Lorca, in the region of Murcia, is this weekend the setting for the thirteenth edition of the Baja Lorca. The Spanish baja is a fixture in the Campeonato de España de Rallyes Todo Terreno (CERTT GT2i) and is known for its fast tracks, dry riverbeds and the characteristic red earth of the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. For the Netherlands there is extra reason to watch this year: no fewer than four crews are making the trip to Murcia, all competing in a classic Audi Quattro.
Four Quattros, one team
The four Dutch crews are entered under the banner of QFF Adventures and all compete in the Open category. The most recognisable name is Erik van Loon (start number 720), who makes his debut in Lorca with trusted co-driver Hein Verschuuren. The duo knows the car well: in the 2025 Dakar Classic, Van Loon and Verschuuren won the H4 class in this Audi Quattro as part of the Dutch Quattro Legends team. Now they swap the Saudi desert for the Murcian tracks, unfamiliar territory for Van Loon. “I don’t know the Baja Lorca at all,” he says, “so I’m mainly going there to enjoy myself.”
Alongside Van Loon/Verschuuren, Marcel van Vliet and Marcel Pronk (721), Peter van den Bosch and Hans Brand (722) and Hans Stacey with Serge Bruynkens (723) are also on the entry list. Stacey and Van den Bosch also competed as Van Loon’s teammates in the 2025 Dakar Classic. Stacey is the most experienced name in the group, with a long history in the rally raid world and multiple Dakar starts to his name. Together the four crews form a striking Dutch contingent in an otherwise predominantly Spanish field.
The route
The Baja Lorca has a compact but intensive format. On Friday 29 May a prologue is scheduled, traditionally around seven kilometres long, which sets the starting order for Saturday. The ceremonial start takes place on the Avenida Juan Carlos I in the centre of Lorca, a reliable crowd-puller in the city. On Saturday 30 May the two stages are run that form the heart of the event. The first stage departs from Los Royos towards Las Terreras; for the second, the route is reversed. The total distance is just under 190 kilometres. The finish and prize-giving also take place on Saturday on the Avenida Juan Carlos I.
What to expect
The Open category has no official championship and the Dutch crews compete without the pressure of a points standings. That makes this primarily an adventure for Van Loon, Stacey and their teammates, though the internal battle between the four Quattros will undoubtedly have its own dynamic. In the regular CERTT standings it is the T1+ trucks and the modern T3 buggies that fight for victory. With names such as Santiago Carnicer (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) and the Taurus Evo Max teams of Nasser Racing, the organisers expect a fierce battle for the top positions.
For the wider public, the sight of four classic Audi Quattros on Spanish tracks is a spectacle in itself. The ur-quattro, an icon of rallying in the 1980s, rarely appears in modern baja events. In Lorca this weekend, there are four of them.
The prologue gets underway on Friday 29 May. The rally concludes on Saturday evening 30 May in Lorca.
