Land Rover certainly has no qualms about subjecting the latest Defender models to some seriously tough competitive conditions. For such a new model, that is confidence indeed and the Defender Rally Series has been configured to put both vehicles and crews through their paces.
In September, the Defender Rally Series is heading to North Africa for the ultimate desert Baja rally experience, a ten-day event across the sand dunes of Morocco. Bringing competitors to the Baja Morocco for the first time in the Series’ history, the event represents the pinnacle of the curated multi-year driver development pathway at the core of the Defender Rally Series, where everyone from complete motorsport novices to those with previous rally or track competition experience can develop essential rally skills and race at exciting global events.
Current Defender Rally Series drivers will be joined by newcomers in the Defender 90, with the first-timers able to hire the specially prepared competition vehicle for the duration of the event. All attendees will venture to Morocco for eight days of driving, the first three of which will be dedicated to Desert Rally Masterclass sessions, and the final five to the competition itself.
The Desert Rally Masterclass will be delivered by a professional team from the Defender Rally Series and Bowler, which includes seasoned all-terrain competitors from the Dakar Rally. Day one of the masterclasses will give teams the chance to acclimatise to desert conditions, learning the skills necessary to drive safely and confidently over the smaller peaks. They’ll also run through safety and recovery training and see their route books for the first time. Day two will allow teams to practice driving across taller dunes and route finding, ensuring everyone is as prepared as possible for the competition to follow. The third day will give teams a chance to string all the various elements together, including maintaining pace on the ground between small and large dunes.
The competitive event consists of five days of challenging and exciting driving, conquering the remote and harsh landscape of Morocco, specifically the Merzouga Dunes. Covering 1,250km, the fleet of Defender 90s forms its own class, with all vehicles competing alongside other rally-prepared vehicles and motorcycles.
With the same 221kW Ingenium petrol engine, eight‑speed ZF automatic gearbox and advanced All‑Wheel Drive system as showroom models, the specially prepared Defender 90s also feature additional monocoque bracing, a rally-spec gearbox cross member, stiffened gearbox, engine and radiator mounts, braced front and rear subframes and more.
Alongside the safety features of the Defender 90, including an FIA internal roll cage, five‑point race harnesses, an integrated and hand‑held fire suppression system, electrical cut‑off switches and more, the event is supported by a professional safety team, ensuring safety and security at all times. The event is supported by a medical helicopter, off-road ambulances and emergency doctors, while all vehicles are tracked using Stella, the premium tracking technology used by Baja World Championships.
Calum McKechnie, General Manager, Bowler Motors, said: “This will be an exciting challenge for the competitors, the vehicles, the crews and mechanics alike, but embarking on these adventures is exactly why the Defender Rally Series was conceived. Our goal is always to see drivers and co-drivers progress, moving through the first-year UK Championship and second-year European Baja Championship, with the hope of opening doors to other exciting global competitions.
“With the Baja Morocco, we’re able to take Series regulars as well as experienced newcomers to a truly iconic part of the world, one that is intrinsically tied to all-wheel drive motorsport with events such as the Dakar Rally. I’m confident the event will deliver stunning lifelong memories and they will come away at the end better drivers and co-drivers because of it, all while experiencing the incredible capabilities that our road-based Defender 90 will demonstrate in the kind of environment it has been built to explore.”
Chris Armalin, Baja Morocco Organiser, said: “The format will suit the Defender 90s and their drivers, racing over five days in varied terrains with two to three stages per day, from pistes to off-road and dunes. Each day will have two to three stages of racing. Being at the same race bivouac for the week, in the comfort of a luxury hotel, the driver teams can enjoy some downtime in unforgettable surroundings. Our race director, Seb Delaunay, a renowned professional co-driver, has designed an outstanding course to progressively increase the difficulty throughout the event, leading to a challenging crescendo.”
A limited number of entries remain available for the event, running from 18-27 September. For pricing and further information specifically for Baja Morocco, please contact: Rob Cooney, Commercial Manager, Bowler Motors Ltd at [email protected]
