Pablo Quintanilla has put in yet another solid performance in the dunes of Africa, to claim a solid fourth place result on stage three of the 2018 Morocco Rally. Continuing to move up in the overall standings, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is currently placed fifth in the event’s provisional overall classification with two stages to go.
Sunday’s stage three of the Morocco Rally played host to the first part of the two-day-long Marathon Stage. Reaching the overnight bivouac outside Erfoud without any issues, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing duo of Pablo Quintanilla and Andrew Short are not allowed to receive any external assistance as they prepare their FR 450 Rally machines for Monday’s stage four.
Pablo was the third rider to take the start of Sunday’s 280km-long timed special. Battling through demanding navigation and varied terrain, the Chilean rally star posted the fourth best time for the day. With two more stages left to be contested, Pablo is now less than two minutes behind the rider placed in fourth and 14 minutes behind a provisional top-three overall result.
Continuing his apprenticeship in the dunes of Morocco, Andrew Short claimed an 11th place result on the Morocco Rally’s third stage. Currently 10th in the overall standings, Andrew is looking for a positive second half of this rally.
Kicking off on Monday morning, the penultimate stage of this year’s Morocco Rally is also the last part of the two-day Marathon Stage. On Monday, competitors will face a 294km timed special with a total distance of 317km.
Pela Renet – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Rally Team Manager: “The first part of the marathon stage has ended and both of our riders have safely made it to the overnight bivouac. So far, this rally has proven to be a tough challenge. Like most – if not all – competitors, Pablo and Andrew have made navigational mistakes these last few days. Pablo got lost twice on stage one and since then he is doing his best to recover the time lost. Getting third yesterday and then fourth today have helped him move up in the overall standings and we are all positive he will continue getting stronger. Pablo remains focused on his major goal of winning the World Championship. We still have two long stages to go and we will continue giving our best to make this happen. As for Andrew, we want to see him grow as a rally racer by gaining more experience. He too has made a few mistakes these last few days but I am happy to say Andrew has been making good progress. With the Dakar also in sight, it is crucial for our riders to stay safe and continue improving ahead of the event in January.”
You may find high-res images from the Morocco Rally here.
2018 Morocco Rally – Stage 3 Provisional Classification
1. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 03:53:25
2. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 03:55:03
3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 03:55:20
4. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 03:58:29
5. Franco Caimi (Yamaha) 03:59:01
6. Toby Price (KTM) 04:01:09
…
11. Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 04:10:41
2018 Morocco Rally – Provisional Overall Classification [After Stage 3]
1. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 09:46:54
2. Toby Price (KTM) 09:52:48
3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 09:58:52
4. Franco Caimi (Yamaha) 10:12:00
5. Pablo Quintanilla (Husqvarna) 10:13:39
6. Paulo Goncalves (Honda) 10:26:17
…
10. Andrew Short (Husqvarna) 10:43:07
