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| For immediate publication |
| 2005.12.01 |
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The Nissan team has been crown winner of the FIA International Cup of Bajas
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BLÁZQUEZ AND SALVADOR WORLD CHAMPIONS IN QATAR
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The Nissan Spanish Worksteam with its driver Marc Blázquez and co-driver Ignacio Salvador, have been crowned World Champions of Bajas in a hard Qatar Baja.
On Friday, in a long and warm first special stage, the Spaniards finish the 384 km long in a sensational second place after a complicated navigation exercise. This place helped the team to reach their aim, to control their most dangerous rival, the Portuguese Rui Sousa. The Nissan Spanish team had a comfortable seven points gap.
On Saturday the objective was clear, to finish in a better position than Sousa and obtain the title. And they reach. Blázquez and Salvador jumped on the third step of the podium in a sensational special where they complete all the time controls being faster than the day before. This third position gave the Championship gold to the Nissan's Spanish team. This is the first time that Nissan wins a Cross-Country FIA absolute Championship.
Blázquez finish a season where he reached the aims of the manufacturer "It has been a really rough Rally where we had to work hard but the car had a good answer and the results couldn't be better. I'm really excited for this victory so important for us, I want to dedicate it to my family and to Nacho and also to my truly friends and obviously, to Nissan... I want to give them a special tank because they always trusted in me and gave me the support I needed. Our objective was to get the title and we did it", said the Nissan's driver who since now will be concentrated in the Dakar.
Nacho Salvador's morale couldn't be higher "for us this victory is very important so we went to assure the title. We wanted to be calm and complete the run putting attention to the holes and the stones because we didn't wanted to have any puncture. We decided to go straight in the complicated dunes zone, we could do it because we knew the zone thanks to yesterday's special. Even going slower we win 40 minutes comparing our yesterday's times. I think this victory is the result of a well-done job, a good team and an excellent driver. It has been a good test for the Dakar," adds Salvador.
With this victory, Nissan culminates a year full of success since this title sinks to the recently reached Spanish Cross-Country Championship for Manufacturers.
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FIA INTERNATIONAL CUP OF BAJAS '05
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| Pos. |
Driver |
Car |
Points |
| 1 |
Marc Blázquez (E) / Nacho Salvador (E) |
Nissan Navara |
29 points |
| 2. |
Rui Sousa (P) |
Nissan Pickup |
19 points |
| 3. |
Luc Alphand (F) |
Mitsubishi |
15 points |
| 3. |
Nani Roma (E) |
Mitsubishi |
15 points |
| 5. |
Stephan Henrard (B) |
Volkswagen |
13 points |
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