Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea clinch the Brazilian Cross Country title
X Rally Team have a lot to celebrate in 2018. Besides the third Sertões title in a row – a feat that no one had ever achieved before – and the Golden Helmet award, the São Paulo-based squad clinched the Brazilian Cross Country title with Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea last weekend in Lençóis Paulista (SP). It was the fourth victory out of five rounds so far. With one rally to the end of the season, the duo cannot be beaten and the runner-up was already set: X Rally Team’s Gunter Hinkelmann.
That was the first complete season with the X Rally Team-built Ford Rangers V8 4x4 within the T1 FIA Brasil class – the equivalente of the T Class in the South African Cross Country Championship. After winning the Sertões for two years in a row with the Ford Ranger built by South Africa’s Neil Woolridge Motorsport, the Brazilian team took a step forward and built two cars in their headquarters in São Paulo.
“We raced with a goal, and that was to bring the Ford Ranger to the end of every race with no problem whatsoever. As it was a new – and ambitious – project, we had a certain amount of caution, since it was built by the team in Brazil. The car behaved really well: fast, reliable, built tough. We finished every race without any single failure and we won them all – except the one in Santa Catarina, where we rolled over and did not finish. The merit goes to the team, and I only have to thank them all for the effort”, says Marcos Baumgart.
Marcos and Kleber raced together this season for a number of events they had never done before, since the duo was competing as well in the SACCS in South Africa in the T Class for Ford’s Neil Woolridge organization. “I think it was determinant. For us as a duo, it was a great year of growth. With no demagogies, this title goes to the team. We were anxious and worried when we first raced our car, with the impression it could cause on people. We debuted with a victory and on we went. This is a gift for our squad, for all the work and love they put into it”, highlights co-driver Kleber Cincea.
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