2013 Dakar Rally

[chunder]

I guess he does, but in Britain (at least in my house) we love it when a big mouth gets his bottom handed to him

I doubt the likes fo Carlos, Peterhansel and Nasser have ever been that worried by him, seriously!

But he adds colour and a different side to the event

[sublimao]

I'm with him, he is a total racer like his mentor AJ Foyt, he can drive any car in any race unfortunately at these times very few drivers compete in different racing series, it would be nice to watch grand prix drivers racing in WEC or DTM or Touring or so on...but as always money talks

[chunder]

Gordon was actually doing stuff like this before he ever got involved in proper racing, I think he won BAJA more than once, so he has form

I think American racers are a little more likely to get involved in other categories, certainly a lot of guys do Daytona, and quite a few NASCAR guys do seem to get involved in dirt track stuff now and then.

Their schedule is very heavy though and tricky to dovetail

Europeans seemingly are not as keen to do this, you get guys like Kristensen, Dumas, etc who seem to do more than one thing.

I have always rated Marc Duez highly, a man who culd win touring car races and then be just as competitive in a Belgian rally.

Seems the art of the mult tasker is gone a bit more these days

[Janneman]

In these days, is it the driver or the sponsor?

In the past for instance Martini did sponsor rally's and at the same time was heavely involved in group C racing. So drivers could easily make a sidestep to another category of racing.

Nowadays sponsors mostly stick to one form of racing so that blocks contracted drivers to do something else.

[chunder]

THe main sponsors that are involved are energy drinks firms, and they are involved in literally anything, so Vettl or Peterhansel could be motocrossing, rallycrossing, singing in a band or downhill skiing!

[FIRE]

More on:
http://m.theatlantic.com/infocus/201...-rally/100441/
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...ally_2013.html

[tausif]

Kamaz trucks and the Czar - awesome. Saw him handle the Kamaz like a Tonka toy many years ago at UAE Desert Challenge spectator stage. His time was faster than most cars!!

[NaBUru38]

Standings after stage 14:

Cars

1. FRA Peterhansel (Mini), 38:32'39
2. ZAF De Villiers (Toyota), 39:15'01
3. RUS Novitsky (Mini), 40:01'01
4. ESP Roma (Mini), 40:09'22
5. ARG Terranova (BMW), 40:21'49
6. POR Sousa (Great Wall), 41:10'55
7. FRA Chicherit (SMG), 42:00'' 23
8. ARG Álvarez (Toyota), 43:18'27
9. CHL Garafulic (Mini), 43:18'59
10. USA Gordon (Hummer), 44:10'54

Motorbikes

1. FRA Despres (KTM), 43:24'22
2. POR Faria (KTM), 43:35'05
3. CHL López (KTM), 43:43'10
4. SVK Jakes (KTM), 43:48'16
5. ESP Pedrero (KTM), 44:19'51

Quads

1. ARG Parteonelli (Yamaha), 49:42'42
2. CHL Casale (Yamaha), 51:33'17
3. POL Sonik (Yamaha), 52:59'31
4. ARG Bonetto (Honda), 53:22'52
5. CHL Palma (Can-Am), 54:18'39

[Truckosaurus]

There's something disappointing about the front runners staying in hotels rather than the bivouac, old de Villiers was tweeting pictures of the hotel pool next to the beach.

That is the downside to it running somewhere more populated that the Sahara.

They need to have a parc ferme for drivers

[FIRE]

I think most stay in the bivac.

[NaBUru38]

Hotels != Dakar Rally

[rallycrossnl]

I watch the Dakar rally raid for the trucks, but the real hero's of the raid are the 'malle moto' class. They do everything themselfs. No mechanic, no cook, no spiritual guidance chancellor to scare away a jinx. Just you, your bike and a big chest wich contains your tent, sleepingbag and spare parts the ASO transport for you to the next stop.

[NaBUru38]

Quads are the same, except that they fall off the vehicle much less frequently, and don't have to balance but sit comfortably. NBA players are amazing, Rally Dakar riders are insane!

[Ferrari333SP]

If any of you want to watch the daily stage recap videos from Speed Energy/Robby Gordon, go here: http://www.vimeo.com/user15665540

Each episode is 6 - 16 minutes long, and feature awesome footage of the Hummer from each stage, interviews with Robby Gordon and co-driver Kellon Walch, and other antics that happen during the Dakar Rally.

[NaBUru38]

On Fox Sports they showed a tape of Robby telling the codriver "Bleep, I bleeping told ya, we are blepped".

Before the race, Chilean president Sebastián Piñera was giving a speech about the race, and said: "a motor race for compete on cars, motorbikes, trucks and also quadripeds."