Moraes in second place after Stage 3 of 2024 Rally dos Sertoes
The third stage of the 2024 Rally dos Sertões proved to be a challenging yet rewarding day for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Lucas Moraes and his co-driver Kaíque Bentivoglio. The duo maintained their high level of competition, finishing second in the stage and moving into second place overall after the 336 km special stage.
Starting the day in first position after their Stage 2 victory, Lucas and Kaíque embarked on a 386 km route from Santa Maria da Vitória to Luís Eduardo Magalhães, with 336 km of timed special. The stage began with a very bumpy section that tested the drivers’ endurance and skill. The narrow roads and sandy tracks made the course even more challenging, slowing down the competitors during the early parts of the day.
The stage was temporarily halted due to an incident involving two motorcycles, and after the situation was under control, the cars were restarted. As the day progressed, the route opened up to wider roads, allowing for increased speeds. However, Lucas and Kaíque encountered two flat tyres, which impacted their overall time. Despite these challenges, they managed to secure a time of 5h 58m 30s, placing second in the stage, just 2m 48s behind stage winners Adroaldo Weisheimer and Beco Andreotti.
With this result, Lucas Moraes and Kaíque Bentivoglio have moved into second place overall in the rally, just 1m 36s behind the current leaders, Weisheimer and Andreotti. The competition remains tight, with the top competitors separated by only a few minutes.
The competition continues on with the first leg of the marathon stage, where the cars will cover a total of 293 km, of which 263 km will be timed. The route will take place entirely within Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Bahia, and will challenge the teams with its demanding terrain and limited support during the marathon stage.
Lucas Moraes, who is also competing in the World Rally-Raid Championship with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, and Kaíque Bentivoglio will continue to push for top positions as the rally progresses. The team remains focused on maintaining their momentum and building on their strong performances so far.
Rally dos Sertões 2024 –Stage 3 Results
| 1 | #340 | A. Weisheimer / B. Andreotti | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | 05hr 55min 58sec |
| 2 | #323 | L. Moraes / K. Bentivoglio | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +02:33 |
| 3 | #301 | M. Gastaldi / C. Sachs | (Century CR7) | +04:39 |
| 4 | #308 | M. Moraes / F. Pedroso | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +04:48 |
| 5 | #348 | C. Ambriosio / L. Poli | (Century CR7) | +08:05 |
| 6 | #310 | G. Spinelli / P. Fiuza | (Mitsubishi Triton Ultimate Racing) | +12:22 |
| 7 | #311 | G. Fontoura / F. Bianchini | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +13:06 |
| 8 | #318 | L. Nacif / E. Rocha | (Ford Ranger) | +15:07 |
| 9 | #332 | J. Silmar / A. Antunes | (Ford Ranger) | +17:17 |
| 10 | #320 | A. Buchheim / M. Falcao | (Buggy Giaffone V8) | +17:34 |
Rally dos Sertões 2024 – Classifications after Stage 3
| 1 | #340 | A. Weisheimer / B. Andreotti | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | 09hr 06min 39sec |
| 2 | #323 | L. Moraes / K. Bentivoglio | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +01:20 |
| 3 | #301 | M. Gastaldi / C. Sachs | (Century CR7) | +07:59 |
| 4 | #308 | M. Moraes / F. Pedroso | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +08:42 |
| 5 | #348 | C. Ambriosio / L. Poli | (Century CR7) | +19:41 |
| 6 | #310 | G. Spinelli / P. Fiuza | (Mitsubishi Triton Ultimate Racing) | +27:03 |
| 7 | #311 | G. Fontoura / F. Bianchini | (Toyota GR DKR Hilux) | +27:56 |
| 8 | #318 | L. Nacif / E. Rocha | (Ford Ranger) | +28:51 |
| 9 | #320 | A. Buchheim / M. Falcao | (Buggy Giaffone V8) | +34:17 |
| 10 | #332 | J. Silmar / A. Antunes | (Ford Ranger) | +36:35 |
Partners
Red Bull has established itself as the premiere supporter of extreme sports and athletes, and as such fits perfectly with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's Dakar and W2RC efforts. The Austrian energy drink manufacturer has partnered with TGR over numerous years, and the involvement bore fruit when the team won a second Dakar title in January 2022, and a third in 2023.
SpeedMax is a CantuStore's private label, which is the largest omnichannel platform and leader in tire replacement market in Brazil. SpeedMax promotes maximum performance through high-performance tires that suit all types of vehicles, from passenger cars to trucks and tractors, as well as inner tubes and truck wheels.
