I actually had a friend who completed the Budapest-Bamako rally this year, but I haven’t asked him yet how it went for him (he did it with four wheels and not two, though). The rally is a bit like the “poor man’s rally”, unlike the more professional Dakar, although it still takes place in the historic homeland of rallies: Africa. The guy in the video above is very well equipped, and we get to see some of the beautiful landscape. Enjoy other videos after the jump.

Continue reading: Budapest Bamako rally videos

Valentino Rossi will be trying his hand in rallying again when he’ll take part in next year’s round of the World Rally Championship in Mexico. The reigning MotoGP champion who may cinch his 9th World title at the Malaysian GP this upcoming weekend, will be driving a Ford Focus.

“It is the last chance to race in WRC before new rules in 2011. I can’t let the opportunity escape me,” Rossi reported from his own column that he keeps in the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

Rossi has already taken part in rallies in Britain and New Zealand and several shows has always hinted that he would like a second career on four wheels after he retires from motorcycle racing.

Source | motoring

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi to drive in Mexico Rally in 2010

These pics show some great scenes of the Aprilia desert rally among the pyramids and dunes of Egypt. This year’s 450 cc class rally was won for the second time in a row by Paolo Ceci with his RXV 4.5 “Africa” and the Team Giofil 3000, while overall Aprilia managed 4th place. Check out the lovely pics.

Source | Motoblog.it

Continue reading: Aprilia desert rally pics

Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi have tried their hand at rallying, Troy Bayliss tested a V8 Supercar, Marco Melandri raced a Speedcar, and SBK rider Fonsi Nieto doesn’t want to be left out, and he too will also try racing on four wheels. The Spanish racer will be making his sportscar debut in the next round of the Le Mans Series.

Nieto will take part in the 1000 km of Algarve-Portimao race in two weeks time behind the wheel of an LMP2 entered by Iberian team Q8 Oils Hache. Taking to the wheel with Nieto will be compatriots Maximo Cortes and a newcomer to endurance, Carmen Jordà.

Carmen Jordà currently races nell’European F3 Open with a Dallara F306 Toyota powered team of ‘GTA’ and is also Nieto’s girlfriend.

Continue reading: Fonsi Nieto switches from 2 wheels to 4

You know how we were saying that Travis Pastrana needs all the extra lives he can get? Well here’s proof in this amazing rally crash Pastrana had a few years ago in Colorado. Maybe he should stick to freestyling, cars being a dangerous option!

Continue reading: Pastrana in rally crash: "are you alive?!"

The Great Britain rally has kicked off with some difficult weather conditions for both drivers and the public. Valentino Rossi has started his rally adventure after having warmed up in the Monza Rally Show in November.

In the Thursday Shakedown, the fastest on the track was Mikko Hirvonen, driver for BP Ford Abu Dhabi Team, preceding the other specialists, Petter Solberg for Subaru and Loeb for Citroen.

Valentino is at the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC Stobart in 17th position, clocking a time of 2.41.7 on the 3.9 km circuit in the Penllergaer forest.

Continue reading: Great Britain rally for Valentino Rossi

Third place for Loris Capirossi during the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup at the Tempest Rally. Loris drove the Suzuki Swift with his number 65, with co-driver Craig Thorley to a ninth place overall.

Capirossi said: “It has been a great day and it was really fun to do the rally. I took my time in the early stages as I got used to driving on the loose surfaces and in the forests, it was certainly very different from the wide-open tracks that I am used to in MotoGP! As I got more confident with the car my times improved and I was able to go a lot quicker and I think if we could have done a couple more stages I might have caught the leader, but I am really pleased with third in my first rally.

About the fact that team boss Paul Denning crashed out of the race, Loris said: “It was a shame that Paul crashed out, because I think our times were very close and it would have been good to have had that extra bit of competition with him, but I think I would have beaten him anyway!”

source | mcn

Continue reading: Loris Capirossi on the podium in the Tempest Rally