also had to cope with a real kick start into the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: in the dunes of stage one. The Italian did not too bad but could not finish the fourth stage due to a technical problem and received a massive time penalty. In the final special stage he finished sixth, thus demonstrating what could have been possible.

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QCCR: Przygonski wins with MINI JCW Rally Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (BEL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) caused a stir with their sensational win at the Qatar Cross Country Rally, round four of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. With this triumph they confirmed the great performances they had delivered in the first rallies of the season, in particular with another win in the Dubai International Baja. Thanks to the triumph in Qatar, Kuba also regained the lead in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. With two wins in five special stages, Przygonski and Colsoul delivered in great style, in Qatar. “The rally ran really well for us”, said the Pole. “We pushed right from the start and quickly found a good rhythm. The MINI was just super.” Following third place in the Super Special Stage they proved to be the quickest on day two. While several opponents received substantial time penalties for having missed out on waypoints, the MINI JCW Rally crew contested the special stage without encountering any problems.

On the following days, Przygonski secured the second place to add another win to his tally in the fifth and final special stage, thus also securing the overall win in Qatar. “To have won in Qatar feels fantastic as this event is one of the most gruelling ones on the calendar”, said the new leader of the FIA World Cup. “I’m sorry for Nasser but that is racing. We are back in the World Cup and will try to win the title as hard as we can.”

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Rally Kazakhstan: MINI JCW Rally gives X-raid a one-two The fifth round on the FIA Cross Country World Cup calendar, the Rally Kazakhstan, proved to be extremely successful for X-raid: The two MINI John Cooper Works Rally pairings, Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk and Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul, outperformed the entire field. In addition to his second place, Przygonski extended his lead in the FIA World Cup. Luc Alphand and Andreas Schulz took the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy to fifth place and the Russian pairing Victor Khoroshavtsev and Dmitry Pavlov clinched the very fine sixth place in their debut with the MINI JCW Rally.

Quite obviously, Kazakhstan suited Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk perfectly – a fact that was demonstrated by their four stage wins in the seven-stage rally.

They took the lead on day one and defended it throughout the event. “It was a great rally, long days and very challenging,” Al-Rajhi revealed after the rally. “We had a great fight with Kuba and the others. Of course we are delighted with finally having been able to celebrate another win and I hope that our steak of bad luck is over now.”

Meanwhile, Przygonski and Colsoul also kept on pushing to extend their lead in the FIA World Cup – and they succeeded in doing so: the pairing secured two stage wins and finished second, right ahead of their rivals in the battle for FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup lead. “The rally was thrilling to the very end. We had a great fight with Yazeed and Vasilyev and are really happy with having finished second,” said Przygonski. “The days were tough, after all we raced for more than 2.000 kilometres against the clock and had to cope with difficult navigation, fast sections and demanding dunes. The MINI ran really well.”

For Alphand and Schulz it was a rally of mixed feelings. They were beaten twice in the fight for the stage victory and had to settle for second place. “The buggy made a step forward since Abu Dhabi but we have to keep on working on it,” stressed Alphand. “At the end of the day we contested the rally without being hampered by problems and were able to match the pace of the leaders. The rally here in Kazakhstan was amazing and the landscape just fantastic. Now we have to focus on the next rally.”

The two Russians Khoroshavtsev and Pavlov also impressed with a fine performance. For the pairing, the event in Kazakhstan was the first they contested in the cockpit of the MINI John Cooper Works Rally and nonetheless, they delivered right from the start. By securing top-10 results in every single stage they made it to the remarkable sixth place in the overall ranking.

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Italian Baja: Superior win for Przygonski In the Italian Baja, the sixth round on the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup calendar, Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul repeated the triumph they celebrated in 2017. In the MINI John Cooper Works Rally, the pairing won five of the six special stages and finished second in the prologue. Eugenio Amos and Filipe Palmeiro took their MINI ALL4 Racing to the 21st position.

Przygonski started into the baja by coming second in the prologue. Afterwards, however, the Pole proved to be invincible and won all of the five following special stages. For Przygonski and Colsoul who already prevailed in the Dubai International Baja and the Qatar Cross Country Rally it was the third win in the 2018 season. With this success, Przygonski extended his overall lead in the FIA World Cup overall standings.

“We are extremely happy. What a great race for us,” Przygonski beamed after having crossed the finish line. “We had a great fight with Martin Prokop.

Scoring maximum FIA World Cup points here in Italy was important for us. The MINI ran flawless and delivered in great style. I have to thank the entire team for their great work.”

Meanwhile in his home event, Amos had to cope with a major dose of bad luck. He secured the fine eighth place in the prologue but turned over on the following day, thus losing a lot of time. In addition, he received a time penalty and by that dropping further down in the overall standings. But with three top-10 results the Italian demonstrated what would have been possible without this incident.

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Baja Aragon: Kuba Przygonski comes second in his MINI JCW Rally in the Baja Aragon, the seventh FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup round, Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul finished second with their MINI John Cooper Works Rally, right behind Russia’s Vladimir Vasilyev. With this result they defended their lead in the FIA World Cup standings.

Przygonski and Colsoul secured fourth place in the prologue, thus achieving a good initial position for the things to come. The second day, however, was a day of mixed emotions for the MINI JCW Rally paring. In the second special stage they lost a lot of time due to two damaged tyres and had to settle for finishing sixth. But the third special stage, held on the afternoon, ran far better for Przygonski and Colsoul: they crossed the finish line as stage winners, thus working their way back up to fourth place in the overall standings.

On the next day, Przygonski tied in with his good performance the day before, to also win the fourth special stage and finish second in the Baja Aragon.

In the end, he was just one minute slower than the winner.

“The last day was not easy as it was wet and muddy,” revealed Przygonski. “After the bad luck we had to cope with on the second day we really went for it. An approach that paid off, as we finished second and even came close to overtaking Vasilyev.”

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Silk Way Rally: Yazeed Al-Rajhi wins in his MINI JCW Rally After seven days of cross-country action in Russia, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally pairing Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk secured the overall win in the Silk Way Rally. Meanwhile, Joan ‚Nani‘ Roma and Alex Haro in the second MINI JCW Rally finished 19th, after some health problems at the beginning of the rally.

Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk took over the overall lead on day four and defended it throughout the event until they crossed the finish line in Moscow. The Pairing could not celebrate a stage win but convinced with their consistency. Other than his rivals, Al-Rajhi did not encounter any major problems in the special stages and the MINI John Cooper Works ran perfectly.

“We are delighted with having won the Silk Way Rally although it was somewhat shorter than originally scheduled. The event was perfectly organised and the special stages represented true challenges – while the weather certainly could have been better. We demonstrated that you do not need to try to win special stages to win a rally – concentration and consistency also are crucial factors. We found a good rhythm and knew which stages offered us the opportunity to push and gain time and where we should opt for a more conservative approach.”

Roma and Haro also had what it would have taken to secure a top result. But due to the health problems in special stage one and the subsequent massive time penalty, Roma dropped back to the end of the standings. On the following days, however, he demonstrated what would have been possible. He even won stage five and worked his way back up to the top 20.

“My start into the rally did not run as planned but at the end of the day I am happy as we delivered in fine style. To me, the second place in penultimate stage was more valuable than my stage win. We were the first to start into the special stage and Alex did a great job. It goes without saying that we would have preferred to be a factor in the battle for the overall win but we covered a lot of kilometres in the rally – and that is important for us. Big thanks to X-raid for their MINI that ran without any problems.”

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Hungarian Baja: One-two for the MINI John Cooper Works Rally The Hungarian Baja, event number eight on the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup calendar, ended with a huge success for X-raid. Joan ‚Nani‘ Roma and Alex Haro won the Baja with their MINI John Cooper Works Rally, followed by their team-mates Kuba Przygonki and Tom Colsoul, who also raced a MINI JCW Rally, finishing second. With this second place, the Pole also further extended his lead in the FIA World Cup standings.

The Baja started on Friday with a short prologue which was won by Przygonski, with Roma coming third. The other four special stages were contested on Saturday. Roma and his MINI JCW Rally prevailed in the third special stage and Przygonki in the fourth and fifth special stages. After having raced about 400 kilometres against the clock, Roma won the Baja with a 15-second lead over his team-mate.

Nani Roma “I am really delighted with having won the event. Kuba gave us quite a hard time. He was very fast. To contest a Baja right after a rally such as the Silk Way was not easy. The speed is far lower. The MINI ran fantastically. On Saturday morning, torrential rain was falling and consequently, the track was very slippery and driving was anything but easy. In the afternoon, the conditions changed completely.”

Kuba Przygonski “It was a rather demanding event with a lot of water. We had a great battle with Nani and came close to winning the event. He is extremely experienced and it was great that we were able to match his pace. The points we scored by finishing second were important but now I am looking forward to the Baja Poland.”

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Baja Poland: One-two for the MINI John Cooper Works Rally Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul continued their streak of success in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally. At the Baja Poland, the ninth and third last event in the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, the duo secured their next victory, with fellow MINI JCW Rally crew Krzysztof Holowczyc and Lukasz Kurzeja finishing on a great second place.

All the seven special stages were won by the two MINI JCW Rally aces, Przygonski and Holowczyc. In four special stages, Przygonski crossed the finish line as the winner and the other three were won by Holowczyc. “I am so happy, said Przygonski. “The Baja Poland was extremely important for me. We gave our very best and it paid off. The MINI ran flawlessly and we could push right from the start. We just had one tyre puncture but apart from that, it was a trouble-free Baja for us. We could not take a safety-first approach as we knew that the battle would be close. And with this success, we also extended our World Cup lead.”

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Akrapovic welcomes Luc Alphand and shows him the thrills of Grand Prix Racing Akrapovic recently enjoyed a visit by a special guest to the company’s headquarters in Ivancna Gorica when former world cup skiing champion and Dakar Rally winner Luc Alphand toured the state-of-the-art facilities in Slovenia before heading to Austria and a date with MotoGP. Alphand won the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup title in 1997 by collecting points in the only two speed disciplines, downhill and super-G – a unique achievement in world cup history – before switching his talents to four-wheel racing. He competed in the gruelling Dakar Rally, winning the event in 2006, and he also took part in circuit racing, where he achieved a career best of third in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Akrapovic took the French speed star on a tour of the company’s headquarters, and Alphand was immediately impressed with the performance aspect – an important factor to a man whose career has been all about speed. He was given full insight into the company by Akrapovic CEO Uros Rosa as the party was shown around the many high-tech departments at the factory. The X-raid team driver visited the racing department and saw the development of a complex exhaust system before taking a tour of the in-house titanium foundry, where he was shown how intricate and specialist parts are produced.

The local Slovenian press were also on hand to interview the French champion about his visit.

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© Akrapovič 2018, all rights reserved.

The following the day the group headed to the Red Bull Ring at Spielberg, Austria for a taste of MotoGP action. Alphand was taken as a special guest to see the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, which uses specially prepared Akrapovic exhausts on their prototype machines. There he met MotoGP star Bradley Smith and was shown behind the scenes of one of the world’s premier two-wheel racing teams. The hospitality extended to Alphand and Akrapovic by the Austrian team allowed the whole party to find out more about what happens on a race day and the focus on detail involved, something that certainly translates into Akrapovic’s own manufacturing processes. Alphand had the chance to do a pillion lap on a two-seater MotoGP bike, giving him the opportunity to experience first-hand one of the fastest tracks on the MotoGP calendar.

Alphand had a great time on his trip to Slovenia and Akrapovic HQ: “My visit was just a blast, I was really impressed by the Akrapovic Factory R&D in Slovenia. That’s the place where all the motorsports fanatics want to be; getting to see all the experience and expertise of the people there is just amazing.” He then continued to show his appreciation of the intensity of MotoGP: “The program we had at the Austrian MotoGP was intense and so interesting; we had the chance to be close to the riders and the track, always feeling the passion of racing. I also had the opportunity to do a lap behind one of my favourite racers, Randy Mamola – it was something I’ll remember for the rest my life! We were on a wet track and I just couldn’t imagine we could go that fast! Thanks to the Akrapovic team for sharing this with me and giving me this opportunity.”

© Akrapovič 2018, all rights reserved.

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X-raid celebrates wins on two continents The X-raid team could celebrate two wins in their MINI John Cooper Works Rally. In the Turkmen Desert Race, held in Turkmenistan, Nani Roma and Alex Haro made it to the top step of the podium. On the same weekend, Orly Terranova and Ronnie Graue secured the win at the Desafío Inca in Peru.

On Saturday, Nani Roma and Alex Haro in their MINI JCW Rally gave X-raid their first win of the weekend. The pairing won the maiden edition of the Turkmen Desert Race that took the field all across Turkmenistan. In the difficult terrain, Roma delivered in great style without encountering any problems and secured two of the possible five stage wins. The second MINI John Cooper Works Rally pairing, Hojaguly Annamammedow and Gaygysyz Akmyradow, also made it to the podium by finishing third. Parts of the rally were contested in the Karakum Desert but the event also featured rocky and very fast sections.

“We are really delighted with having won the Turkmen Desert Race”, said a happy Nani Roma. “The rally was anything but easy and the first days were particularly demanding. The MINI ran perfectly and I also felt very good from the first to the last day. The rally also was a good practice for us. Competition kilometres are always very important as you feel the pressure and have to respond to different situations. From now on, we will fully focus on the Dakar preparations.”

On the following day, Terranova and Graue completed the perfect X-raid weekend. In the Peruvian dunes, the Argentinean pairing delivered in extremely great style and won three of the five special stages that were held over the course of three days. Terranova quickly opened a big gap over the rest of the field and consequently, he could opt for a more relaxed approach in the final stage. “This was a really good practice for the Dakar”, said Terranova. “The dunes were extremely soft and difficult. The MINI ran without problems. After a short acclimatization phase in the first special stage, we could take the lead and defend it until we crossed the finish line.”

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Rallye du Maroc: Przygonski secures 2018 World Cup victory Kuba Przygonski and Tom Colsoul ended the penultimate event of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies in second place with their MINI John Cooper Works Rally. Cyril Despres and Jean-Paul Cottret took over third place on their debut in the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz had no luck at the Rallye du Maroc and came home with a 24th place.

For Przygonski, the rally in Morocco proved to be the pivotal point in the battle for the World Cup title. With his closest rival, Vladimir Vasilyev, retiring early from the rally, Przygonski now holds an unassailable lead in the FIA standings. The 33-year-old took a very deliberate approach at the rally. He avoided taking any unnecessary risks and kept his head straight throughout the race, even after Vasilyev’s retirement. He also took a stage win on the third stage around the town of Erfoud.

“We hoped for a second place in this rally, but we did not expect it. It is really great”, smiled Przygonski. “We have improved our consistency this year, proven again by our performance here. I am very happy that we were able to wrap up the World Cup title. It has been a great year for us, but also a difficult one – we have spent almost 100 hours in the car over the course of all the rallies. The MINI was superb, and we had no problems. Our car has had the same stickers on all season, which proves that we never had a crash.”

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The two MINI JCW Buggies were also able to take one stage victory each and three of the five possible stage victories went to X-raid. After finishing second on stage two, Despres and his co-driver Cottret took their maiden stage win in their first race in a buggy of the X-raid MINI JCW Team. “It was a good race for us, but not an easy one, plus it was a good opportunity to continue to test the buggy”, said Despres. “Unfortunately, we were no longer in racing for the win after day three. ‘Polo’ Cottret and I are getting on very well, but we still have to improve the way we work together. It takes time for the driver and co-driver to really bond. The MINI JCW Buggy is very good and fast – much faster than we expected.”

It was to prove a difficult rally for Sainz and Cruz. The buggy was still in development, and technical issues resulted in the Spaniard losing time. He did show what could have been possible with a stage win on the final day. “It was a good rally, at which to test the MINI JCW Buggy”, explained the Spaniard. “We now know the areas we must improve. It was a good event for us – the feeling and speed are very good. I am happy with the performance.”

Sven Quandt: “Congratulations to Kuba and Tom on securing the World Cup. Both have improved steadily over the course of the year and have had some fantastic results. I am excited to see how they get on at the Dakar. I think an upset may be on the cards. With the MINI JCW Buggy we have a year of development behind us and we can see that we have the speed to compete at the very front of the field. We have learned a bit about the durability of some of the components and still have a bit of homework to do. However, we are very happy with the performance of both MINI JCW Buggies. Cyril can also be pleased with his result.”

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Kuba Przygonski / Tom Colsoul

2018 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Winners

You and Tom could win the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallyes 2018. What was the key to success?

“We are very happy and proud that we could win the World Cup this year. The key to our success was also the reliability and good speed in all cases. We were on the podium at almost all rallies and were able to clinch four victories. Tom and I worked very well together in the car. We could always rely on the MINI John Cooper Works Rally as well - we did not have any technical problems during the season. We have developed extremely well over the year.”

Which event do you like to remember?

“I like to remember Baja Spain very much. It was a nice and exciting race for us. At the beginning we had a few problems with the tyres - but on the last stages we were able to work our way up from fourth to second place. We even almost won the race. We already took a risk, but it was fun. Of course I also enjoyed Baja Poland very much. It was nice to be able to do such a good speed in front of a big home crowd.”

What is your goal for the Dakar 2019?

“My goal is to top my result of the Dakar 2018. I finished my first Dakar in the car in 15th place, 2017 in seventh place and last year in fifth place. Tom and I are fast and have found a good rhythm throughout the season. We have covered many kilometres over the past few months and are more than ready to fight.”

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X-raid: Sainz, Peterhansel and Despres in the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy To ensure that they have the best hand in the battle for victory, X-raid has added three big names to its ranks: Carlos Sainz, Stéphane Peterhansel and Cyril Despres switch to the German team, for whom they will each drive a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy! As such, there will be a total of 20 Dakar victories at the steering wheel of the three cars, which were designed and assembled by X-raid. Peterhansel is the record Dakar winner, with 13 victories in total on motorcycles and in cars. Sainz has two wins to his name, while Despres has won five Dakar Rallies on a motorcycle.

With Carlos Sainz, the reigning Dakar champion switches to the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy together with his long-time co-pilot Lucas Cruz. The Spaniard clinched his second victory in January, having previously triumphed in 2010. “El Matador” is one of the biggest names in rallying and has his sights set on win number three in 2019. Before he switched to off-road racing, Sainz was twice crowned World Rally Champion (1990, 1992).

Stéphane Peterhansel is by no means an unknown quantity for the X-raid team. The Frenchman switched to the Trebur-based team after the 2009 Dakar.

In 2012, he claimed the maiden Dakar win for X-raid in the MINI ALL4 Racing. He then repeated the feat the following year. He now returns to the German team after over three years away – but with a new co-pilot: David Castera will lead him through the Peruvian dunes in Januray. In total, “Mr Dakar” has won the iconic desert rally a remarkable 13 times. Six of these wins came on motorcycles, the other seven on four wheels.

Cyril Despres is the youngest member of the MINI JCW Buggy trio. However, he already boasts a wealth of experience. The Frenchman has won the Dakar five times on motorcycles (2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013). He switched to the car category in 2015, since when he has won the famous Silk Way Rally on two occasions (2016, 2017). At the Dakar he can rely on the enormous experience of navigator Jean-Paul Cottret.

Sven Quandt “This trio is obviously a dream cast, who also brings with it a wealth of experience. Carlos has given us a lot of support during the development of our MINI and has taken us forward in this regard – particularly in terms of the set-up. Stéphane is an old friend and I am delighted to have him back in the team. Cyril has also shown what he is capable of in recent years, and I am intrigued to see how he puts his ability into practice with us. In any case, he already has plenty of kilometres under his belt in our car.”

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CARLOS SAINZ Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL CYRIL DESPRES

12/04/1962 Madrid / ESP Madrid / ESP Football, Golf, Ski, Squash, Tennis

Dakar participations

Dakar participations

9

Dakar victories

2

2010, 2018

WRC Champion

1990, 1992

Other Successes

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Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

FIA World Cup Champion

2007

Silk Way Rally victory

2009, 2010

Dakar Rallies with X-raid

06/08/1965 Vesoul / FRA Crans-Montana / SUI Travelling, Ski, Jet Ski, Squash, Hiking

19 (Car) 10 (Motorcycle) 5

2010-2014

7 (Car)

2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017

Dakar victories 6 (Motorcycle)

Other Successes

Grand China Rally victory

1991 - 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 2015

Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

24/01/1974 Fontainebleau / FRA AND Mountainbiking, Hiking, Wakeboarding, Family

Dakar participations

4 (Car) 13 (Motorcycle)

Dakar victories

5 (Motorcycle)

Other Successes

Silk Way Rally victory

2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 2016, 2017

LUCAS CRUZ Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

26/12/1974 Barcelona / ESP Barcelona / ESP Biking, Mountain hiking, Skiing, Sailing

Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

18/11/1970 Bordeaux / FRA AND Mountain hiking, Skiing, Motorcycling

Dakar participations

4 (Car) 4 (Motorcycle)

2014

Best Dakar position

3rd place

2

2010, 2018

Other Successes

Silk Way Rally victory

2009, 2010

Dakar participations

13

Dakar Rallies with X-raid

1

Dakar victories Other Successes

DAVID CASTERA

Silk Way Rally victory

2017

JEAN-PAUL COTTRET Date of birth: Place of birth: Place of residence: Hobbies:

19/06/1963 Gien / FRA Auxerre / FRA Spending time with the family, Cinema, Sport

Dakar participations

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Dakar Rallies with X-raid

5

2010-2014

7 (Car)

2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017

2016, 2017 Dakar victories

Other Successes

Grand China Rally victory

2015

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Baja Portalegre: Second place for Stéphane Peterhansel After nearly five years of driving nothing but buggies, Stéphane Peterhansel and his new co-driver David Castera (both FRA) were back contesting a rally at the wheel of a four-wheel drive MINI John Cooper Works Rally. His car for the Dakar Rally, the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, was being prepared for the highlight of the year in January.

Having found their feet on the prologue, Peterhansel and Castera were always to be found amongst the leading group. After two second places, the French pair won the final special stage. Rain caused tricky conditions and slippery routes, which Peterhansel and the MINI overcame with ease.

Stéphane Peterhansel: “It was a good weekend for us and a great opportunity to get in a final bit of practice with David before the Dakar. Thanks also to the team for the good test. As always, the Baja Portalegre was a very interesting and challenging race. Second place is no victory, but our focus was clearly on preparations for the Dakar. The car ran well and we did not have a single problem or flat tyre throughout the entire race. The speed was good, as was the teamwork with David.”

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Baja Portalegre: Win number three of the season for Nani Roma

The pairing of Nani Roma and Alex Haro (ESP) claimed their third win of the season, adding a victory at the Baja Portalegre to their success at the Turkmen Desert Race and the Hungarian Baja. Nani and Alex won two of the four special stages in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally.

Only at the prologue and Saturday afternoon’s final stage they had to settle for second place. Even a flat tyre on stage two and two more on the last stage could not stop them. Rain caused a slippery route and many water crossings. The further-developed MINI John Cooper Works Rally had no issues and completed its final test ahead of January’s Dakar Rally in a successful way.

Nani Roma: „The final stage was not easy. We had three flat tyres, but we are very happy with the result. Regardless of the final stage, it was by no means an easy race, with many winding and tree-lined sections of the route. We won, but the priority for us was to test everything on the car again before the Dakar, and the MINI John Cooper Works Rally ran very good. Our next goal is the 2019 Dakar in January, and we are ready.“

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X-RAID TEAM

SUCCESS RECORD AFTER 15 YEARS OF RACING 2002

Foundation of X-raid

Successes of the BMW X5 CC

2002 1st place Baja Germany 2003 8th place Dakar Rally (1st place diesel category) 2004 4th place Dakar Rally (1st place diesel category) 1st place Cross Country Baja World Cup 2005 9th place Dakar Rally 1st place Portuguese Off-Road-Championship

Successes of the BMW X3 CC

2006 9th place Dakar Rally 2007 6th place Dakar Rally 2008 1st place Portuguese Off-Road-Championship 1st place Cross Country World Cup 1st place Baja Cup

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(G. de Mévius) (L. Alphand) (L. Alphand) (K. Al Mutaiwei) (J. L. Monterde) (M. Barbosa)

(G. Chicherit) (N. Al-Attiyah) (F. Campos) (N. Al-Attiyah) (N. Al-Attiyah)

2009 8th place Dakar Rally 1st place Cross Country Baja World Cup 1st place Portuguese Off-Road-Championship 2010 4th place Dakar Rally 1st place Portuguese Off-Road-Championship 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2011 4th place Dakar Rally

Successes of the MINI ALL4 Racing

2011 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2012 1st and 2nd place Dakar Rally 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2013 1st place Dakar Rally 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2014 1st, 2nd and 3rd place Dakar Rally 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2015 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th place Dakar Rally 1st place Cross Country World Cup 2016 2nd and 4th place Dakar Rallye (fastest 4x4)

(L. Novitskiy) (G. Chicherit) (F. Campos) (S. Peterhansel) (F. Campos) (L. Novitskiy) (S. Peterhansel)

(L. Novitskiy) (S. Peterhansel, N. Roma) (K. Al Mutaiwei) (S. Peterhansel) (K. Holowczyc) (N. Roma, S. Peterhansel, N. Al-Attiyah) (V. Vasilyev) (N. Al-Attiyah, K. Holowczyc, E. van Loon, V. Vasilyev) (N. Al-Attiyah) (N. Al-Attiyah, Mikko Hirvonen)

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RACING CARS

MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY After very exciting and successful years with the MINI ALL4 Racing, the X-raid team presented the MINI John Cooper Works Rally in 2016! Based on the 2016 launched, new MINI Countryman, the race vehicle was changed in numerous areas, with the headlights and the silhouette being adapted from the production car. Compared to its predecessor, the team’s new challenger had been enhanced in several areas: further developments made for a lowered centre of gravity, improvements of several performance features and improved drivability. The tubular steel frame was a new design and allowed for stowing a third spare wheel in the lower section of the car. With this move, the designers of the vehicle created the necessary room in the rear for placing the cooling system at a lower point. At the same time, the new MINI John Cooper Works Rally also represented a step forward when it came to the aerodynamics. To achieve this goal, the desert racer spent numerous hours in the BMW Group’s wind tunnel.

2017 the FIA altered the technical regulations for all-wheel drive cars: inter alia, the spring travel was extended and the minimum weight reduced. The engineers attended to every section of the MINI and succeeded in lowering the weight to the allowed minimum.

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MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS BUGGY “The idea to build a buggy existed for quite a while, mainly due to the advantages granted by the regulations,” reveals Sven Quandt, “and in late 2016, the idea began to take shape.” February 2017 was the starting signal for the project: altogether, more than 50 engineers of X-raid and numerous partners worked on the new buggy. “The aero package was of major importance and was enhanced together with KLK Motorsport in many simulations,” says Quandt. “The final looks of the vehicle were created in cooperation with MINI design. It goes without saying that long-term partners, such as BMW Motorsport, Magna Steyr, Heggemann, CP Autosport and Faster, were also involved. It was the very first buggy designed and built by us but we could benefit from our massive cross-country experience”, says team manager Sven Quandt.

Bringing together on site all those involved would not only have resulted in high costs but would have also been virtually impossible time-wise. So, it was decided to hold Webex conferences. “These conferences dictated our lives for four months,” adds Sven Quandt.”But they offered us the opportunity to even discuss trifles.” During the phone and video conferences, processes and components for the buggy were being analysed and discussed.

In early September, less than seven months after the start of the project, the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy covered its first kilometres during the roll-out at the X-raid headquarters in Trebur. And just a few days later it went out for its first off-road test in Hungary. “Prior to this test we were really excited,” reveals Sven Quandt, “but everything went fine and the buggy completed the tests without encountering any major problems. Consequently, the team could send it to difficult terrain and the buggy was put through its paces for three weeks in Morocco. Of course we detected several things that could be improved but throughout the three weeks of testing the buggy was never stopped by a technical problem – and that is really remarkable. The biggest challenge was to manage this project without losing track of any detail.”

In further tests, the team continued the preparations of the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy for the big challenge represented by the Dakar Rally. “We are well aware of the fact that contesting an event with an all new vehicle can be risky,” admits Sven Quandt, “but we and the buggy are prepared for South America as well as possible for the time which has been available.”

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X-RAID - SEASON 2018

raid

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