rallyroots.com results@rallyroots.com
rallyroots.com
rallyroots.com

rally results service


Unless otherwise clearly indicated, results on this site have been declared final and are therefore not subject to query or protest

Sahara Challenge 2024

HERO-ERA

23rd September-5th October 2024


Sahara Challenge 2024
Winners: Jorge Perez Companc/Jose Maria Volta (Chevrolet Master Coupe)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA/Will Broadhead

Organiser: HERO-ERA

Date: 23rd September-5th October 2024

Clerk of the Course: Guy Woodcock

Route Coordinator: John Spiller

Route: 4,250Km

Countries: Spain & Morocco

Starters: 29


The first and final days of the Sahara Challenge were on the roads of southern Spain, but the remaining eleven days of the adventure were in Morocco, crossing the Atlas Mountains and the challenging sands of the world's largest desert.

Twenty-nine cars lined up for the start at Malaga; they were led away by the American LaFrance Type 75 of Philip Dobson/Richard Arnold. The entry was split into Vintage and Classic categories, with only the former being eligible for overall awards.

The first day took crews, via three regularities, to the evening ferry crossing at Puerto Tarifa. The overnight was then taken at Tangier. The day was intended as a gentle warm up, with no speed changes within the regs. Two crews shared the top spot on the leader board at the day end; Andrew Laing/Ian Milne (Datsun 240Z) and Heikki Julin/Heikki Saloheimo (Fiat 124 Spider) were both on 14 seconds.

The route headed almost due south on Day Two, ending, after 350kms, at Fes. Again, there were three regularities to contest. Laing/Milne emerged as clear leaders, as Julin/Saloheimo picked up a number of early penalties on Reg 2; they dropped to sixth on the leader board. Pre-event favourites, Jorge Perez Companc/Jose Volta (Chevrolet Master Coupe), were now in second place, two seconds off the lead.

The highlight of Day Three was the first Sporting Section of the event. These are sections over usually challenging terrain; the fact that they are timed to the minute means that it's critical to make your time - one second under is no penalty, but one second over is a 30 second penalty, penalties being 30 seconds per minute late. There were two TCs on the section, plus the start control; the second TC had different target times for the Vintage contenders, they were given an extra minute to reach the control.

Thirteen cars made both TCs on time, although Companc/Volta were not one of these; they were a minute late at one TC. This dropped them to fourth on the leader table, but they still held first overall, as they were the leading Vintage car.

Laing/Milne still led when cars reached Ifrane, but once again shared first place, this time with Trond Brathen/Bjorn Schage (Morgan Plus4).

Day Four was the longest day of the rally at just over 500kms. It should have included two Sporting Sections, but the first had to be cancelled after the course cars found the tracks too rough after recent heavy rain.

Only four crews managed to reach both TCs on time; these included Companc/Volta, who moved to the head of the leader board as a result. They now led Laing/Milne by 13 seconds. Punctures had been a feature of the day, with both Fabrizio Bove/Giorgio Bove (Ford Mustang) and Michal Pastier/Mirka Pastierova (Datsun 280Z) badly affected.

There was a midday start on Day Five, and the finish was at a desert camp. The main competition of the day was a 40Km Sporting Section. Another Sporting Section had been cancelled after it was found that a lake had appeared since the recce.

It was a good day for the Chevrolet Coupes. Tony Sutton/Andrew Lawson cleaned the whole day and moved up to second place. Companc/Volta were one second early at a regularity timing point, but were otherwise 'clean'; they now held a lead of over a minute.

In contrast, others struggled in the sandy going, which claimed many victims who became stuck. Most seriously affected was the Ford 48 of Sherif Hwaidak/Mark O'Donnell, which bent an axle, this put them out of the running for the remainder of the event.

Brathen/Schage, who had led on Day Three, had their Morgan suffer a broken driveshaft; this eventually caused their retirement. Also in trouble was the Bentley MkVI Justine of Marcel Damen/Peter Berveling, which was struggling with gearbox problems; they had to cut out the day's competitive sections. Meanwhile Pastier/Pastierova had problems with the exhaust on their Datsun.

The Bentley 3/4½ of Tomas de Vargas Machua/Camelia Chenaf was also in difficulties, the subframe had cracked. It was welded back together, but cracked again on Day Six. They had to cut route to get a more effective repair completed at Ouarzazate.

Sahara Challenge 2024
Classic Category Leaders: Heikki Julin/Heikki Saloheimo (Fiat 124 Spider)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA/Will Broadhead

The route moved back northwards on Day 6, ending, after 450kms, at Midelt. There were three regularities to contest.

At the end of the day Companc/Volta, despite some brake issues, had extended their lead to over two minutes as Sutton/Lawson were over a minute late at the final timing point of the day; they had initially missed to spot a control located in a loop off the main drag. They dropped to third, behind Julin/Saloheimo, who'd put in the best performance of the day.

The Argentinian leaders extended their advantage further on Day Seven as they dropped the least amount of penalties and were over three minutes clear at the top as crews arrived in Ouarzazate.

Second place on the leader board changed once again, with Sutton/Lawson now in front of Julin/Saloheimo, although the latter crew had a healthy lead in the Classic Category.

Day Eight was a half day of competition taking competitors to the rest day halt at Marrakech. Despite tackling three regularities, there was no change in the top ten, although Companc/Volta once again put in the best performance and were now almost four minutes clear of the field.

The second smallest total for the day was turned in by Michael Rodel/Andrew Duerden (Mercedes W115), who, after a bad start to the event, were now in fourth place on the leader board and second on the Classic Category.

The day saw the second retirement of the rally when the Porsche 912 of Robert Curry/Bobby Curry came to a halt with an engine failure. They rejoined the rally after the Marakech halt, but in a hired car.

After a day's rest, the event continued on Day Ten with a westward run towards the coast at Essaouira, with the southern edge of the Atlas Mountains to traverse. There were five regularities to contest during the day.

Rodel/Duerden put in the best performance and closed to within 90 seconds of Classic Category rivals Julin/Saloheimo, who in turn had again repassed Sutton/Lawson for second place; the Australian pairing having struggled with a stuck throttle. Companc/Volta dropped nearly two minutes over the day, but they still held a lead of almost two and a half minutes.

Transmission woes caused Marco Fila/Stephanie Gout-Fila (Porsche 911 Coupe), who had been in sixth place, to cut route to the overnight halt at Casablanca.

Day Twelve was the final one in Morocco, with half a day of competition before the ferry crossing back to Spain.

Sutton/Lawson dropped behind Rodel/Duerden, who were now third on the leader board, but had lost some time during the day to Julin/Saloheimo, who now led the Classic Category by over two minutes.

Sahara Challenge 2024
Classic Category Winners: Michael Rodel/Andrew Duerden (Mercedes W115)
Photograph: © HERO-ERA/Will Broadhead

The final day in Spain consisted of a 250km run from Cadiz to the Finish at Estepona. While the top places had been fairly stable for the previous several days, there was a dramatic change at the start of Day Thirteen. The Classic Category leaders, Julin/Saloheimo, had the steering idler snapped leaving them stranded and out of the running.

Later in the morning the Volkswagen 181 of Johannes Schultz/Alexander Schultz was involved in an accident and they were added to the retirement list. For their obvious enjoyment of the event, throughout its first 12 days, they were awarded the Spirit of the Rally Award at the Finish.

So Companc/Volta made it three endurance rally wins, their Sahara Challenge 2024 following on from victory on the 2022 event and the 2023 Badawi Trail. Their winning margin was just under four minutes.

Second on the leader board and winners of the Classic Category was the Mercedes W115 of Michael Rodel/Andrew Duerden. They had also put up the best performance over the event's 33 regularities.


RESULTS