Gonçalo Guerreiro knows how to race and win in forests as the 2022 Portuguese Cross-Country Champion in the T4 category. He will now see if his prowess translates to dunes and sand when he makes his desert rally début at the Baja Morocco in September. Like at home, JB Racing will prepare his Polaris RZR Pro R.
“For the first time, I’ll tackle the dunes, and there’s no better place, race, or organization for this debut,” wrote Guerreiro. “A huge thank you to everyone who made this dream a reality: my team Jbracing, EDD’s, the BAJA Morocco organization, Christophe Armelin, and the PSR service team.
“These five days of racing will be intense, full of new experiences, and a lot to learn. Let’s do this!”
Guerreiro claimed the 2022 CPTT T4 title after clinching the title at the Baja Portalegre 500. He also won Portalegre, a round on the FIA World Baja Cup, the year before.
In April, he entered his first World Rally-Raid Championship event when the series arrived in his home country for the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid (also part of the CPTT). Guerreiro immediately made an impact when he won the SSV class in the Prologue, but was knocked out by a mechanical failure in Stage #3.
Despite the setback, Guerreiro rebounded by winning the CPTT’s Baja TT de Lagos in May and the Baja TT Norte de Portugal a month later. He is currently second in the T4 standings, trailing João Monteiro by thirty points.
The Baja Morocco is scheduled for 23–27 September. It is not part of any championship and is among many rallies in the country that many use for additional desert training should they wish to later enter races like the Dakar Rally.