We do not know if wanting or not, but he imitates his Asturian friend. Because Jesus Calleja, like Alonso, he also has a plan. “I have a plan, but until it is known what I am going to do, it cannot be counted, because maybe later it will not be fulfilled and what do you say …”. Then The plan referred to by the television adventurer is none other than returning to Saudi Arabia in January to contest the next Dakar. As AS has learned, everything is underway and all that remains is to close agreements with sponsors so that it can be made official.
The goal is to be on the January 2 outing in Hail with a Century Racing CR6 from SMC Motorsport Team, a buggy rear-wheel drive with which he competed in Baja Aragón in which it was his return to raids and with which he shot in recent tests in Tunisia, between new recordings for his program ‘Planeta Calleja’, which he reported on his social networks. “I had never tried it in the dunes. In theory, it is more complicated than a 4×4, but if you do it well, it is the best”, said the man from León who, after enjoying sailing through the dunes, could not hide his satisfaction: “¡¡ It’s amazing how the car is doing! “
Calleja was not only grateful for the machine, but also for the human team that he has surrounded himself with in his new adventure to Arabia. You will have Edu Blanco again, with the one who did the Dakar in 2019, in the right seat and with the collaboration of an experienced couple in the desert such as Josep María Serviá and Fina Román, in addition to the one that will be in the other car … Because SMC will put in the sand a second ‘buggy’ for Óscar Fuertes and Diego Vallejo, the former duo of SsangYong that he rejoins to compete for the fourth time in the Dakar.
Both, like Calleja, they missed the last edition after the Korean brand decided to end their project and have found shelter in this new structure. And although they have not competed together since then (Vallejo has been co-driver in rallies with drivers like Pepe López), they met again in the cockpit in the aforementioned Tunisia tests, showing just as delighted as his partner, who said: “This car and the team are, without a doubt, the best I’ve had in my life as a driver.”
The Century, a ‘buggy’ of guarantees
“Possibly the Century is in the top two buggys current, roars that it is scary “, says Calleja about his new weapon, and does not say any exaggeration … Because if we review the last Dakar we can see how competitive it can become. One of the pilots who took it, South African Brian Baragwanath, was second in the prologue among cars and added five more stage top-10s (repeating second on fifth). “The plan is taking very good shape,” warns the presenter. Just like his Asturian friend …
#Calleja #plan