Puro Off Road » Dakar

Out for Mini All4racing and Chicherit

Memin Pinguin — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 12:14:48 +0000

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Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit had an accident behind the wheel of his Monster Energy All4racing Mini Countryman during a test drive he took on the rest day in Arica. The X-Raid Team driver suffers from a head trauma, which – fortunately – did not need for him to be taken to the Arica hospital; Chicherit was just kept under observation in the medical antenna of the rally organization on Saturday evening. As for the Mini Countryman, seriously damaged, it will not be able to get back in the race. ‘Guerlain is not seriously injured’, says Sven Quandt, the X-Raid Team Manager reassuringly, ‘but the car somersaulted once or twice. We don’t have time to repair and anyway we don’t have all the parts we need.’
View the destroyed All4Racing Mini here at Puro Dakar

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Quinn Cody Dakar 2011 stage 6 comments

Pendejo Expianista — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 20:27:02 +0000

Baja 1000 winner and Dakar Rally Raid newbie Quinn Cody talks about stage 6 of the Dakar 2011 Rally in Chile.

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Get your daily fix of rally Raid @ Puro Dakar with constant race updates, no B.S., unbiased race the deserts discussion forum and Live stream

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Jonah is happy even though suffering the setback of having lost is bike’s seat just 110km from the finish. Still, he remains 7th on the rally.

Tough second stage for Team Hummer

Puronator — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 22:40:00 +0000

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After mechanical problems at the 238 km point on the day’s special, American Robby Gordon (Hummer) was able to resume racing, but lost more than 35 minutes at the roadside. Robby Gordon finished 47th in the stage after a delay for mechanical problems and fell to 21st overall, more than one hour behind the front-runners. Also bad luck for the other US American Mark Miller which rolled his VW race Touareg. O-tone Mark Miller tweet” “More rain and today it caught me out and I had a big crash, but we continued and VW team fixin car for tomorrow! Great team” Driver interviews, stage summary news bulletins, Dakar Google map and more at Puro Dakar covering the #Dakar2011

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Credits: SpeedEnergy Team Hummer Gordon Maindru Photo

This race breaks people, it makes grown men cry!

Suppen Kaspar — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:55:32 +0000

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Born in the scorching sands of Africa, motorsport’s ultimate endurance event will once again test the mettle of some of the world’s bravest drivers next month. Its late creator described it as “a challenge for those who go, a dream for those who stay behind” — and the Dakar Rally has lost none of its daring appeal since moving to South America three years ago. On Saturday, 430 vehicles cars, motorcycles, trucks and quad bikes — will line up on Buenos Aires’ Avenue of July 9 to begin a 15-day trek through the Andes mountains and Atacama desert into northern Chile, then back down into Argentina. The race has been contested since 1978, after Frenchman Thierry Sabine lost his way during the previous year’s Abidjan-Nice rally. Sabine was so captivated by his experience in the Libyan Desert that he sought to create an event where competitors could enjoy such a stunning setting, and the Paris-Dakar rally was born – a grueling 6,000-mile route from France to Senegal.
It has enjoyed a rich and varied history, with moments of triumph and tragedy punctuating its 32-year story. In 1986, its founding father Sabine died along with four others in a helicopter crash in Mali during the eighth edition of the race. Then 22 years later, four French tourists were murdered in the north-African country of Mauritania, and following terrorist threats the 29th staging was duly canceled as competitors gathered in the Portuguese city of Lisbon for pre-race scrutineering. In the wake of those events, race organizers decided to relocate the rally for the following year, so the Dakar moved to a new continent in 2009.

One competitor who knows all about the event’s challenges is Tamsin Jones, who finished 87th out of 88 riders in the motorbike category in 2010 to become only the second British woman to complete the race. “There were times when I loved it, times I hated it and times when I was terrified. Actually by the end of the rally I was terrified nearly every day,”.
“The guys I used to ride with always talked about the Dakar, and I remember how awesome it looked when I first watched it on the television. It was the adventure and endurance challenge that really got me. “To me and the people I ride with, it is the biggest motorbike challenge in the world.” Jones admits that the only thing that kept her going was “the fear” that she would have to return in 2011 if she did not finish the race.

“I was so happy to finish,” the 38-year-old said. “I don’t think anyone realizes what goes into preparing for the rally. I started with no funds and no mechanical knowledge. “I ended up with over $60,000 of sponsorship, and I was able to strip the back-end of my Yamaha and clean the carburetor in the desert, in the dark.” Despite its route through hard-to-reach locations, Jones said crowds flocked to watch the race. “Thousands of people get whipped up into frenzy. Most of the first couple of days’ spectators is lining the whole course,” she said.
“Day one in 2010 was over 300 kilometers and literally the whole route was lined with crowds, they were swarming onto the motorways.” And what can any potential competitors expect if they front up to the start line?
“It’s an unbelievable experience. This race breaks people, it makes grown men cry. It takes the lives of top riders. You put your life and everyone’s around you on hold for a year so you can do a two-week race,” Jones said.
“It is a brutal test of endurance where you have to dig deeper than you ever have before to get to the end. I’ve got to say I’m actually still traumatized by it. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Check our Special Dakar section – Puro Dakar – for all updates during the next 2 weeks. There is a – approximate – Google map of the race course as well a daily section as the race progresses.
Live TV stream from TV station in Argentina and much more. Visit the Dakar special Edition here…

Hey you Volkswagen and Arciero-Miller people….

Alfie Cox miles for smiles

Memin Pinguin — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:10:54 +0000

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South African off-road racing legend and KTM ‘supremo’ Alfie Cox has once again set his sights on the world’s most famous off-road motorsport event … the Dakar rally. Alfie together with his good friend Juergen Schroeder will be racing a South African prepared Nissan Navara over the tortuous 9500km 13 stage course through South America. This is very much an international collaboration between South Africa based Alfie Cox Racing and German based PS Laser Racing who are the key sponsors. Not only will Alfie and Juergen be tackling the hardest rally in the world but they will also be challenging themselves to make a difference in their support of the Cipla Miles for Smiles Foundation. Through their efforts they hope to raise funds and awareness of under-privileged children afflicted with facial deformity. Joining them on this goodwill crusade will also be Iain Stevenson, a KwaZulu Natal based wireless communications entrepreneur who is meeting his ‘Everest’ as he tackles his first Dakar on a KTM motorbike supplied and prepared by Alfie.

Following Alfie, Juergen and Iain is also a dedicated team of supporters who will be making the long journey across to South America to cheer on the racers. These die-hard fans are also committing themselves to the Miles for Smiles cause and will be helping to spread awareness where ever they go.

The Miles for Smiles team are extremely honored to have the support and commitment of the likes of Alfie, Juergen, Iain and the Dakar supporters group and we wish them all a successful Dakar.
Find more information about Southafrican racers supporting the Smiles for Miles foundation here….

MORE IMPORTANT: Please help the children by making a donation – visit Miles for Smiles

Robby Gordon TV interview and VW Touareg airfreight

Pendejo Expianista — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:42:30 +0000

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When is a Hummer, not just a Hummer? When it’s tricked out for racing by NASCAR driver Robby Gordon’s crew. Robby Gordon heading to South America for the 2011 Dakar Rally. A TV interview with Robby Gordon prior to shipping out the Speed Energy Hummers for the Dakar Rally Raid. Team Dakar USA showed that they a serious contender in the Dakar and could compete with the best off-road teams in the world if there are no technical challenges. Also more VW Motorsports pre-race logistics. On December 10 Volkswagen Motorsport employees carefully monitored how three of the four 228 kW (310 hp) desert prototypes were loaded and securely lashed onto special open containers. The air journey for the valuable handcrafted competition cars, estimated 1.5 million Euro each (that is 1.98435 million $ U.S.), was also prepared meticulously this year. “One car left on 12 December, two on 16 December and the last one on 19 December,” explains Lutz Meyer, responsible for logistics at Volkswagen Motorsport.

Find the Robby Gordon interview here

The unique VW airfreight story here…

Volkswagen final preperations

Memin Pinguin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:42:07 +0000

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Without Aral and BP the Volkswagen train would not roll a single metre during the Dakar Rally. In January Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E), Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) and their four new Race Touareg 3 rely on fuels supplied by the internationally active company, which numbers among the partners in Volkswagen’s “Dakar” program. The two Race Trucks also entered in the competition are supplied with the same fuel, while the remaining chase vehicles are supplied from public fuel stations along the route. Before Volkswagen fights again in 2011 for victory in the world’s toughest desert rally using Aral Ultimate Diesel fuel, the products start a long journey. The liquid energy is transported by sea to South America. “Since transport between Argentina and Chile is prohibited, every country is supplied by ship,” explains Lutz Meyer, responsible for the logistics at Volkswagen Motorsport. “12,000 liters are on their way to Argentina in 60 barrels of 200 liters a piece. The transport takes 18 days. A further 13,000 liters are planned for Chile. These barrels are even traveling for 29 days.”
Read more on the VW – Aral – BP logistic for this years Dakar Rally here…

Check the final test in snow and ice in Germany with Mark Miller and the Touareg 3 here…

Press Release Volkswagen Motorsport – Puro Off Road is registered news user with Volkswagen Motorsport and Volkswagen of America

X-Raid Monster Energy Rally Raid Team

Memin Pinguin — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:16:27 +0000

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Monster Energy and the BMW X-raid Team have joined forces to create the Monster Energy X-raid Team, which will tackle January’s 33rd Personal Dakar Argentina-Chile (2011 Dakar Rally) in South America. The Trebur-based operation will field seven cars in the world’s most famous off-road rally, with Monster Energy supporting three of the teams. Peterhansel is the most successful driver in the history of the Dakar Rally. He won the race six times on a motorcycle, before switching to racing on four-wheels in 1999. Partnered by Jean-Paul Cottret, Peterhansel claimed three victories in the Dakar on four wheels and finished fourth overall with the X-raid Team on the 2010 Dakar in South America – his first with the German team.
Read more at Puro Dakar here…

Press Release Team X-raid GmbH – Puro Off Road is registered news user with Team X-raid GmbH – Image credits X-Raid

Mercedes-Benz Unimog the perfect Dakar vehicle

Memin Pinguin — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 19:58:40 +0000

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The 2011 Dakar Rally is scheduled for January 1st – 16th, our suggestion for transportation. We would like to recommend the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Unimog for your vehicle of choice. The Unimog is technically considered a commercial vehicle but anyone who has had the privilege of driving one knows they are unlike any commercial truck sold in The States. They are to the Europeans what a full size 4wd 1-ton truck is to Americans… except, they are bigger, stronger, and tougher in just about every way. They are built to climb 45 degree grades with a full load, cross rivers (they come from the factory with a snorkel kit), and are equipped with terrain adapting tire pressure regulators. The front and rear axles have a full 30 degrees of travel as well as torque interruption sensing automatic differential lockers to make sure all four wheels are turning when the terrain demands it. If you want one of these monsters you’re going to have to import it in from Germany. But if you have the kind of money it takes to race Dakar, that probably doesn’t matter very much.

The Shmoo, for anyone who remembers the Li’l Abner comic strip, was a little blob-shaped critter that would be anything you wanted him to be. The Unimog is a mechanical shmoo, only without the self-sacrificing part. Unimog stands for Universal-Motor-Gerät, German for universal motor equipment, and if ever there were truth in advertising, this is it. Technically, the Unimog is a forward-control tractor with four equal-sized wheels, but from there it can do anything from farming and roadside grass mowing to off-road firefighting, and Unimog makes a military version as well. Developed in postwar Germany and adopted by Mercedes-Benz in 1953, the Unimog was powered by a six-cylinder Mercedes passenger car engine and had a relatively short 114-inch wheelbase with minimal front or rear overhang. Portal axles offset the wheelhub downward for another 6 inches of clearance. It had a top speed of almost 60 miles per hour but was unstoppable off-road. A larger version was added in the mid-1970s with more power, more ground clearance, and deeper fording capability. It’s the go-anywhere versatility that’s the greatest asset of the Unimog, however. If you need to go somewhere, a Unimog can get you there.

Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 world debut

Memin Pinguin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:13:20 +0000

Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 celebrates spectacular world debut.In a spectacular show the new Volkswagen Race Touareg 3 was unveiled to the public on Friday. The 310-hp cross-country rally prototype experienced its public debut in the impressive setting of the amphitheater in Trier alongside ancient chariots and gladiators. 1,000 spectators witnessed the presentation of the successor of model version 2, the car that decided the legendary Dakar Rally in its favor in 2009 and 2010. Volkswagen is set on bringing the “Dakar” trophy to Wolfsburg for the third time in a row in January 2011 with the Race Touareg 3 and is the only manufacturer so far to have decided the automobile classification of the desert classic in its favor with diesel power. From September 11 to 18 the new Race Touareg 3 will make its competitive debut at the Silk Way Rally through Russia.