Mini is preparing for yet another assault on the Silk Way Rally, which starts on July 7 in Russia’s Red Square and travels some 9,559 km over 15 days to finish in Xi’an in the heart of China.
In 2017, Mini will field three teams and cars, two from the X-raid Team and a privateer entry dubbed the G-Energy Team. The car set to be used by all three is none other than the new Mini John Cooper Works Rally, designed to withstand some of the harshest climatic conditions imaginable.
The first team will see last year’s second place finisher Yazeed Al Rajhi join forces with Tom Colsoul from Belgium for the exhausting race. Also competing will be the team of Bryce Menzies and Peter Mortensen, while the third and final team consists of Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov.
Approximately a quarter of the rally will be held in Russia and includes checkpoints at Tcheboksary and Ufa. The rally will then pass through Kazakhstan and stop in the city of Astana before continuing through China with checkpoints in Karamay, Urumqi, Hami, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Alxa Youqi and Zhongwei before the finish in Xi’an on July 22.
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