The Baja Portalegre was the final round of this year's International Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, and Russia's Gadasin, Dutchman Van Deijne and the Czech Republic's Zapletal were all in with a shout for the title at the wheel of their respective BFGoodrich-equipped prototypes.

 

The outcome of the 2009 Portuguese Cross-Country Rally Championship was also to be decided over the Baja Portalegre 500's greasy stages which were made even more difficult by fog on the second day. With Carlos Sousa not contesting the event, the three drivers still in the running were Campos, Da Maia and Barbosa.

 

It was Holland's Van Deijne who emerged unexpectedly in front at the first passage control of the first stage, but his run was soon thwarted by mechanical trouble, which put paid to any remaining chances he may have nurtured of winning the series. The fastest driver on Day 1 was ultimately Filipe Campos (BMW/BFGoodrich) ahead of Barbosa (BMW/BFGoodrich) for whom second place was insufficient to claim the Portuguese title.

 

Despite suffering mechanical problems on the first leg, Boris Gadasin (Nissan/BFGoodrich) was fastest on the following day's SS3. The Russian driver, winner of two bajas earlier in the season, succeeded in fighting his way back up to sixth overall, which was enough to hand him the 2009 International Baja Cup in association with BFGoodrich.

 

BMW/BFGoodrich's Filipe Campos won the Baja Portalegre 500 outright to put the seal on his third Portuguese Cross-Country rally title.

 

1, Campos/Baptista (BMW/BFGoodrich). 2, Barbosa/Ramalho (BMW/BFGoodrich), +5m 20s. 3, Dos Santos/Fiuzza (BMW/BFGoodrich), +7m 41s. Etc.