The final day of racing at the 37th edition of the Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal, which is also round six of the 2023 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, saw the 27 YXZ1000R crews with participants from nine different countries once again battle against the elements and challenging terrain in what would turn out to be a day of attrition.
The heavy rain and strong winds that had affected the region in the run-up to the event and on the opening day continued on Saturday, turning the 302.63 km Special Stage 3 into a treacherous and tricky test for the YXZ1000R crews, with some sections dry, while others featured heavy mud and standing water.
In the Stock class, the overnight leaders, Buller & McKnight, continued their impressive pace from Friday, conquering all the stage could throw at them. The British duo were relentless, finishing the special in a time of four hours, 15 minutes, and 45 seconds to take the stage win, three minutes and 33 seconds ahead of the German pairing of Jens Albrecht and Bernd Schumacher with the 2022 Stock class victors, Spanish duo Edesio Caamaño and Carmelo Moline, finishing in third.
This meant that Buller and McKnight ended with a combined time of five hours, 15 minutes, and 25.6 seconds to be crowned the 2023 YXZ1000R European Cup SuperFinale Stock class winners, with the duo also securing the SSV TT2 class victory, and saw them collect the ultimate prize of €15,000 to be used to compete in the 2024 FIA European Cup.
Albrecht and Schumacher’s efforts on the final stage propelled them into second overall, 12 minutes and 47 seconds behind the victors and a prize of €2,000 to spend on Yamaha parts and accessories. The German and Portuguese crew of René Lamprecht and Nuno Luz completed the podium, two minutes and 43.6 seconds further back, in the process collecting €1,000 for Yamaha parts and accessories.
In the Open class, the Portuguese pairing of Salero and Correia left everyone in their wake to take the stage victory with a time of four hours, 23 minutes, and 30 seconds, with the Italian brother crew of Alessandro and Emiliano Tinaburri one minute and 55 seconds behind in second. Solo Portuguese driver Jorge Lopez, who was second overall overnight, finished third, four minutes and 15 seconds further back.
The dominant showing from Salero and Correia on Saturday saw them secure the Open category overall victory with a combined time of five hours, 31 minutes, and 36.9 seconds in a close finish with the Tinaburri brothers, who were just one minute and 33 seconds behind, while Lopes completed the podium, only 32.9 seconds further back. As the Open class winners, Salero and Correia received the prize of free entry to the 2024 Carta Rally.
The fourth edition of the YXZ1000R European Cup SuperFinale proved a fitting conclusion to the season, with every team contributing to a superb event, showcasing the strength of their respective national cups and playing their part in the success of the ever-growing SSV series.
