The World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) arrives in Mexico after holding two dates in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
The Sonora Rally is the third date of the World Raids was born in 2015 as an initiative of a team of people led by the pilot Darren Skilton who is a regular competitor of the Dakar Rally and the specific definition of that competition is: It is a tough rally for amateurs and a great experience for the experienced.
Previous editions of the Sonora Rally have featured huge dunes, but organizers have stressed that this year’s event will also include rocky mountains, beaches, open deserts and plenty of mudslides.
The Route in 2023
TOTAL: 1,249 km timed; 2091 total km
Day by Day of the Sonora Rally
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
- 10:00: Opening of the Service Park
- 11:30 a.m.: Arrival of the first teams
- 5:00 p.m.: Welcome Reception
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Administrative and technical checks in Hermosillo
- 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Counting
- 12:30 to 16:00: Opening of the Shakedown Route
- 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Rally School for first-time rally raiders
- 20:00: Mandatory drivers meeting
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
- 2:30 p.m.: Ceremonial Start
- 15:15: Prologue
- 19:00: Selection of Starting Positions
MONDAY, APRIL 24
- Stage 1: Hermosillo-Hermosillo (210 km including Prologue)
TUESDAY, APRIL 25
- Stage 2: Hermosillo-Peñasco (287 km)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26
- Stage 3: Peñasco-Peñasco (347 km)
THURSDAY, APRIL 27
- Stage 4: Peñasco-Peñasco (252 km)
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
- Stage 5: Peñasco-San Luis Río Colorado (153 km)
- 19:00: FINISH
One of the top teams is TGR (Toyota Gazoo Racing) that participates in this tough -and little known- global championship.
Nasser Al-Attiyah and his co-driver, Mathieu Baumel, who are part of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team, two-time Dakar champions, will return to action at the third round of the Championship in Mexico.
The TGR team vehicle is a GR DKR Hilux T1+ powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 sourced from the Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR, which saw them win a second consecutive Dakar Rally earlier this year.
The W2RC World Championship is just halfway through, there are three dates to be held, two in the American continent -Mexico in April and Argentina in August, to close in October in Morocco.
