The 2017 Dakar is coming up fast, 2-14 Jan. I plan to try to keep up with it and post some updates here. This is their latest D minus posting...does anyone know anything about this new category? The normal categories are trucks, cars, bikes and ATVs. What's a UTV and what's the point of this new category?
The 2016 route adds Paraguay for the first time and this year skips Chile. (clear version of graphic here:http://netstorage.lequipe.fr/ASO/dakar/2017/parcours-general/DAK17-parcours-carte.pdf)
Anyone know if Gordon has bailed out on this year? Last year he pretty much said its over for him and his team.
I don't see any US drivers on the UTV list. http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2017/us/rider/rider-list-bikes.html
There are a few circuits running for those here in the states - my nephew races in several in the SE.
Whoa. Previous Dakars in SA have been easy? Really? Dakar 2017 won't be like "easy" previous editions - de Villiers (motorsport.com)
I must be a girlie man then because ever since they moved to S. America they all looked pretty brutal.
I've completely dropped the ball here. Day 2 is already done, time to catch up! Rather than copy the whole of MINI's first stage article, here are the bullet points: Two MINI John Cooper Works Rally take top ten positions Al-Rajhi completes Stage 1 in seventh place; Hirvonen in ninth All eight members of the MINI Family complete Stage 1 Here is the official video from yesterday's stage. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOeV0zVCkIo"]Stage 1 Summary - Car/Bike - Dakar 2017 - YouTube[/ame] BTW, notice there's an American listed 3rd in bikes.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD36DCtoRx8"]Firemen Dakarteam - the crash in stage 1 - YouTube[/ame]
I read today that two of the UTVs are now classified in the cars category. The drivers of the identical vehicles, brothers Tim and Tom Colonel, first claimed it was because they were "too fast" but it looks like they just broke the rules for engine size in the new category. Don't know how that one factor turns their UTVs into cars (or why they aren't simply disqualified) but I don't make the rules...and maybe there's more to the story?
Part of MINI's Stage 2 release: Apparently we're going to see a "Dakar Heroes" bit near the end of each daily summary starting with Stage 2. Here's the Dakar Heroes intro video. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDGHXJ-p5Co"]Stage 2 - Dakar Heroes - Dakar 2017 - YouTube[/ame] Stage 2 Summary: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6hKlWZzacQ"]Stage 2 Summary - Car/Bike - (Resistencia / San Miguel de Tucumán) - Dakar 2017 - YouTube[/ame]
This is one of those things I didn't (still don't) understand about the UTV class. Tell me this thing doesn't just look like a buggy from the car category. It's the Tom Colonel UTV with the oversized (for the UTV class) engine and now, surprise, running as a buggy in the car category... Huh?