dakarrally

[dakarrally]

Laia Sanz has so far attracted attention as a motorcyclist in the Dakar Rally. Now the Spaniard is switching from two to four wheels. In the Primax X-raid Team, she will celebrate her debut in the car category in a MINI ALL4 Racing at the Dakar 2022. The Spaniard had already competed in the Rally Andalucia in the MINI ALL4 Racing this season. She secured eighth place in front of her home crowd. She also competed in the Extreme E, an off-road racing series for vehicles with electric motors. Sanz can look back on very successful years in motorbike racing: in 2011, she competed in the Dakar Rally for the first time. The fast Spaniard reached the finish line in all editions and secured a sensational ninth place in 2015. In addition, she was 14 times Trial World Champion, 10 European Trial Champion and won the Enduro World Championships seven times; she also took six victories in the FIM Trial des Nations. Primax is a leading company in the energy market with branches in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Primax and X-raid already worked together successfully a few years ago. In 2019, Stéphane Peterhansel secured the title in the FIA World Cup for cross-country rallies and in 2020, Carlos Sainz won the Dakar with a vehicle supported by Primax.

[dakarrally]

The old saying goes that race bikes don't run on gasoline. They run on money. That must be even more true for the cars and those monster off-road trucks. Saudi Arabia offered a lot of money to host the Dakar. But really, the Dakar is going to be in Saudi Arabia for the same reason the MotoGP season starts in Qatar, and it's not because, as Sanz said in a video, that racers love to see new places. Racing takes cubic dollars, and the Middle East is where a lot of them are located, and that's why Dakar 2020 ends in al Qiddiya, an artificial city in the desert.

Saudi Arabia just went on a government killing spree, executing 37 men, some of them for acts related to anti-government protests. That is including one being crucified and another having his head impaled on a spike! This in 2019!!

Last year a Saudi citizen and reporter, Jamal Khashoggi, resident of the USA walked into the Saudi embassy in Turkey for his marriage papers got killed and chopped up in pieces by a group of "rouge" secret service members....... yeah right. Fooling the world on top with such BS statements that change 3x in 5 days.....

Saudi Arabia is the thriving force behind a bombing campaign in Jemen killing countless civilians and deny delivery of supplies endangering the life's of 1000's of children

A year ago, there was a mini flurry of news coverage in the United States about how women were now allowed to drive a car or even ride a motorcycle in Saudi Arabia - at the Dakar 2020 intro event Laia Sanz was made an prominent figure to champion women rights in that country???

Look at today's Reuters news and you find a pair of Saudi sisters hiding somewhere in another countries airport looking for a place to live in freedom. At home they are not free!!

Politics and sport should not mix.... until there is a certain level reached. The history did teach us lessons - we need to apply them! This is not about politics! This is about basic human rights. A.S.O. and nobody else should support a country that violates them so much. Rally Raid stands for freedom and adventure not suppresion and torture.

The Saudis will use this event the same way the Nazis used the '36 Olympics, as a global stage for propaganda.

No factory team with some moral compass should participate, no sponsor with some moral compass should support it, no journalist with just one grain of ethical core and some moral compass should cover it.

There is an excellent alternative called Africa Eco Rally! And the finish line for that is in Dakar, Senegal where it belongs!

Image credits Adrien Van Beveren Facebook. AVB in Senegal Dakar area during 3 hour Sanduro 2019 - This post created with excerpts from Lance Oliver‘s post here...

[dakarrally]

Is Dakar 2020 in Saudi Arabia? Present at the Losail Circuit the Qatari Auto Champion, Nasser Al Attyah, has confirmed information bouncing around in various grapevine communication channels. Dakar is leaving South America to take place in Saudi Arabia, starting with Dakar 2020.

Huge investment by Saudi Arabia. Word is the Saudis paid $ 80 million over five years, or $ 16 million a year. Nasser Al-Attiyah, who triumphed three times at the Dakar in 2011, 2015 and 2019, says: "For me, it's a big step forward to come back. A five-year agreement was signed between ASO and Saudi Arabia for the 'Dakar'."

This post is based on a report in autonewsinfo.com, a french publication. Find the article Google Translated by clicking this link. Image credits Redbull Content Pool

[dakarrally]

Hino driver Teruhito Sugawara had this to say leading up to the upcoming rally: Stage 4 will be a marathon stage, which means we will not be returning to our bivouac where our mechanics are and we will not be receiving any support from them. If anything happens, my navigator and I will have to take care of the problem ourselves. Any problem in this segment can be fatal, but we need to stay alert as we can also easily lose time if we become too risk-averse and slow our pace.

While the total travel distance and SSs are shorter compared to the previous event, this event will feature a large number of segments in the Pisco desert, where driver Yoshimasa Sugawara and other teams were forced to withdraw from the race in the previous event. As such, we expect to see some high-intensity racing.

Image credits: Teruhito Sugawara/Facebook

[dakarrally]

Aubert finishes in an outstanding sixth position in the general classification; Barragán, fifteenth, finishes as the second best 'rookie' of the race, and Cristian España is thirtieth, completing the hat-trick achieved by GasGas on its return to this demanding competition. o-tone Jonny Aubert: "We finished the 2018 Dakar, and finished in sixth position. I am very happy.

Just a year ago I had my shoulder operated on and I had to do 8 months of recuperation, so this result is the reward for having maintained my faith at all times. I want to thank the whole of the GasGas Rally Team for all the work we did before and during the race.

Thanks also to GasGas and Torrot for trusting me and to Jordi Arilla for doing everything possible so that I could be myself in the rally. Now I'm looking forward to getting home and seeing my family and friends."

[dakarrally]

Aaah, the good ‘ol days! Only one pairing is still racing, at the times pictures are taken not joined as drive/navigator team. That driver/navigator combo did pretty good today, winning the (3rd) stage of #Dakar2018 and sitting 3rd in overall ranking.

Still good to see when cars had beer brands sponsors, some drivers a pack of smokes in their suits, when Dakar meant going to the city of Dakar in Senegal on the African continent and not everything was so darn political correct as it has to be, basically on demand, today.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;

Alfie Cox and Guerlain Chicherit been great drivers and should be in competitive cars for the Dakar Rally. Oh well, just reminiscing what should, could..... :)

[dakarrally]

The 2006 Dakar Rally, also known as the 2006 Paris-Dakar Rally, was the 28th running of the Dakar Rally event. It started from Lisbon, Portugal, and passed through Spain, Morocco, Mali, Mauritania, Guinea, before finishing in Senegal.

The format included speed restrictions on motorcycles and trucks and reduced use of global positioning systems. Competitors included double world rally champion, Carlos Sainz. Australian motorcyclist Andy Caldecott died in an accident during ninth stage. The tenth stage was not timed as a mark of respect for Caldecott. Spanish rider Marc Coma on KTM won the motorcycle category, second was French rider Cyril Despres and third Italian rider Giovanni Sala (both on KTM).

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;

At the cars the stage between Guinea and Senegal, was marred by the death of a 10-year-old boy who was hit by a car as he crossed the road. The final stage was not timed as a mark of respect for the three deaths. The rally was won by Luc Alphand.

[dakarrally]

The works buggy is an all new rear-wheel drive racer, which will use the same 3.0-liter diesel engine as the 4WD car, has been developed in response to Peugeot’s recent 2WD dominance of the South American event. How will they end the race?

Challenge for Bryce Menzies

In just a few days the #Dakar2018 starts. And with that there is also a new driver/co-pilot pairing on the startline. Successful Baja trophy truck racer and multiple winner Bryce Menzies and his copilot Pete Mortensen take on the Dakar Rally challenge for the first time.

And they do so in the brand-new developed x-raid team John Cooper Works Buggy. 

Keep reading

[dakarrally]

Testing the all-new Toyota Hilux, which features a mid-engine layout and a fresh suspension geometry. Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz are an established pairing in the Toyota. New in the Toyota Gazoo Racing team are Nasser Al Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel for the Dakar 2018.

The new car conforms to the latest rules as set out by the FIA, and will race with a 38 mm air restrictor in Dakar 2018. The bigger restrictor, 12% increase in suspension travel and lower weight is sure to play a large role, as Dakar 2018 starts in the big dunes of Peru, where the soft sand will sap the Toyota V8 of power.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;

The race then moves to Bolivia, where the stages take place at extreme altitudes, before finally descending into northern Argentina for the final part of the race. The 40th edition of the Dakar Rally starts in the Peruvian capital of Lima on January 6th, and ends in the Argentine city of Cordoba on January 20th.

[dakarrally]

Change to regulations for World Cup for Cross Country Rallies are pending. Dakar organizer ASO to handicap two-wheel drive buggy-style vehicles such as the 3008 DKR based on such new regulation.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; Peugeot to walk away from Rally Raid if the concept presented by the FIA cross-country commission is adopted. Peugeot has won the event for the past two years with Stephane Peterhansel.

[dakarrally]

Martín Maldonado and Sebastián Scholz Vergnolle Colcar RT Racing Team. Car: Mercedes Benz prototype Colcar Nr. 344.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; Image credits: Sebastián Scholz Vergnolle FB - PACO Foto Agencia

[dakarrally]

Satisfying start for Hero Motosports

Hero Motosports Team Rally riders, Joaquim Rodrigues of Portugal and C.S. Santosh of India, had a satisfying start to the team’s Dakar debut. Rodrigues, who entered the first timed section in 27th place, made a blazing run to complete the 39-km special in 29 minutes 42 seconds, that put him in 16th place in the provisional general classification.

In contrast to Rodrigues’s opening blitz, Santosh preferred to make a conservative start. o-tone Santosh "Being the first stage of the Dakar, there were some nerves flying and I was pretty nervous at start. In the first couple of kilometers it took some time to understand the kind of stage it’s going to be for the next 40 km.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8733588191385036"; google_ad_slot = "1390124059"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; There was a lot of water and lots of puddles and a few river crossings. So, it was an interesting stage. I didn’t really push because it’s the first day at the Dakar and there is a long way to go. Towards the end, it got a little better, but overall I am pretty happy, how I did today and minimized the mistakes. I am already looking forwards to tomorrow’s stage"

The upcoming second stage second stage will task the riders with a 803 km run from Resistencia to San Miguel De Tucuman out of which 275 km will be timed special.

[dakarrally]

Nasser Al-Attiyah won Dakar 2017 first stage but finished with flames/fire in his engine compartment!! He got towed by teammate Giniel de Villiers after finishing.

[dakarrally]

Menzies and Mortensen USA

For Bryce Menzies and Pete Mortensen (USA), the event held in January represents virgin soil. They are going to contest the Dakar for the first time.

In his first cross-country rallying season, Menzies already secured several fine results. In his first rally, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, he surprised by coming fourth and in the Hungarian Baja he even made it to second place.

“Competing in the Dakar has been my dream for quite a while. I just can’t wait for contesting the event together with X-raid, thus making this dream come true,” Menzies said. “X-raid is one of the most successful teams in the history of the Dakar and therefore, I couldn’t have a better partner. They supported me and my co-driver a lot when it came to finding the necessary speed. I competed in several events on different terrains and although none of them prepared me for the Dakar hundred percent I feel well with the team and in the car.”

[dakarrally]

X-raid colors in the 2017 Dakar

Hirvonen, Al-Rajhi, Menzies and Terranova are the spearheads to represent the X-raid colors in the 2017 Dakar. In the coming edition, the enormous heights in Bolivia and the difficult navigation will take drivers and navigators to their limits.

This year X-raid relies on younger drivers, to build a competitive squad for the future.

The four top drivers come from four completely different parts of the world: Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen, Yazeed Al-Rajhi from Saudi Arabia, US-American Bryce Menzies and Argentinean Orlando Terranova.

[dakarrally]

Erfoud, in Morocco, has been chosen as Peugeot’s test base in recent years as it contains a bit of everything, featuring conditions that will be generally similar to those seen on the Dakar in just over three months’ time.

All four Peugeot drivers were closely involved in the PEUGEOT 3008 DKR’s development program, covering approximately 5,000 kilometers during the two test sessions to date.

Morocco is a very important event, as it’s where Peugeot can check that the car is in the best possible condition to start the Dakar.

[dakarrally]

Coming off the back of a successful Dakar and Silk Way Rally campaign, Team Peugeot Total and Red Bull have revealed the brand new PEUGEOT 3008 DKR ready for 2017 Dakar Rally challenge.