After securing the third-fastest time in the prologue and a strong start in the first stage of the Jordan Baja, everything seemed to be going smoothly for Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar. But soon, the Can-Am Maverick R began running poorly, and then the turbo failed. The rally had started promisingly, but technical issues threw a spanner in the works.
“We just can’t catch a break,” Erik says. “Actually, we already had a bit of bad luck yesterday. At the end of the prologue, a T2 car in front of us refused to pull over, costing us 20 seconds. Still, we finished third, so the damage was limited. Wouter and I went all out today because we know the speed is there.”
They started the stage fast. “After 35 kilometers, we were by far the fastest in the SSV category. Everything was going well, and we had a clean start. But then the car started running poorly, and we fell back. Not long after, the turbo blew, and that was it. We just can’t catch a break, but tomorrow is another day. We’ll try again then.”
The second stage is a 195-kilometer loop around Aqaba. “If the car stays in one piece, we can win the stage, so that’s the goal for tomorrow.”
