Reinaldo Varela of Monster Energy Can-Am Team in action in this file photo.
Doha: The Monster Energy Can-Am Team will be hoping to follow up a superb second and third overall at last month’s Dakar Rally by challenging for outright victory in the T3 category at this week’s Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally.
The Lusail-based event is the opening round of a revised FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
The Qatar event is being organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and has attracted a provisional 13 entrants in T3.
The Monster Energy Can-Am Team heads that field with the Brazilian duo of Reinaldo Varela and Gustavo Gugelmin wheeling out a Can-Am Maverick X3 being run by South Racing.
Varela and Gugelmin followed up a stunning victory in the SxS section at the Dakar Rally in 2018 with third overall and a pair of stage wins during their defence of that SxS title last month. They have both taken part in the Qatar event before (when it was based at Sealine, south of Doha) and are fully aware of the tricky navigation and challenging desert stages that lie in wait on the hidden route laid on by the QMMF.
Scott Abraham of the Monster Energy Can-Am Team, said: “This is the start of the 2019 season for Reinaldo and Gustavo. After a strong performance on the Dakar, winning several stages, they are looking to kick-of the FIA Cross-Country World Cup challenge with a good start in Qatar.
“We have done some development after Dakar and have adapted the cars to the FIA rules from ASO Dakar rules. That has entailed the introduction of a restrictor of 25mm. This has created its own technical challenges, but I think we are well prepared for a good result at this race,” Abraham said.
