Matthias Walkner from Tennegau wins the Challenger class in Morocco

Walkner made his debut for the German South Racing team at the Rallye du Maroc, teaming up with his new co-driver Oriol Mena. Like Walkner, the Spaniard comes from the world of off-road desert rallying.

At Whitsun, Walkner had already secured victory in the Challenger class at the Desafio Ruta 40, the Argentine round of the World Championship. Now he has done it again in the Moroccan Sahara.

Matthias Walkner und Oriol Mena freuen sich über ihren Marokko-Triumpf

Foto: MCH-Photo

Walkner made his mark on the race by winning three of the five stages. Walkner won the opening transfer stage from the Atlantic coastal town of Agadir to the oasis city of Zagora on the edge of the Sahara. From Zagora, four loops were completed over stony terrain and through sandy dune landscapes.

Walkner also claimed victory in the fourth and fifth stages, demonstrating that his overall victory was by no means a fluke, given the performance he displayed.

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Walkner/Mena gewannen drei von fünf Etappen

Foto: MCH-Foto

The third stage had presented Walkner with a number of setbacks. He lost almost two hours to the stage winner, Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli, who was competing for the Can-Am Factory Team. The Argentine had already won the second stage. Walkner and Mena lost a great deal of time right at the start of the stage, at the 30-kilometre mark, following a serious navigation error. To make matters worse, two punctures significantly slowed their progress. A time penalty cost them a further two minutes.

These difficulties saw the duo drop back to second place in the overall standings. They almost managed to reclaim the lead on the fourth stage, but narrowly missed out due to a nine-second time penalty.

On the final day, González Ferioli, the leader, had to contend with problems. With a determined performance, Walkner managed to secure the stage victory ahead of the Frenchman Andrea Deldossi (Can-Am Maverick), cementing the Austrian’s overall victory.

In the overall car classification, Walkner finished in 20th place. This is a remarkable achievement, as the SSV buggies, unlike the top-class vehicles, are limited to a top speed of 125 kilometres per hour.

With his second victory, Walkner’s ‘Mission 2TO4’ is clearly on track for success.

Walkner/Mena gewannen drei von fünf Etappen

Foto: MCH-Foto

Matthias Walkner commented on his triumph: “It’s absolutely brilliant, I’m absolutely delighted! It got really exciting again right at the end. I didn’t know about Ferioli’s breakdown and was nervous the whole time because I thought he was driving flat out.”

“The car has been performing better day by day, just like the navigation with Oriol. I’m absolutely delighted with the victory and our pace. We’re now fully focused on the Dakar in January.”