• The Abu Dhabi Sports Council announces the 2024-2025 calendar with four rounds and new categories admitted.

3 October 2024: The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the driving force behind some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest sporting events, has announced in partnership with the Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO) the second season of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge.

The Organising Committee of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge, the off-road series that took the UAE’s motorsport lovers by storm in its first edition, is doubling its efforts to nurture new talent in the sport. Their vision for this exciting second edition includes four rounds held within the emirate of Abu Dhabi, providing the perfect scenario for newcomers to rub shoulders with some of the most experienced professional racers in the region.

The series was born as a community sport initiative following the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. However, the championship soon caught the attention of professional racers who began travelling from all corners of the GCC to participate in the new series, attracted by the fabulous and technical terrain Abu Dhabi offers, and reassured by the expertise the Emirates Motorsports Organization, the National Sporting Authority for Motorsport in the UAE, brings to the table.

A very successful first season crowned the inaugural Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge champions, with Andreas Borgmann clinching the overall title in the Auto category, and Aaron Mare becoming champion in the Moto category. Sune Schaffler claimed victory in the Female Cup, and Emirati athletes Abdulla Alfalasi and Saif Mohamed Bin Saifan were crowned champions in the Quads and SSX respectively.

For the upcoming second season, the grassroots four-wheel and two-wheel racing series will take place across four rounds, with Rounds 1 and 2 taking place this year in October and November, followed by a round at the start of 2025, culminating in the season finale in April.

Seasoned racers, rookies, and amateurs alike will be able to challenge themselves in the championship, with the events adding further value to the community. Very affordable registration fees are in place, and at the end of the second season, overall titles will be awarded for Moto/Quad Overall and Auto SXS Overall. Although the exact distance of each race will be announced prior to each round, it is anticipated that the rounds will cover over 100 kilometres each, with the fastest racers expected to complete the course in approximately two hours.

In its second season, the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge championship will be open to Autos, SXS, Motorcycles, Adventure Bikes, and Quads, which comply, as appropriate, with the FIA, FIM, or EMSO National Technical and Safety Regulations. In the car category, those over 18 years old will participate in the T1, T2, T3, and T4 categories, in addition to the SXS Turbo and SXS Non-Turbo categories. In the 450cc motorcycle category, women over 18 years old will be able to compete in their own category, alongside a junior category for 16 to 18-year-olds. The Quad and Marathon categories will be available for participants aged 18 to 44 years, veterans over 45 years old, and the Over 450cc category will also accept 250cc two-stroke bikes. The newly included Adventure Bike class will be open to participants over 18 years old riding bikes of 650cc and above.

The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the engine behind numerous high-profile sporting initiatives that aim to establish an environment capable of contributing to a healthier lifestyle for the community while promoting the practice of sport for all segments of the population.

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted with the great success of the first season of the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge and our fruitful cooperation with the Emirates Motorsports Organization, our strategic partner in this project. We look forward to continuing this constructive cooperation during the upcoming series to develop the skills and capabilities of local drivers and prepare them to participate in major international events within and outside the country.”

His Excellency Khalid Bin Sulayem, the EMSO’s President, commented: “We are delighted to join forces again with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and we look forward to seeing how the championship evolves in its second season. Abu Dhabi has a rich heritage in motorsport, and its fabulous landscapes provide the perfect arena for off-road racing. We are convinced that grassroots development series like the Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge are of utmost importance for the development of the sport in the region.”

To learn more and get involved in the second season of the thrilling Abu Dhabi Baja Challenge, please visit https://abudhabibajachallenge.com and register by Monday, 07th October to enter.