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.
