IN
THE
WIND
P52
Sonora Rally Set To Begin
T
he racers of Sonora
Rally are gearing
up for what is expected
to be another challeng-
ing race, especially as
temperatures soar. And
American Ricky Brabec
is all set to defend the
race championship.
With nearly 1300
miles ahead of them,
participants are in for an
exciting—and in May, a
bit scorching—competi-
tion across the dunes, on
the beach and through
the ranchlands of this
northern Mexican state.
On-course, the racers
will be free to let loose and hunt
for waypoints with either digital
or analog maps at their disposal.
Some navigators opted for new
tech, courtesy of ICO Racing,
who have been developing
the computerized roadbook, a
response to the infamous "Map
Men" affair, for several years.
The organization welcomed the
opportunity to run live trials with
these devices considering their
close partnerships to prestigious
events like the Dakar Rally and
Rallye du Maroc who are paying
close attention. The success of
the "road tablets" could change
the procedure, if not the direc-
tion, of rally raid as a whole in not
too short a timeline.
In the bivouacs and buildings,
stringent safety policies have
been established to comply with
local Covid prevention strategies.
It was a necessary feature which
enables the competition to carry
on in the midst of international,
albeit declining, uncertainty.
And so far, the flow has been
smooth, even swift. The high
temperatures threaten to break
the willpower of many, but earlier
start times, shorter liaison sec-
tions and a detour to the Sea of
Cortez intend to offer some relief
from Sonora's sweltering condi-
tions. Even if the weather was
picture perfect, the Battle of the
Titans is inevitable with eight fac-
tory vehicles, several Baja cham-
pions and a few hometown he-
roes planning to pull up to DSS
Monday morning. With so many
great pilots to boast about, it's
barely enough to only announce
the most recognized athletes,
like new legends Brabec (Mon-
ster Energy Honda) and factory
favorites Andrew Short (Yamaha)
and Skyler Howes (Husqvarna),
international all-star Jose "Na-
cho" Cornejo (Honda) and a long
list of desert racing elite, includ-
ing Justin Morgan (Honda), Wes
VanNieuwenhuise (Husqvarna),
Kendall Norman (Honda), Jacob
Argubright (Kawasaki) and more.
Racing gets underway Mon-
day, May 10. Keep an eye on
CycleNews.com for updates
from the event.
CN
Ricky Brabec starts his defense of
the Sonora Rally Championship
today in Mexico.
PHOTO: STEVE GREEN
