Puerto Peñasco and its surrounding desert were an important part of the all-terrain World Rally Raid Championship “Sonora Rally”, held April 22nd – 28th across Sonora.
The race, which started out in Hermosillo and ended in San Luis Rio Colorado, included 5 routes in all. Three of these started and/or ended in Puerto Peñasco, putting this Sonoran port on the map as the event was broadcast daily to 180 countries.
The Dakar style trek welcomed 115 internationally renowned drivers who maneuvered their all-terrain vehicles and bikes across the sand dunes and mountainous landscapes while trying to conquer Sonora’s desert. The challenging Sonoran desert had been chosen for this edition of the Rally in being the only spot in the world with such a rich biodiversity of plateaus along and climate.
The intense and trying journey, backed by the Sonora Secretary of Tourism as well as the municipal administrations of Puerto Peñasco, Caborca, and San Luis Rio Colorado, attracted participants from Qatar, the U.S., the Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Spain, China, Australia, New Zealand, Lithuania, and beyond.
Among the winners of the various categories of the “Sonora Rally”, stand outs included Jeremy Gray, Lithuanian racers Laizvydas Kancius and Rocas Baciuska, Brendan Crow, Romain Dumontier, the young Spanish driver Cristina Gutiérrez Herrero, and the distinguished sheik and 5-time champion Nasser Al Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel.
Racers, who follow this circuit across the globe, had the opportunity to experience the wonders of the heart of the Sonoran Desert and the Sea of Cortez along with star-filled nightly camps and the great hotel and cuisine offerings in Puerto Peñasco along with the warmth of the people of Sonora.
More information about the Sonora Rally: