Monster Energy Can-Am Team dominates in Kazakhstan

The Monster Energy Can-Am Team cruised to a comfortable victory in the T3 category at Rally Kazakhstan; round three of the 2019 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, in Aktau City last weekend.

The Brazilian crew of Reinaldo Varela and Gustavo Gugelmin are taking part in the four-round FIA World Cup series in a Can-Am Maverick X3 and they overcame six gruelling selective sections across some of the remotest terrain in the west of the world’s largest land-locked country to reach the finish with a winning margin of 1hr 32min 10sec over the Spanish driver Jose-Luis Pena Campo.

After around 1,860 kilometres timed against the clock in sand dunes, camel grass, undulating grassland and high-speed gravel tracks, Varela managed to win three of the six competitive stages and measured his pace to perfection on the other three to preserve the Can-Am for the finish.

The longest round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies ran over six gruelling selective sections through the Mangystau region of western Kazakhstan. Varela and Gugelmin made the perfect start to snatch the lead in the FIA T3 category for modified cross-country vehicles through the opening 280.35km special. The Brazilians forged into an advantage of 2min 45sec to take into the first of the loop stages of 414.22km to the east of the bivouac in Kenderli to the south.

The second timed section was the longest of the entire rally – a stage of 414.22km that looped through the vast wastelands to the east of Kenderli and around the settlement of Senek. Varela continued his impressive run of form this season to set the fastest T3 time of 4hrs 59min 33sec and extend his category lead over stage runner-up Jose Luis Pena Campo to 59min 23sec and to second-placed Fedor Vorobyev to 58min 09sec.