Showing posts with label rally. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rally. Show all posts

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Dakar 2010



Wow, I really enjoyed the scenery. Keeping up with Dakar 2010 on Euro sport was great.
The show made me really really want to go and visit this amazing countryside. Fortunately no riders died this year, there was one fatality, a spectators who was located in an unsafe area.

The helicopter shots were amazing and courtesy of Mont Blanc helicopter services

The US competitor involvement was great. They are getting better each year. American Mark Miller did an amazing job for Volkswagen, despite placing one spot lower than his 2009 2nd place.

Robbie Gordon did well with his Hummer H3, he showed off in this truck with his flamboyant American style. He says he will come back in 2011, with a 4 Wheel Drive Hummer.

Jonah Street did an amazing job again, right behind the front runners, I think he placed 7th, an amazing feat. His riding ability is incredible and he still seems to be an “unknown” rider”.

I hope the American involvement and interest in the race will increase. Americans are notoriously for Amero-centric. (I just made that word up.)

It sounds like next year the Dakar will become a traveling race, the organizers have not announced where it will be located next year.

I was very glad Carlos Sainz won, after his disastrous flip on stage 13 last year. Al-Attayh can have the crown next year, but I have not forgotten him in the rally-raid BMW X3 missing checkpoints because of “overheating” in 2009.

World Rally Championship 2010

It will start in less than a month with Rally Sweden February 12th! Let the duels began! Let’s hope for some more manufactures joining the WRC when they move to Super 2000 specs in 2011. Anyone want to see a Mini Crossman John Cooper Works WRC? I do..

It will be exciting to see the American Ken Block in the M-Sport prepared Ford Focus. I honestly do not have high expectation for him because he is totally new to driver/co-driver format. It is not about making Gymkhana videos. I am curious who will be his co-driver. He will be doing double duty, competing in both the Rally-America and WRC series.
This will be the last year for the Focus WRC car. Next year (2011), they will move to the Fiesta.