Norton Abrasives, a Saint-Gobain brand, proudly sponsors the Varela Can-Am SXS Rally team at the Rallye du Maroc.
The Rallye Du MarocThe Rallye du Maroc (Morocco Rally) can trace its origins back to 1934 and since then, it has been considered to be one of the toughest and most challenging circuits in the global rallying calendar. This race serves as part of the annual FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and attracts only the most experienced, elite SXS rally drivers from around the world. Between 5th and 9th October, 2019 competitors undertook a gruelling 2,600 km rallying marathon through the Moroccan desert, tackling some of the toughest and most unforgiving terrain on Earth. |  |
Varela SXS Team
The Varela Team hails from Brazil, and so named due it being predominantly formed of Varela family members. On race day, the men behind the steering wheel are Rodrigo, Gabriel, Bruno, and Reinaldo Varela: their father. This team also comprises two highly skilled navigators in Gustavo Gugelmin and Eduardo Shiga.
Their rally car of choice; the Can-Am Maverick X3 model, is generally recognised to be the fastest SXS car available for desert races, achieving a 0-60mph of around 4 seconds – hence it is the perfect choice for the Rallye du Maroc.
Long term partnershipAs world leader in abrasives, Norton prides itself on developing partnerships and relationships across many different sectors and industries. We are excited by supporting sports teams such as the Varela SXS, adding value to their effort by supplying products that help build and maintain the vehicle for the race. Naturally, sponsorship has great benefits for the Norton brand too as the association with the team positions Norton in front of a captive audience of potentially millions of spectators. Norton Abrasives have proudly sponsored the Varela family team for the last two years and have seen them go from strength-to-strength during that time. This was never more evident than during their victorious outing at Dakar in 2018. |  |
Patricia Bitencourt, Automotive Aftermarket Marketing Manager, Saint-Gobain Abrasives Brazil, said:
“We’re delighted to offer our continued support to the team. Alongside being a great advert for the Norton brand, it allows us to get even closer to our customers.”
“As a business, we are extremely happy with our long term partnership the SXS team and the Varela family. We are looking forward to helping the team achieve further success in the future.”
Follow the team
You can follow the fortunes of the Varela SXS team on Facebook by liking their page. If you would like any more information about Norton Abrasives, Saint-Gobain Abrasives, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.