Baja TT Sharish Gin condemns pre-running vandalism

Children are often taught by their parents to “leave things the way you found them.” Unfortunately, some people just don’t get the memo.

Secção de Motorismo, organiser of the upcoming Baja TT Sharish Gin, released a statement on Saturday that called out drivers doing unauthorised pre-running and damaging local property in the process. Scheduled for this weekend, race is the penultimate round of the FIA European Baja Cup and fifth on the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship.

Pre-running is typically done for desert racing like SCORE International to help competitors familiarise themselves with the course weeks ahead of time. Cross-country rallies, on the other hand, typically only allow private testing the day before technical inspection while independent sessions must be far away from where the race is taking place. In the Sharish Gin’s case, shakedowns will be on Thursday.

At the request of an affected property owner, the race route has been shortened by thirty kilometres. SAR Motorismo added the length could be reduced even more if other landowners file complaints.

“SAR Motorismo hereby repudiates and condemns the incidents caused by illegal training and reconnaissance that have occurred in recent days by participants in the event,” begins the statement. “The situation is even more serious when fences are being cut, locks destroyed, and gates knocked down, a clear crime of trespassing and property destruction. Earlier in the week, based on a report from an affected landowner, the course was shortened by thirty kilometres, and with what happened this Saturday, there is a serious risk that passage permissions will be revoked, which will further reduce the length of the event.

“This is an uncontrollable, shameful, and reprehensible situation on all levels, and could very soon lead to the end of such events. Lacking the power and means to take any action, we can only appeal to common sense… if it still exists.”

Fifty-six drivers are entered for the FIA European Baja Cup. João Ferreira, the current points leader, is the defending overall winner.