West X 1000 at the 2019 Dakar Rally
SS10, Kings of the Desert
Evidently, You Can Put a Price on Victory
A challenge is meant to bring out the best in someone. Or uncover their worst. To see a difficult situation through to the end, assess the damage, then move onto the next as a better person (theoretically). At the end of this most ultimate of challenges, were so many more successes than failures. Lessons learned, and goals achieved. As the curtains closed on the 2019 Dakar Rally, Toby finally gets his kiss. Laia gives Toby a long-overdue haircut. Nassir won Dakar for a third time. Two Americans landed in the Top Five among different classes. And everyone had one hell of a race. So what happened at the crescendo?
The shortest of the specials was not meant to be easy. Harkening back to the beginning, the last stage started like the first: in reverse order. With cars, trucks and Side-by-Sides sprinkled intermittently between bikes and quads. It made for a frenzied event as racers contending for the podium pushed and shoved past slower competitors – adding a swirl of fesh-fesh and urgency to the already numerous dangers. Launching last off the line, top pilots, from two-wheeled to four, small to massive, were meant to weave around the day’s back-of-the-pack, causing chaos we can maybe assume the Dakar organization had foreseen. Just imagine: you’re riding a rally bike as fast as possible in a sand storm, when a race-spec dump truck is hurdling itself in your direction and planning to pass. Whether you like it or not.
“It’s very crazy to sit here and say that we won the Dakar rally with no stage victories until today. It’s really crazy. I’m over the moon, I’m so damned stoked. It’s been a long 10 days. Now I’ll just wait and see what damage I've done to my wrist. At the end of the day, the pain and torture has been worth it. I thought I would only be able to do two stages and then pull out and that would have been me done, but the support from everyone back home in Australia and then having some things go my way and a bit of luck, it just worked out in the end. It’s been an unreal rally.” – 2019 Dakar Rally Winner, Toby Price #3, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, AUS
But with little withdrawal today, most of the racers seemed to have overcome the obstacles set forth, managing the tremendous task of completing the Dakar Rally… In-tact. An unsurprising win came from KTM for the 18th year in a row. Australia is likely drunk with pride (and Fosters?) celebrating their good ol’ boy Toby Price (#3) for his second title after only three years. It’s not news Price had not only completed but won this rally with an injured wrist – having broken it a few weeks prior – making his winning smooch from Laia Sanz (#17) all the more sweet. Though, she won her side of the bet too, nabbing a place among fifteen best bikes at Dakar. (Farewell, mullet.) But it is respected rival, Pablo Quintanilla (#6) who, like Toby, rode on with an injury. Crashing on this final stage, breaking his ankle, then hopping back on his bike to 4th overall at the finish, Quintanilla endured what the average guy would consider extreme pain with Herculean strength.
Every Dakar is just one step closer to victory for the United States. This year saw outstanding performances, like from Californian Ricky Brabec (#15) when he achieved the first overall lead by an American since Robby Gordon (#316) in 2005. But then, his record expanded with two overall leads in a row, plus he is the first patriot to lead the General Classification three times in one event. Rookie Skyler Howes (#73) made his way to the Top Ten by Special Stage Five putting neck ‘n neck with the “big boys” (and Laia). Although, during the liaison an unfortunate accident out of his control eventually led to his withdrawal. In Cars, two of the three vehicles with Robby Gordon’s Team Speed had more of the same issues they’ve experienced throughout the competition. One of the Textron’s breaking down and the other coming to the rescue – making their exit of the desert two hours longer than expected. But ironically, the car out of contention driven by Cole Potts with navigator Max Eddy Jr. (#346) had a smooth, easy day at last having much less of the headaches they too had been contending with. But as a whole, the six members – Robby, his co-pilot, Kellon Walch, Blade Hildebrand, co-pilot Bill Conger (#367) and the from Auto 346 fought tooth and nail to get their vessels to Lima, to roll over the podium one last time.
“[It was the] hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ll be back for more…” – Max Eddy Jr. #346, Team Speed, USA
Grassroots riders Garrett Poucher (#71) and Nathan Rafferty (#104) have taken positions they should be proud of. Rafferty pushed himself, nearing the point of tears at one point, which he graciously documented on his social media channels. But in the end, it paid off, as did what many capable riders can’t do: finish the Dakar. And he did it in 50th place, cutting starting position from Day 1 nearly in half. Garrett, a late starter to the off-road racing scene who’s been dominating enduro and local rallies for such a short period, has shown viewers of the rally he’s tough as nails. Featured in the media for as many epic fails as epic successes, he has blown us away with a 92-wrung move up the ladder ranking in the high 20’s early on. Falling back a bit during the marathon stage, Poucher luckily kept himself together through some terrific crashes, pushing himself further to conclude this infamous event at 32nd. Casey Currie did precisely what he’d promised from the start, making a name for himself as the first American to reach the top five seeds in the Side-by-Side class during his inaugural year. And at fourth overall, he is the highest ranked US finisher in 2019!
Last of the Yanks, but certainly not least, an ever-humble Andrew Short (#29) comes home from Peru in an incredible 5th position. And he sums up his experience with gratitude and admiration: “Ended up 5th overall here at the Dakar Rally! Stoked. This crew behind me are amazing at what they do… My heart goes out to my teammate Quintanilla who left everything on the table today going for the win… Congrats to the Legend, Toby Price. He is simply amazing on a dirt bike. This race is special, and I hope one day I get the opportunity to do it again…For ten days, you basically check out of society as the race consumes you, but I can’t wait to look back at some of the moments.”
For 41 years, the Dakar Rally has dazzled the world. An untouchable realm for the elite, and hearty – the pioneers of motorsport. Taking the adventurous nature of navigation, merging it with the thrill of competition and setting the scene at first in Africa and now in ‘America del Sur.’ No longer an event, Dakar is a lifestyle, shared by the many archetypes who fill its mobile cities for 15 days or so. A scene straight out of Mad Max with overbuilt dump trucks rolling down a network of dusty lawless roadways at one moment. Then storming the dunes like mammoths running from a pack of sabretooth tigers in another. It’s a dream. A long-fought achievement, for those men and women who’ve battled this most notorious of races. January 17th signified the finale of such punishing pursuits, and then more many, the start of a very long year of waiting… Until the next opportunity comes, to dare Dakar.
KEY POINTS:
• Three years after becoming the first Australian winner of the Dakar, Toby Price has triumphed again, fighting against the increasing pain caused by a scaphoid injury that was not quite healed before the start of the rally. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Carlos Sainz has managed to complete what was a difficult rally for him with a stage victory. The Mini has beaten Sébastien Loeb by only 42 seconds at the finishing line. Cyril Despres is 3rd, 2’31 behind the Spaniard. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Francisco “Chaleco” López Contardo has won his first Dakar on his first participation in the SxS category. Although he finished third in the last special, the Chilean has also won 4 stages and has completed the rally with a lead of just over Gerard Farrés and Reinaldo Varela in the general standings. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Unsurprisingly, in light of the lead he had going into the last stage, Nasser Al-Attiyah won his third Dakar in Pisco. The Qatari was Twelfth to finish 9’ behind Carlos Sainz at the finish of the last special and offers Toyota its first victory in the car category. “It’s fantastic. No mistakes during the entire rally. It was a very, very difficult rally for everybody. The good thing was that from day three we were leading and we built on our time everyday until we came to the last day with a big, big lead. I’m really happy – thanks to Toyota, thanks to BF Goodrich tyres, all the sponsors, Qatar, Red Bull. It made everything happen right for this year. I’m happy for Toyota because it’s the first time in the history of Toyota that they won the Dakar, this is fantastic. [On being the favorite] It’s like what I always say, we respect all the other drivers. All the drivers are really very strong. Everybody wants to win the Dakar. But we felt when we came that in Peru, a 100% Peru rally, with no other country, there would be a lot of sand dunes, so we could do what we know we're good at. We we're leading from day three and, yeah, I'm really quite happy. [On avoiding mistakes that others made] This is the adventure of the rally. The rally is not easy and if you push every day, sure, you will have a problem with the car. I’m really happy to win this race with Toyota.” (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Rankings of Americans after SS10
MOTO
7th Andrew Short #29 – 01h 18’ 10”; 5th in the General Classification
32nd Garrett Poucher #71 – 01h 41’ 54”; 32nd in the General Classification
53rd Nathan Rafferty #104 – 02h 00’ 57”; 50th in the General Classification
DNF Skyler Howes #73
DNF Ricky Brabec #15
CAR
52nd Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – 03h 24’ 45”; 42nd in the General Classification
53rd Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – 03h 25’ 58”; 49th in the General Classification
DNF Cole Potts, Max Eddy Jr. #346
SIDE-BY-SIDE
7th Casey Currie #343 – 01h 37’ 28”; 4th in the General Classification
• Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Toby Price #3 – 01h 14’ 01”; 1st in the General Classification
2nd Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 01h 16’ 22”; 7th in the General Classification
3rd Matthias Walkner #1 – 01h 16’ 39”; 2nd in the General Classification
4th Sam Sunderland #14 – 01h 17’ 20”; 3rd in the General Classification
5th Luciano Benavides #77 – 01 17’ 21”; 8th in the General Classification
6th Kevin Benavides #47 – 01h 18’ 00”; 12th in the General Classification
7th Andrew Short #29 – 01h 18’ 10”; 5th in the General Classification
8th Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 01h 20’ 17”; 6th in the General Classification
9th Daniel Nosiglia Jager #28 – 01h 24’ 03”; 10th in the General Classification
10th Sebastian Buhler #110 – 01h 24’ 42”; 20th in the General Classification
SS9, Pursuing the Penultimate
The Country’s Cocktail Isn’t the Only Thing Sour in Pisco
The second-to-last stage is bittersweet. On one end, it marks the conclusion of a long, grueling endeavor for everyone from the riders, their teams, the media and organizers who, since January 7th this year, have coped with sand storms, fesh-fesh, overwhelming heat and using a small filthy telephone booth for a toilet. At the other, it also means the end of an adventure, saying goodbye to friends, coming back to reality and, for a very specific group, facing the results.
Special Stage 9 offered racers their second mass start. Broken into groups once again, they set off on a high-speed chase for the horizon, with only dunes and fesh-fesh between them and the finish line. Being their fourth special to zig-zag through the area, the familiar terrain has been churned and scored so much by tire tread, it acted capricious at best for the competitors. Every day, people would say “the dunes were huge” and today was no exception. But the angles would play a bigger part in the pilots’ demise. One such rider, Gabriela Novotna (#57), spent an hour and a half digging her bike out from the (appropriately titled) depression between two very sharp dunes, shaped akin to a pizza slice.
“Today we raced in one big box. We went back-and-forth, and back-and-forth to the coast…and kind of raced over itself figure-eight style. The tracks were really tough…there’s a lot of fesh-fesh, and the fesh-fesh was chopped up really bad because we’ve raced across it in multiple directions. So, it just made it…abusive so-to-speak.” – Garrett Poucher #71, Garrett Off-Road Racing Team, USA
Another few suffered a similar fate to Ricky Brabec (#15), when engine failure brought on heartbreak for Adrien Van Beveren (#4) whom has remained in the Top Five for a majority of the race. And big news in cars, 13-time champion Stephane Peterhansel dropped out after just 26 kilometers when his co-driver David Castera had hurt his back. On the other hand, Michael Metge (#16) and Daniel Nosiglia Jager (#28) took full advantage of the mayhem, placing themselves comfortably in the first and second seeds of the stage.
News about Brabec’s withdrawal on Tuesday somewhat overshadowed other big events leaving many of us with questions. Namely, what caused the ASO to give Kevin Benavidas (#47) a three-hour penalty? It was confirmed the Monster Energy Honda Team rider had concealed extra notes taped to his gas tank offering alternative routes, or “short cuts,” through some of the more challenging and slower sections of the route – a common practice, apparently, which the ASO banned in 2018. A statement from the Dakar officials:
“Kevin Benavides was sanctioned yesterday with a 3:00’00 penalty after race authorities deemed that the rider had violated one of the new rules established for the race. The team is currently gathering all the necessary information to present an official claim against the sanction.”
This issue directly relates to a statement published on social media by Toyota Gazoo Team co-pilot Dirk Von Zitzewitz criticizing the organization for taking away what he considers to be an essential part of being a navigator: doing their homework. Nonetheless, what Benavidas was caught with is currently against regulations so it’s an opportunity for organizers to set an example, which in this case was an additional three hours for essentially cheating. Kevin is nonetheless sitting at 13th in the General Classification.
Despite losing a few key figures – Brabec, Skyler Howes (#73), Cole Potts and Max Eddy Jr (#346) – to DNFs, the Americans aren’t out of the running for some worthy finishes. Andrew Short (#29) and Casey Currie (#343) both sit in 4th place, eyeing the podium for their respective classes. Robby Gordon with co-pilot Kellon Walch (#316) and Blade Hildebrand with co-pilot Bill Conger (#367), both cars representing Team Speed, have clawed through restrictions and multiple mechanical issues to find themselves in respectable positions, considering the circumstances. And of course, the underdogs: Garrett Poucher (#71), a business man from Santa Clarita, California, who’s finding himself at the heels of factory riders even after enduring some cringe-worthy crashes, gone viral thanks to the likes of Dakar Heroes and Red Bull. And Nathan Rafferty (#104), whom considers himself a ski bum, has found a comfortable spot in the low 50’s. Nonetheless, the race isn’t over yet. And with even a short 111k special ahead of them, challengers can’t expect to take it easy until the podium in Lima.
KEY POINTS:
Ø An injured Toby Price (#3) leads the Dakar Rally in Bikes by one minute going into the final stage. “I’d like to finish on top,” said Price, who is still battling the pain of a recently broken wrist. “We’re so close; it’s so tight! I know it’s going to be very hard tomorrow and I’ll give it my best. I know I’m likely to be on the podium tomorrow, and it’s amazing. But I obviously want to win.”
Ø Honda’s Kevin Benavides Hit with three-hour Penalty, knocked completely out of contention. Sanctioned for concealing extra navigation notes in unsportsmanlike manner.
Ø KTM’s Sam Sunderland (#14) suffered his own penalty during SS8 knocking the podium out of sight by an extra hour. The rule cited has to do with the competitor’s tracking device, stating, “any competitor that intentionally damages the security devices (GPS, Iritrack, Smalltrack, ICO) in order to get the devices repaired and obtain a new starting time will receive a penalty of 1 hour.”
Ø Americans Casey Currie and Andrew Short each in 4th going into Final; Either can still get on the podium.
Ø Laia Sanz (#17) poised for her best finish yet in 2019. We’ll see if tomorrow’s special sees her breaking into the top ten.
Ø Nasser Al-Attiyah (#301) is set for his third Dakar title with nearly an hour advantage over second seed in cars.
Ø Rankings of Americans after SS9
MOTO
7th Andrew Short #29 – 03h 50’ 41”; 4th in the General Classification
27th Garrett Poucher #71 – 04h 40’ 39”; 33rd in the General Classification
61st Nathan Rafferty #104 – 06h 52’ 05”; 52nd in the General Classification
DNF Skyler Howes #73
DNF Ricky Brabec #15
CAR
28th Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – 05h 59’ 28”; 46th in the General Classification
29th Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – 06h 00’ 07”; 43rd in the General Classification
DNF Cole Potts, Max Eddy Jr. #346
SIDE-BY-SIDE
4th Casey Currie #343 – 04h 53’ 09”; 4th in the General Classification
• Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Michael Metge #16 – 03h 46’ 38”; 22nd in the General Classification
2nd Daniel Nosiglia Jager #28 – 03h 48’ 38”; 10th in the General Classification
3rd Pablo Quintanilla #6 – 03h 50’ 06”; 2nd in the General Classification
4th Matthias Walkner #1 – 03h 50’ 07”; 3rd in the General Classification
5th Toby Price #3 – 03h 50’ 07”; 1st in the General Classification
6th Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 03h 50’ 08”; 6th in the General Classification
7th Andrew Short #29 – 03h 50’ 41”; 4th in the General Classification
8th Luciano Benavides #77 – 03 51’ 33”; 7th in the General Classification
9th Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 03h 51’ 34”; 5th in the General Classification
10th Oriol Mena #18 – 03h 52’ 36”; *9th in the General Classification
SS8: Please Exit Stage Left
In the Eighth Special, Brabec’s Luck Ran Out for a Second Time at a Dakar
There’s only so much to say about the Peruvian landscapes hosting the 2019 Dakar Rally. It’s sandy, dusty and unpredictable. Although Special Stage 8 might have offered relatively less navigational challenges, it still has seen its fair share of obstacles. News about front runner Ricky Brabec’s (#15) DNF is dominating the media, but it’s not all bad news for the Americans… Fellow patriot, Andrew Short (#29) still has a shot at a solid finish, beginning the day’s race at 9th overall and finishing at 5th. Privateers, Garrett Poucher (#71) and Nathan Rafferty (#104) too have chances to end in Lima with positions to be proud of.
Today’s mixed starting lineup of the ten best cars and bikes, as well as five best trucks and quads, made for an exciting launch. But the buzz didn’t last for everyone. A hopeful to win Dakar in bikes, destiny had different plans for the California native, who suffered the same fearful fate as so many great racers this week have had to face: withdrawal. Reportedly, his bike had a malfunction at kilometer 56 bringing Brabec to his climactic, albeit uneventful, conclusion. But we need not worry about the young American, as he has made it out of Dakar with his health. SLOVNAFT Team pilot, Stefan Svitko (#11), however, was airlifted out of the racecourse after sustaining a head injury. His well-being is yet unknown, though his attitude on social media seems quite upbeat. And surprisingly, despite the very challenging specials recently, most of the racers appear to have the same attitude.
“Had to unzip the Gucci jersey on this one. Another tough day with bad fog, 40km of fesh-fesh waist deep, and super soft dunes. Two more to go!” – Privateer, Petr Angelo Vlcek #59, KLYMCIW Racing, CZE
Between 1979 and 2015, only four Americans have held stage wins in Bikes. Just three of which obtained more than one. Hell in 2015, the only US entrants were Antonio Narino (bikes); Robby Gordon, Johnny Campbell, Luiz Cesar Ramirez Jr. (cars)… That’s four people – and two of them were in the same vehicle! Not until the year following Ricky’s 2016 premiere at Dakar, did he manage to nab the next stage victory for the United States. To top that cupcake with a cherry, Brabec is now the only US citizen to lead the General Classification in a whopping 15 years! But the real fun fact: only two Americans in any class have ever led the Dakar Rally overall, to include motorsports legend Robby Gordon (#316). And now, Ricky Brabec. He even broke Gordon’s record, finding himself dominant over the pack for three separate days (Gordon only held it for two). Champion desert riders, Kurt Caselli and Jonah Street were latest to earn stage wins prior to Brabec, but neither were close to the top seed in the General Classification.
“It was a really hard day. There was nothing really positive about my day, especially for the race. The coolest part was getting a helicopter ride along the beach and back. It’s heart-wrenching. Not easy. We have to go home, take a break and come back. I’m at a loss for words. It was amazing to be on the top for the previous days. It’s really nice to have the team support me and the whole team. It felt like the vibes and the confidence in me were good. That helped me to achieve so many great days.” – Ricky Brabec #15, Monster Energy Honda Team, USA
Maybe, they won’t be playing Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as Brabec disembarks his airplane in Los Angeles, but he is no less a winner. Ricky’s fourth stint at the Dakar Rally was valiant – holding the overall position after three separate specials, two of them in a row, which hasn’t been accomplished by an American since… Well it’s never happened. Plus, the last time a Yankee won a stage before 2019, again, was Ricky in 2017. Caught up in the moment, it’s easy to see why America weeps. “We were so close!” rings out from the virtual highway. Plenty of disappointment pouring onto social media, filled with pity for their nation, frustration with Honda or even anger with the ASO. But sifting through the B.S. a bit, positive messages begin to emerge. We often forget is that for several long days, our “Golden Boy” – along with his colleagues – stare death straight in the eyes in the one of the most dangerous races in existence while being watched and scrutinized and pummeled by public opinion. It takes a strong mind and tough skin to take on that sort of pressure and come out the other side whole, let alone carrying with them a positive demeanor.
Today isn’t another loss for America, or even for Ricky. It’s he who has pioneered the path, so a new set of US competitors can dare to Dakar. Many of which are making names for themselves already. His performances over the last couple of years have given the country hopes for its first rally hero. And in the eighth special, he exited Dakar Stage Left, if not the hero we’ve always wanted, then the principle player we’d had all along.
KEY POINTS:
American Podium Finishes
CARS
2009 – 2nd Mark Miller; 3rd Robby Gordon
2010 – 3rd Mark Miller (stage win)
MOTOS
1992 – 2nd Danny LaPorte
2000 – 3rd Jimmy Lewis
2007 – 3rd Chris Blais
Like many others before him, Ricky Brabec once again fell afoul of the harsh laws of the Dakar. Almost exactly one year after having broken the engine on his Honda, the American once again was forced to exit the rally for the same reason, a heart-breaking blow for a rider who, up until that point, had ridden the perfect race and was dreaming of being the first representative of Uncle Sam to win the Dakar. Although he was not expected to do as well, the official HRC rider obtained another stage victory in 2019 and most impressively was leading the general standings three days from the finish. It is a crushing blow for Honda also, because on yet another occasion they will not have been able to bring the domination of KTM on the Dakar to a close. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
Matthias Walkner posted the best time to win the Super Ica special stage. The Austrian beat Pablo Quintanilla and Toby Price but remains behind his two rivals in the general standings. “Until the refueling, Toby caught up a lot of time on me. But in the dunes, I tried to push really hard in the morning. It was a really fast track with not really visible stones and I didn’t feel so good, but at the end I felt quite good and tried to push a lot”.
For the penultimate stage of the Dakar this year, the competitors will be tackling another loop in the region of Pisco, which is especially well endowed with dunes that have already caused plenty of damage, both in the ranks of the favorites and the amateurs. Now is not the time to crack, all the more so given that the mass start, by waves of 10 in the bike category and groups of 4 in the car race, will add a spectacular nuance to the battle that has been raging for 9 days… (Statement provided by the ASO.)
The new general standings leader at the best time possible, Toby Price will have to grit his teeth and bear it if he wants to remain so until the finish. The Australian is suffering from a sore wrist and will have team-mates Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland on his tail. The two men are likely to be merciless on the loop around Pisco, unless off course Pablo Quintanilla finally tastes success on the Dakar behind the handlebars of his Husqvarna! (Statement provided by the ASO.)
With a lead of 46 minutes in the general standings, Nasser Al-Attiyah merely needs to control the rest of the rally. Sébastien Loeb has decided to continue looking for stage victories, while Nani Roma and Stéphane Peterhansel will have to rely on their experience to take the second place for which they are battling. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
Chaleco López still leads the day’s special after 200 km. However, the Chilean is under pressure from Cristian Baumgart who trails by only 49 seconds! Reinaldo Varela has lost almost one hour.
Sébastien Loeb has increased his lead over the time posted by Al-Attiyah after 300 km. The Peugeot driver now leads his Toyota rival by 5’34, while his countryman Stéphane Peterhansel trails by 29 minutes.
Rankings of Americans after SS8
MOTO
5th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 05’ 16”; 5th in the General Classification
23rd Garrett Poucher #71 – 04h 52’ 57”; 37th in the General Classification
58th Nathan Rafferty #104 – 06h 48’ 20”; 52nd in the General Classification
DNF Skyler Howes #73
DNF Ricky Brabec #15
CAR
TBD Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – --h --’ --”; --th in the General Classification
TBD Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – --h --’ --”; --th in the General Classification
DNF Cole Potts, Max Eddy Jr. #346
SIDE-BY-SIDE
5th Casey Currie #343 – 04h 53’ 09”; 5th in the General Classification
• Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Matthias Walkner #1 – 03h 55’ 25”; 3rd in the General Classification
2nd Pablo Quintanilla #6 – 03h 56’ 10”; 2nd in the General Classification
3rd Toby Price #3 – 03h 56’ 38”; 1st in the General Classification
4th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 05’ 16”; 5th in the General Classification
5th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 07’ 13”; 4th in the General Classification
6th Luciano Benavides #77 – 04 08’ 16”; 7th in the General Classification
7th Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 04h 09’ 13”; 8th in the General Classification
8th Kevin Benavides #47 – 04 10’ 32”; 14th in the General Classification
9th Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 04h 11’ 15”; 6th in the General Classification
10th Michael Metge #16 – 04h 14’ 36”; 24th in the General Classification
SS7: It's All Downhill from Here
Only Three Days Left, But Can We Trust that It’ll Be Smooth Sailing?
No matter what the outcome this Thursday, the finale of the 2019 Dakar Rally will make history. Whether we see four Americans seeded under 50th. Two US riders in the Top Ten. One standing on the podium with our National Anthem playing in the background. Or, some other combination of conclusions… It will be a proud moment. Because of those 12 individuals competing, all have fought valiantly.
Special Stage Seven offered yet another 800-ft mountain of sand. Only this time, the racers pointed their headlights downward, surfing the face of this tsunami-sized cliff. From a spectator’s point of view, the vehicles looked as if they were gliding – pushing apart the soft terrain like wake from a ship as they dove towards level plains at alarming speeds. A driver with lesser experience might begin to doubt themselves at the halfway point then, foolishly, hit the brakes, slowing the rear wheels and sliding sideways until the inside tires – now perpendicular to their original path – dig deep enough to catch and thrust the vessel into a tumbling descent. Terrifying. But exhilarating. Because the secret to overcoming the dunes, is gas. Just like the key to an epic fail… Also gas.
“Today was really, really tough. You know, it was 323K’s of what we’ve already ridden, so the track got really rough and ratted up. And the cars and the trucks obviously brought up all the rocks, so it was really dangerous…” (Pause) “I started enjoying halfway through when we got into the dunes. It was a little more fun, a little bit more technical on the navigational side of things. …All in all, you know, we stayed in one piece, kept the bike together, which is the main thing. And we’re still enjoying the rally. Still good to be in the mix of things. And looking forward to the last couple of days.” – 17th overall, Ross Branch #114, BAS Dakar Team, BWA
Understandably, Pablo Quintanilla’s (#6) performance was less than ideal for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team rider. But as first out the gate, he faced both the typical disadvantage in that he had no tracks to follow. And the added dangers left behind from the previous days of rallying. Grassroots racer, Garrett Poucher (#71), has had a few of his misfortunes go viral. Many of us have seen the video(s) of Poucher forcing a stage finish on a rubber-less rim. Or more recently the picture of him going full ostrich, head buried in the sand, bike swinging overhead in a direction that could only lead to “more ouch.” Yet, each day Poucher has pushed himself to the end and continues to force himself up the ladder – today clinching 36th in the stage. Fellow Yankee Nathan Rafferty (#104) has also had his fair share of mishaps which he too has had to overcome, which the BAS Dakar Team racer described in full on Instagram:
“Spent the whole night stressing as the organizers said today’s 100KM dune section was even tougher [than in Special Stage Six]…Turns out the dunes today weren’t nearly as tough as yesterday…Thought I did have the worst…wreck of my life…[with] what I thought might be a broken wrist. In the end, I slipped a few places today but am happy to still be upright.”
Team Speed’s three cars trickled into the bivouac as late as 4a.m. after suffering a variety of mechanical issues during Special Stage Six. Not to mention heavy fog and low visibility – a common characteristic of these last couple of stages. But all of which they championed, eventually. With just a couple of hours to spare before hopping back into the cockpits by 7a.m. local time, to do it all over again. With fog rolling in toward the end of the day, the ASO cut the race course out from kilometer 227 to 255, giving many teams an opportunity to eat dinner before midnight… If at all. Circumstances throughout the event have put each man to the test, but USA-natives Robby Gordon (#316), Blade Hildebgrand (#367) and Cole Potts (#346) and their respective co-pilots Kellon Walch, Bill Conger and Max Eddy Jr. have all kept their chins up and are keen to make it to the finish.
Ricky Brabec (#15) may not have won the stage, but he’s back on top in the general standings. Adrien Van Beveren (#4) continues to hold his spot in line, keeping a close eye on the podium with less than 9 minutes away from snagging the spotlight from Ricky. While the other fast-guys are as little as four minutes from tasting victory. Countryman and comrade, Andrew Short (#29), has decided to step up from 10th to 9th in the general standings with a tactic which won the Tortoise his race. Could Short surprise the world, slowly but surely – casually making his way to the podium? Will Brabec hold onto the first seed over the remaining three specials and do what’s so far been the impossible for Americans: arriving to Lima a winner and leaving it a legend.
"I was just catching up with the group on the dunes when I saw them turning around in circles. I realized they were unable to find the WP, so I pulled away and validated the waypoint, but Matthias saw me, and the rest followed him. I could've hit the jackpot today, but unfortunately, they saw me. I still managed to put time into everyone except Ricky, so it was a good day. It wasn't easy to hide that I'd validated the waypoint. We're getting near the finish, so we have to stay focused. I'm doing my best every day and I really hope it's going to pay off." – Adrien Van Beveren #4, Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team, FRA
2019 could wind up a most historic year for American motorsports enthusiasts. With two of their own firmly seeded in the Top Ten, one of which is favorite to take the championship. Not only that, but the few US privateers in the Moto class have been exceeding expectations, all of whom are elevating to new heights – and positions – each stage, with only minor setbacks. What we can expect over the next few stages? As with every special so far, we can expect nothing… But blood, sweat, tears… and triumphs.
KEY POINTS:
• With Toby Price still firmly among the first five seeds, and Laia Sanz just outside the top 15, so far it seems Price might get a big wet smooch and get to keep his trailer-chic locks.
• The defending champion is sitting seventh overall at the end of stage 7, a shade below his level of last year, but he is also aware that everything can change in a heartbeat. "It was really hard. In the sand, if somebody takes the wrong line, everybody gets lost. I got a little bit confused with some notes and lost a little bit of time. The last days are always very difficult. Normally, in the mass starts, not that much changes, but what is 'normal' in the Dakar?" (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• "Chaleco" López will keep great memories of stage 7. The Chilean driver claimed his third S×S stage win by more than 22 minutes over Reinaldo Varela —good enough to come within striking distance of the Brazilian, who now leads the race after Gerard Farrés went through CP2 with a deficit of almost 2 hours! (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Stéphane Peterhansel still holds a margin of about 3 minutes over Nani Roma at WP5. Things are tighter 10 minutes behind the Frenchman, with Carlos Sainz, Cyril Despres and Giniel De Villiers within seconds of one another. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
• Sébastien Loeb is still gaining time on the leader of the special. The Peugeot driver recovered after losing almost 40 minutes due to an electrical problem in the first few kilometres and is clearly the fastest man on the track. He now trails Peterhansel by 31'13" after clawing back eight minutes. (Statement provided by the ASO.)
Rankings of Americans after SS7
MOTO
3rd Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 58’ 11”; 1st in the General Classification
6th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 03’ 10”; 9th in the General Classification
36th Garrett Poucher #71 – 05h 00’ 41”; 45th in the General Classification
72nd Nathan Rafferty #104 – 06h 42’ 28”; 57th in the General Classification
DNF Skyler Howes #73
CAR
45th Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – 08h 13’ 19”; 45th in the General Classification
After SS6: 61st in Stage; 45th in the General Classification
48th Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – 08h 33’ 54”; 56th in the General Classification
After SS6: 60th in Stage; 58th in the General Classification
DNF Cole Potts, Max Eddy Jr. #346
SIDE-BY-SIDE
3rd Casey Currie #343 – 04h 29’ 04”; 6th in the General Classification
• Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Sam Sunderland #14 – 03h 51’ 41”; 4th in the General Classification
2nd Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 03h 53’ 32”; 12th in the General Classification
3rd Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 58’ 11”; 1st in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 01’ 21”; 2nd in the General Classification
5th Luciano Benavides #77 – 04 03’ 00”; 11th in the General Classification
6th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 03’ 10”; 9th in the General Classification
7th Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 04h 04’ 53”; 10th in the General Classification
8th Toby Price #3 – 04h 06’ 00”; 3rd in the General Classification
9th Stefan Svitko #11 – 04h 08’ 02”; 8th in the General Classification
10th Matthias Walkner #1 – 04h 08’ 19”; 7th in the General Classification
SS6: Racers Barely Stay Afloat During a Punishing Special Stage Six
As a Tidal Wave of Sand Washes Away the Competition
839 kilometers extending from Arequipa to San Juan de Marcona, zig-zagging inland to the coast, were lined with spectators. Their vehicles scattered across an open desert – raising the earth as they sped with purpose to catch a glimpse of the coming challengers. Some of those racers never appeared, however. While others rolled in bruised and battle worn – still unsure they could continue over the coming days.
“I’m very sad, and disappointed, to say that this is the end of my Dakar. On Special Stage Six… I guess it all started after Special Stage Three…There was a little kid on a moped…and he didn’t look…he just turned in front of me. And there’s nowhere to go; there’s nothing I could do, so I just grabbed as much brake as I could grab, and it threw me to the ground, hard. Which in hindsight is probably the best thing that could have happened, because if I would have hit the kid, I’m certain I would have killed him.” – Rookie Skyler Howes #72, Garrett Off-Road Racing team, USA
Anyone following Dakar might know, Howes’ race didn’t end after SS3. He rested his injured shoulder – which he’d suffered from the aforementioned crash, took some pain pills and woke up the next day for the Marathon Stages. Part One, his performance was respectable, but not up to his liking. Part Two, though, blew everyone out of the water, as the privateer is not only exceeding expectations for his third rally effort, ever, but he managed to place in the Top Ten during Special Stage Five. As is the case when competing with a fresh injury, Skyler’s shoulder wouldn’t stay in place for long. Within 30 kilometers of entering Special Stage Six, a minor crash caused his shoulder to dislocate. He reset it and continued onward. It was a sharp ledge in the unforgiving dunes which ultimately ended his ride, subsequently dislocating his shoulder for the second time.
Those first off the line were flummoxed by the complicated navigation. Errors allowed the latter top tier to catch up – possibly following or learning from their freshly laid tracks. Alas, the race on Sunday was difficult for everyone. Treacherous waves of soft, unruly sand, fickle weather and lacking visibility, plus, the pièce de résistance: a daunting ascent up a steep, Everest-sized cliff made of khaki-colored granules which don’t pack down but part ways like the Red Sea. (Poignant…? More like frustrating.) Before racers had a chance to reach the climax, they endured sand hills relatively smaller, but apparently not much less difficult to overcome. Even Xavier de Soultrait (#18), dubbed the “King of Dunes” among comrades, struggled to ride over some of those obstacles – making two or three passes at a climb. Still, a few challengers came out victorious. Pablo Quintanilla (#6) nabbed a stage win sneaking him just passed Monster Energy Honda Team rider Ricky Brabec (#15) in the General Standings where Pablo now sits at Number One just four minutes ahead of the American.
"It was a hard stage. I attacked from the beginning, caught Kevin [Benavides] and overtook him. At KM 290, I had a problem with the road book and was unable to read it, so I had to follow Kevin. We were near the finish when I got a fuel running. In the end, it was a blessing in disguise to have to ride behind because, if I'd kept on attacking at the same pace, I would've run out of petrol. In the end, it was a tough and stressful day, but it's a fantastic finish." – Stage Six Winner, Pablo Quintanilla #6, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team, CHL
Anything can happen during a special stage. Something miraculous or catastrophic. Out the gate or moments from the finish, even a minuscule incident can change a competitor's destiny in an instant. Something every man and woman coming to Dakar know: all their efforts – the training, prepping, raising money, competing – could be for nothing. But can they ever really know what's coming until they learn it the hardest way? Today, one unfortunate fellow flew up over a dune and landed so abruptly, he broke both of his ankles. And a front runner, Lorenzo Santolino (#63), sustained a bad crash early on, which took him out of contention, though he is said not to have any fractures.
There are those who experience this fate before they even set rubber onto the racecourse. And others, seconds from victory. It's how this rally business goes. The name of the game. It's enough to break a man's spirit. To bring those who are toughest to tears. But after the dust settles and the fallen pick themselves back up, the true test of character is in the grace with which one moves on. Because if we’ve learned anything from rally racing, the greatness of man is not measured by the number of his successes, but in how he conducts himself when facing failure. To sum it up, as eloquently stated in the novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain: "There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
KEY POINTS:
• [Jose Ignacio] Cornejo [Florimo] (#10), who moved up to second place after race authorities returned the time that he had spent assisting fallen rider Paulo Gonçalves in stage five, ended up opening the way for several kilometers. As a consequence of this disadvantageous position the Chilean dropped time but managed to keep pace with his adversaries. (Statement courtesy of the ASO.)
• A recent injury to Toby Price’s right wrist hasn’t seemed to slow him down over these last six specials. Though it’s supposedly "…getting worse. It's going to be hard, but we're just trying to keep pace. We've still got four days to go. We'll see what happens." Still positive, for good reason, Price (#3) has managed to hold onto his third overall position.
• Reportedly, Laia Sanz (#17) and teammate Price had waged a bet at the 2019 Dakar Rally. If Toby finishes in the top five, he will receive a five-second kiss from Laia. While Laia can cut Toby’s “ungainly” mullet if she ends in the top 15.
• The Dakar Rally’s Quote of the day: "Yet another stupid mistake. The first special wasn't too bad, until I saw Nani stuck five kilometers from the finish. He didn't signal for help, but after he helped me out two days ago, I felt compelled to rush to his aid. As a result, I ended up in a sand basin and lost twenty minutes. It wasn't a mistake, it was a real blunder. Victory's slipping away after too many mistakes." – Stéphane Peterhansel #304, X-Raid Mini JCW Team, FRA
• Rankings of Americans after SS6
MOTO
6th Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 58’ 17”; 2nd in the General Classification
8th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 04’ 41”; 10th in the General Classification
47th Garrett Poucher #71 – 06h 41’ 50”; 46th in the General Classification
54th Nathan Rafferty #104 – 07h 23’ 33”; 53rd in the General Classification
DNF Skyler Howes #73
CAR
TBD Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
TBD Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – – --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
DNF Cole Potts, Max Eddy #346
SIDE-BY-SIDE
3rd Casey Currie #343 – 04h 29’ 04”; 6th in the General Classification
• Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Pablo Quintanilla #6 – 03h 50’ 47”; 1st in the General Classification
2nd Kevin Benavides #47 – 03h 52’ 39”; 4th in the General Classification
3rd Matthias Walkner #1 – 03h 55’ 08”; 6th in the General Classification
4th Toby Price #3 – 03h 55’ 35”; 3rd in the General Classification
5th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 03h 56’ 18”; 5th in the General Classification
6th Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 58’ 17”; 2nd in the General Classification
7th Stefan Svitko #11 – 03h 59’ 07”; 8th in the General Classification
8th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 04’ 41”; 10th in the General Classification
9th Luciano Benavides #77 – 04 06’ 00”; 11th in the General Classification
10th Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 04h 12’ 34”; 12th in the General Classification
Special Stage 5
"At the conclusion of Special Stage Five, we saw Xavier de Soultrait (#18) at the front with Walkner (#1), Santolino (#63), Beveren (#4) and Short (#29) at his heels. But after consideration from the ASO, Sam Sunderland (#14), whom had stopped today to assist Paulo Gonçalves (#2) after his game-ending crash, reportedly awarded Sunderland extra minutes off his resulting time, elevating Sam to first place. Meanwhile, Walkner incurred a 3-minute penalty, subsequently reordering today's results.
The time removed from Sam's score was surely appreciated as the #14 Red Bull KTM Factory Team rider had slowed once more in the last leg of the special to offered guidance to rookie Skyler Howes (#73) whose road book had split 100 kilometers from the finish, leaving him blind. Motorcycles are trickling into the bivouac in Arequipa after a long Marathon and another roughly 200 kilometers of liaison. Just another exciting day at Dakar!"
SS5, Part Two of the Marathon Claimed Its Victims
With a Head-to-Head Start this Foggy Friday Morning, Competitors Prepared for an Epic Battle
Leaving the start at 8a.m. local time in waves, or rows, of ten at five-minute intervals, the racers knew they were in for an all-out attack within the first several kilometers of Special Stage Five. But for the most ambitious competitors, the war waged until the close, and those who couldn’t soldier on fell victim to the dust.
Departing in the second lineup at 8:05a.m., Rockstar Husqvarna Factory rider Andrew Short (#29) jumped into second place while teammate Pablo Quintanilla (#6) quickly caught up and took first. Another American, rookie Skyler Howes (#15) too broke through the pack into third. Maybe they’d taken advantage of the fresh tracks laid down by the first group? But all’s fair in Love and War, and the special stages at Dakar can stretch across hundreds of kilometers of battle field for the rally’s respective warriors looking to finish each day victorious.
The top guys have been zig-zagging in and out of the premier positions all morning. Quintanilla seemed comfortable leading until something set him back nearly a minute behind Kevin Benavides (#47) who managed to overtake the group by WP4. The Honda rider bested Adrien Van Beveren (#4) by only 6 seconds and Toby Price (#3) by 8 seconds. Furthermore, fourth-placed rider, Lorenzo Santolino (#63), trailed by only 9 seconds. Part Two of the Marathon stage here at Dakar has been wild! Launching in waves, the competitors, especially in the front, have been at each other’s throats all day long!
On another note, the inspiring story of Nicola Dutto (#143), paraplegic motorcycle racer at Dakar, has concluded this morning in Moquegua. The Italian rider has been announced as a non-starter on the day’s special, just as his companions in this adventure, Pablo Toral (#144) and Julián Villarrubia (#146). In a surprising turn of events, front-runner, official Honda racer, Paulo Gonçalves has ended his 12th Dakar journey far short of the finish line, enduring a severe fall after kilometer 155. It’s possible he’s suffered a slight head injury and a broken hand.
Meanwhile, the ASO retracted their previous statements about driver Robby Gordon’s (#316) withdrawal yesterday. Apparently, Gordon made it to the race course, albeit among the last group to start. But Team Speed still tolerated yet another huge blow when their second car driven by Americans Cole Potts and Max Eddy Jr. (#346) officially withdrew during Special Stage Four, noted early this morning. Although, word around town is the organization will let them rejoin the race on Sunday – a statement still needing confirmation. However, it’s US driver Blade Hildebrand and co-pilot Bill Conger #367 who’ve kept up a solid pace all day, hitting WP1 00:35:41 behind front runner, Carlos Sainz (#300) though they are yet to land at the finish line.
Quintanilla regained the lead after 227 km, 14 seconds in front of his team-mate Andrew Short, as they crossed WP5. With Van Beveren and Price hot on their tails. Howes is keeping his head up in an ocean of sharks, by the final Waypoint reaching the 6th seed and fighting for a 9th place finish in a triumphant effort from the navigation novice!
In the last kilometers of an incredible special, mayhem unfolded as Xavier de Soultrait (#18) came out of the woodwork to secure his second first-place finish at the 2019 Dakar Rally. Matthias Walkner (#1) predictably wound up in the winner’s circle at 2nd with Lorenzo Santolino 28 seconds behind, claiming 3rd. This Part Two of the Marathon special, five strong riders came out on top:
1st Xavier de Soultrait #18 04h 15’ 11”; 8th in the General Classification
2nd Matthias Walkner #1 04h 15’ 20”; 4th in the General Classification
3rd Lorenzo Santolino #63 04h 15’ 48”; 11th in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 16’ 14”; 5th in the General Classification
5th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 16’ 24”; 10th in the General Classification
Ø Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Xavier de Soultrait #18 04h 15’ 11”; 8th in the General Classification
2nd Matthias Walkner #1 04h 15’ 20”; 4th in the General Classification
3rd Lorenzo Santolino #63 04h 15’ 48”; 11th in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 16’ 14”; 5th in the General Classification
5th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 16’ 24”; 10th in the General Classification
6th Luciano Benavides #77 – 04 16’ 24”; 13th in the General Classification
7th S. Svitko #11 – 04h 16’ 53”; 9th in the General Classification
8th Toby Price #3 – 04h 17’ 33”; 3rd in the General Classification
9th Skyler Howes #73 – 04h 17’ 48”; 18th in the General Classification
10th Ricky Brabec #15 – 04h 18’ 34”; 1st in the General Classification
“Today the riders [will complete] the marathon Stage. Ricky is riding to plan. We have a day off and then the second half of Dakar starts. This is a critical point where they will really test the riders’ navigation skills. We will keep pushing and crafting in the following days!” – Johnny Campbell, HRC’s Team official
With a rest day ahead, the second half of Dakar will surely not disappoint… At least its fans.
SS4, The Marathon Begins…
America Finally Gets the Victory They’ve Been Waiting for at Dakar 2019
In Peru, they call it “fesh-fesh.” A term, unbeknownst to them, the racers were becoming quite familiar with. Maybe they thought they'd seen the last of it. But fesh-fesh, or silt to the rest of us, ruled the start of Special Stage Four. Like riding in Moon dust. Traversing the mountains of Mars. The route today was otherworldly.
Did the race go by quickly, or was it just Ricky? The Fast Guys were certainly still fast among motorcyclists, but even the second speediest rider of the day, 2018 Dakar Winner Matthias Walkner (#1), came in a whopping 6 minutes and 19 seconds after Brabec (#15).
“I needed it. Yesterday was tough on me and I lost a lot of time. Today I really, really needed to push with the marathon night and motocross start tomorrow. It kind of helps me because tomorrow I can…have the stage under my control and finish where I want. With the motocross start it makes it easy to manage. That’s my plan for tomorrow and I’m really happy with today and getting the stage win as well as making up a bit of time... My body is still 100%, the bike is still 100%." – Brabec #15, HRC Factory Team, USA
A huge win not only in Part One of the Marathon stage, but as the now overall leader in the General Classification for bikes. It’s not only a victory for himself and HRC, but for America who’s watching anxiously. No pressure.
“Ricky is executing a really good Dakar thus this far.” Said HRC’s team official Johnny Campbell. “Yesterday, was really tough with the fog and mental stress of opening the stage. Today was a good day to attack, take back some minutes. Tomorrow [Friday, January 11th], they will have the second part of the marathon stage, starting with a mass start in a line. If Ricky maintains his consistency tomorrow, that will help for the final stages.”
A lot of the same faces smile back at you when you scroll through today’s standings on the event site – Price (#3), Van Beveren (#4), Sunderland (#14), Goncalves (#2). But it’s the rookies, the grass roots guys, the men and women who prove all you need to dare the Dakar Rally – besides a small fortune – are heart and will... And maybe a couple of loose screws.
New to rally, but not motorsports, Andrew Short (#29) seems to be the most consistent racer out of the bunch. Not swaying too far in or out of the Top Ten, in this special, he clinched 12th place. Short has managed to keep a steady pace throughout the event, showing the world that his key to success so far is repetition. Fan favorite Laia Sanz (#17) is at this point a Dakar veteran, sitting at the 20th position by the time she reached Moquegua. Her regular presence with the Elite 20 continues to inspire followers of all types to go for what may appear to some as impossible. Rookie Skyler Howes (#73) has been posting impressive times all week, bringing himself from the back of the pack into a seat next to the factory riders, if not contention for the podium. He took 23rd in SS4 which puts him only two spots behind Sanz in the General Classification.
Of the remaining Americans, Garrett Poucher (#71) having had an incredible comeback during Special Stage Three, jumping 92 positions into 28th, settled for a humbler 56th place this Thursday afternoon. Although if you asked the unrelentingly upbeat rider about his day, he’ll throw you a thumbs up, and look almost too ready to jump back on the saddle. An underrated competitor thus far, Nathan Rafferty (#104) has been quietly climbing the ranks every day, without any real setbacks, leaping to the 64th starting position for the morning’s “motocross” sendoff – a nostalgic ode to the origins of this 41-year-old event. Motorbikes and quads will depart from Moquegua while the four-wheeled iterations of machine will embark from further south outside of Tacna. Each group will begin in a line across a wide open plain, literally battling head to head for the most favorable positions.
It’s safe to say, viewers are excited to see their chosen teams meet on equal terms, if only for one round. Casey Currie (#343) will represent the US in his Side-By-Side, 9th in order.
Oddly, a few names are missing from SS4’s standings in Autos, specifically the Americans. Although they haven’t been noted as withdrawals, yet, Blade Hildebrand and Bill Conger #367, who were in 27th as of this morning, aren’t anywhere to be seen. Likewise, Cole Potts and co-pilot Max Eddy #346 would have left from 56th today, but no notes have been recorded on Dakar’s continually updated website. Hopefully, this mystery will be solved when the two cars pull up to the lineup in the A.M.
Those who surely won’t be starting the race tomorrow, and were noticeable absent in today’s special, will be Robby Gordon and teammate Kellon Walch (#316), whom chose to pull out of the race for reasons which sound more like gossip than fact. Some assume it was due to car issues the team had experienced during Special Stage Three, but in a quote offered by Gordon himself, the truer cause for abandoning ship might have more to do with frustration:
“With the rule limitation they have on our car we had to remain at half throttle and play the speed control game. It’s very disappointing they have this rule on us. It wasn’t so bad yesterday as it only hurt us a little bit, but I wasn’t prepared for this today. We got passed by some pretty slow cars doing 50 mph faster than we were, and there’s nothing we could do about it.”
It can’t be said enough: Dakar is full of surprises. The moment you become comfortable with one prediction, an incident or a player spins your expectations in a whole different direction. Maybe that’s why we can’t get enough of it. Competitors, assistants, media and enthusiasts alike binge through news coverage, social pages and tv spots likes junkies on a rally bender. Why? Because no drug gets your heart pumping quite like adrenaline.
KEY POINTS:
Ø Rankings of Americans
BIKE
1st Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 40’ 30”; 1st in the General Classification
12th Andrew Short #29 – 03h 59’ 21”; 11th in the General Classification
23rd Skyler Howes #73 – 04h 10’ 30”; 22nd in the General Classification
56th Garrett Poucher #71 – 05h 09’ 49”; 66th in the General Classification
64th Nathan Rafferty #104 – 05h 33’ 20”; 70th in the General Classification
CAR
TBD Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
TBD Cole Potts, Max Eddy #346 --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
Withdrawn: Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316
SIDE-BY-SIDE
9th Casey Currie #343 – 05h 17’ 50”; 9th in the General Classification
Ø Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Ricky Brabec #15 – 03h 40’ 30”; 1st in the General Classification
2nd Matthias Walkner #1 – 03h 46’ 49”; 7th in the General Classification
3rd Toby Price #3 – 03h 47’ 37”; 3rd in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 03h 53’ 59”; 5th in the General Classification
5th Sam Sunderland #14 – 03h 54’ 05”; 4th in the General Classification
6th Paulo Goncalves #2 – 03h 54’ 06”; 8th in the General Classification
7th Stefan Svitko #11 – 03h 54’ 40”; 10th in the General Classification
8th Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo #10 – 03h 55’ 03”; 15th in the General Classification
9th Kevin Benavides #47 – 03h 56’ 10”; 6th in the General Classification
10th Lorenzo Santolino #63 – 03h 57’ 32”; 13th in the General Classification
SS3 & SS4, Morning Dakar Rally Round-Up
Some Updates, Current Events and Filling in the Blanks
With so much going on at the Dakar Rally, it’s easy to have missed some information in the daily recaps. Here are the current standings of Special Stage Four, any missed information and some questions for later...
Summarizing Special Stage Three:
In brief, there was a whole new set of top five riders in the Motorcycle class: Soultrait (#18), Quintanilla (#6), Benavides (#47), Van Beveren (#4) and Sunderland (#14). Leader of the pack until now, Honda’s Joan Barreda Bort (#5) withdrew from the race after hours struggling to find a way out of a basin. In the four-wheel categories, Carey Currie is meeting his high expectations as he won 4th yesterday in the brand-new Side-By-Side class. Hildebrand and co-pilot Conger (#367) made good time in the Car category, taking a comfortable 27th position. And soon to follow was Potts and Eddy (#346) rolling across the line at 56th. The Americans made good progress in the rankings on Wednesday, for instance, Howes (#73) whom finished at 17th, Rafferty (#104) taking 70th and Poucher, who moved up a whopping 92 spots from 120th to 28th. Short (#29) held onto roughly the same position at 12th keeping him in the running for a podium finish at Dakar. A great success for those rooting for the United States.
“There was a section up in the mountains where there was so much fog that you could barely see three meters in front of you. It was only when I took my googles off that I had enough visibility to ride.” – Sam Sunderland #14, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, GBR
But, as there always is for the many competitors here, there were some minor setbacks. Brabec didn’t do as well as he had hoped, getting a little bit lost with a group of strong like himself, leaving him back at 13th. Yesterday, the crowd wondered where is Robby Gordon? Gordon and teammate Walch (#316) pulled up to the bivouac at 83rd place with a time of 18H 03’ 43”. It’s safe to assume Team Speed had a slow day, but we can’t blame Gordon.
“What the ASO told us in the drivers briefing last night [Tuesday, after Special Stage Two] was that today’s stage [Special Stage Three] would be a dune race and today would be majority dunes.” Said Gordon. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case we just cut across dunes and got back into valleys, along the beach for miles and miles for what could have been wide-open throttle for us. With the rule limitation they have on our car we had to remain at half throttle and play the speed control game. It’s very disappointing they have this rule on us. It wasn’t so bad yesterday as it only hurt us a little bit, but I wasn’t prepared for this today. We got passed by some pretty slow cars doing 50 mph faster than we were, and there’s nothing we could do about it. Other than the speed limit, today’s stage was a pretty uneventful besides getting stuck once. The car ran really good the whole time. We were running at 130KM/H what is 80MPH and just sitting there the whole time obeying the speed limit and the other competitors were just cruising by us like we were sitting still.” – Robby Gordon #316, Team Speed, USA
Special Stage Four (the Marathon):
Racers are enduring a 400+ KM special stage in much cooler temps than they’ve experienced this past week. A haze set in the morning, clouding the horizon for the men and women tackling a small, but soft, dune section, washes, silt and 30% worth of rocky terrain. With the sun breaking through the veil by mid-morning at the bivouac, hopes are that it’ll continue to light the way for the competitors. According to Dakar’s Press team, “After his first special stage win yesterday, Xavier de Soultrait is having a much more difficult day today. The Yamaha rider already trails Ricky Brabec by 8 minutes at CP2.” Furthermore, “Ricky Brabec is having an excellent day. Rider number 15 is not letting up after 200KM of the special and is continuing to open up the gaps. The KTMs ridden by Matthias Walkner and Toby Price are hanging in there, trailing respectively by 1’57 and 3’16, but behind them it is a massacre. Adrien Van Beveren trails by more than 8 minutes, Kevin Benavides by 11 minutes, Xavier de Soultrait by 12 minutes and general standings leader Pablo Quintanilla is struggling 13’27 behind!”
Live Update Dakar Stage 4 Arequipa - Moquegua, Peru:
09:30 am EST
In the bikes, Brabec is leading the field through the first 200 kilometers as the fastest rider at each of five checkpoints (CP) so far, having reached the neutralized zone not long ago. Brabec’s closest HRC Honda teammates are Paulo Goncalves (#2) and Kevin Benavides (#47), riding eight and 11 mins slower. KTM’s Matthias Walkner (#1) and Toby Price (#3) trailing by two & three mins respectively as yesterday’s stage winner Xavier de Soultrait (YAM) is 12 minutes off the pace. Husqvarna Factory Team rider, Short, again remains consistent at 11th and 12th fastest among the class through each CP with fellow countryman rookie Skyler Howes maintaining 15th position after starting 17th. The race has moved into 55 kilometers of a Neutralization Zone enroute to the departure of their final 146KM in today’s special stage.
Today the challengers set off on Part 1 of the Marathon stage which is sending racers on a 400+KM battle around the Arequipa region before splitting off – Cars/Trucks/SxS off to Tacna and Motorbikes and Quads to Moquegua – for the evening. The (wo)men and machines will be sequestered tonight, unassisted by support crews and limited in their maintenance and service of the vehicles. Tomorrow, during Part 2 of the marathon, and Special Stage Five, they race back towards Arequipa for a well-deserved rest day. 
Ø Current Standings, Bikes Special Stage Four as of 10:45a.m. EST
1st Ricky Brabec #15
2nd Matthias Walkner #1, +02:59
3rd Toby Price #3, +04:15
4th Kevin Benavides #47, +12:06
5th Sam Sunderland #14, +06:55
6th Paulo Goncalves #2, +09:34
7th Adrien Van Beveren, #4 +08:45
8th Stefan Svitko #11, +09:59
9th Pablo Quintanilla #6, +13:27
10th Oriol Mena #7, +13:23
11th Lorenzo Santolino #63, +10:19
12th Andrew Short #29, +11:45
KEY POINTS:
Ø Rankings of Americans from Special Stage Three
BIKE
12th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 22’ 52”; 10th in the General Classification
13th Ricky Brabec #15 – 04h 27’ 43”; 7th in the General Classification
17th Skyler Howes #73 – 04h 38’ 28”; 21st in the General Classification
28th Garrett Poucher #71 – 05h 03’ 24”; 79th in the General Classification
70th Nathan Rafferty #104 – 06h 08’ 30”; 77th in the General Classification
CAR
27th Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – 05h 27’ 55”; 25th in the General Classification
56th Cole Potts, Max Eddy #346 – 07h 12’ 29”; 65th in the General Classification
TBD Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
SIDE-BY-SIDE
4th Casey Currie #343 – 04h 47’ 27”; 8th in the General Classification
Ø Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles from Special Stage Three
1st Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 04h 07’ 42”; 6th in the General Classification
2nd Pablo Quintanilla #6 – 04h 07’ 57”; 1st in the General Classification
3rd Kevin Benavides #47 – 04h 10’ 19”; 2nd in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 14’ 24”; 4th in the General Classification
5th Sam Sunderland #14 – 04h 16’ 08”; 3rd in the General Classification
6th Paulo Goncalves #2 – 04h 17’ 13”; 9th in the General Classification
7th Stefan Svitko #11 – 04h 18’ 32”; 11th in the General Classification
8th Oriol Mena #7 – 04h 18’ 57”; 12th in the General Classification
9th Toby Price #3 – 04h 21’ 58”; 5th in the General Classification
10th Michael Metge #16 – 04h 22’ 27”; 26th in the General Classification
Ø Overall Standings for Women at Dakar
BIKE
20th Laia Sanz #17, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, ESP
90th Mirjam Pol #55, HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing, NLD
99th Anastasiya Nifontova #56, Nifontova 13 Team, RUS
105th Gabriela Novotna #57, Indigo Racing, CZE
108th Sara Garcia #98, Pont Grup Yamaha, ESP
“It was a pity to get lost before the refuelling because that cost some time. Despite that I’m happy and things are getting better for me now.” – Laia Sanz #17, Red Bull KTM Factory Team, ESP
CAR
33rd Cristina Gutierrez Herrero (ESP), Pablo Monero Huete (ESP) #351, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross-Sodicars Racing
59th Camelia Liparoti (ITA), Rosa Romero Font (ESP) #371, C.A.T. Racing Yamaha
73rd Andrea Patricia Lafarja (PRY), Eugenio Arrieta (ARG) #426, DK429 Competition
81st Fernanda Kanna (PER), Alonso Carrillo (PER) #411, De 0 Al Dakar
SxS
18th Annett Fischer (DEU), Andrea Peterhansel (DEU) #385, Racing4Charity – Team Face ALS
26th Olga Rouckova (CZE), Danial Zelenka (CZE) #435, Moto Racing Group (MRG)
January 9, 2019
SS3, New Terrain Added New Obstacles
The Dakar Rally Proves Unpredictable Once More with Fresh Winners and Withdrawals
Special Stage Three offered racers a mix of geographical features, bringing the men and women of Dakar to the shores of the Pacific and back inland down another long, windy route. Expected to be a great navigational challenge, this section led to some exciting and unexpected outcomes.
It was the only cloud-cover the event had seen yet. A welcome change from the unrelenting sun. But early morning fog enveloped the view in some parts of the course for some time, only to be replaced by an extreme amount of dust, as many riders reported. Quite silty, the situation was likely made worse due the cars departing prior to the bikes and quads, creating additional hurdles to overcome. For those who could focus on the rare window of clarity appearing between the shroud of dirt, navigating the rocky terrain past their blind opponents was, if not easy, possible.
“It was very dusty and kind of sketchy and rocky. But if you got out of the dust, you could see just enough to avoid the rocks. So, I was pinning it… full Hare and Hound. [Like in] Baja. Exactly like everything I’ve ever raced before. The whole first 70 kilometers were like that… I passed so many people, so quickly.” – Skyler Howes #73, Garrett Off-Road Racing Team, USA
Tough day at the office for a handful of top seeded riders in the Bikes category on the 331 KM Special Stage to Arequipa, Peru. Joan Barreda Bort (#5), who looked to be a contender for the overall win, had to pull out of the race after a long struggle to escape a basin where he and his motorbike had been stuck for several hours. This of course helps clear the way – just a bit – for his most worthy adversaries. With new riders finishing in the primary five positions, we’re reminded every round at the world’s most infamous off-road rally starts a fresh battle where anyone can make it to the winner’s circle and the shoe-ins can fall from drastic heights. Xavier de Soultrait (#18) secured his first Dakar stage win just seconds, 15 to be precise, ahead of overall leader Pablo Quintanilla (#6). Kevin Benavides (#47) and Adrien Van Beveren (#4) fought miraculously through the crowd to snatch up 3rd and 4th in the stage.
Meanwhile, stage opener Matthias Walkner (#1) lost his way, supposedly taking Barreda, American Ricky Brabec (#15) and a few others with him while Yamaha’s Soultrait gapped everyone else by over six mins at the midway point. Brabec and Walkner were off by as much as 24 and 29 mins respectively at the gas stop.
Despite the loss in time, Brabec still earned a respectable 13th place at the finish, while US rider Andrew Short (#29) was quite steadfast at 12th. Skyler Howes (#73) keeps clawing his way to the top, even battling Brabec for a while before landing 17th in line. Keep in mind, the Dakar Rally is only the third navigation rally the rookie Howes has ever competed in. Two of which – the Sonora Rally and BAJA RALLY – he won, overall. Grassroots racer Nathan Rafferty (#104) too moves fluidly up the rankings taking 70th today. But the real Cinderella Story was of privateer racer, Garrett Poucher (#71), making a major comeback starting 120th in the lineup and ending the round at 28th. About 75 kilometers from the final of Special Stage Two, Poucher had suffered a malfunction which in his words, “disintegrated my bib and soon [thereafter] ripped off my rear tire.” But he pushed onward, completing both the special and liaison stages, qualifying to race the following morning. And race he did, as he jumped 92 spots which puts him at 79th in the General Classification.
At the conclusion of Day 3 of racing, in the General Classification (overall) for Motorcycles, there sits two Americans in the Top Ten: Brabec at 7th, Short at 10th; one just outside of the premiere 20: Howes with the 21st seed; and two Americans in the in the top 100: Rafferty in 77th and of course Poucher sitting at 79th. Not bad for the often-under-represented United States! But it might be too soon to make this same statement about the cars? Casey Currie in SxS #343 made another huge leap to 4th place, the US drivers, Blade Hildebrand (#367) and Cole Potts (#346) crossed the finish line at 27th and 56th. Though, we’re left to wonder, where’s off-road legend, Robby Gordon (#316)? The answer is yet to be determined…
KEY POINTS:
Ø Rankings of Americans
BIKE
12th Andrew Short #29 – 04h 22’ 52”; 10th in the General Classification
13th Ricky Brabec #15 – 04h 27’ 43”; 7th in the General Classification
17th Skyler Howes #73 – 04h 38’ 28”; 21st in the General Classification
28th Garrett Poucher #71 – 05h 03’ 24”; 79th in the General Classification
70th Nathan Rafferty #104 – 06h 08’ 30”; 77th in the General Classification
CAR
27th Blade Hildebrand, Bill Conger #367 – 05h 27’ 55”; 25th in the General Classification
56th Cole Potts, Max Eddy #346 – 07h 12’ 29”; 65th in the General Classification
TBD Robby Gordon, Kellon Walch #316 – --h --’ --”; TBD in the General Classification
SIDE-BY-SIDE
4th Casey Currie #343 – 04h 47’ 27”; 8th in the General Classification
Ø Top Ten Stage Finishers in Motorcycles
1st Xavier de Soultrait #18 – 04h 07’ 42”; 6th in the General Classification
2nd Pablo Quintanillo #6 – 04h 07’ 57”; 1st in the General Classification
3rd Kevin Benavides #47 – 04h 10’ 19”; 2nd in the General Classification
4th Adrien Van Beveren #4 – 04h 14’ 24”; 4th in the General Classification
5th Sam Sunderland #14 – 04h 16’ 08”; 3rd in the General Classification
6th Paulo Goncalves #2 – 04h 17’ 13”; 9th in the General Classification
7th Stefan Svitko #11 – 04h 18’ 32”; 11th in the General Classification
8th Oriol Mena #7 – 04h 18’ 57”; 12th in the General Classification
9th Toby Price #3 – 04h 21’ 58”; 5th in the General Classification
10th Michael Metge #16 – 04h 22’ 27”; 26th in the General Classification
Ø Tomorrow, January 10th to 11th sets off the Marathon stage sending racers on a loop around Arequipa before splitting Cars/Trucks/SxS off to Tacna and Motorbikes and Quads to Moquegua.
January 7, 2019
The green flag waves in Peru with the Dakar Rally opening its 41st year to a roaring crowd.
Monday, January 7th marked the beginning of the 2019 iteration of the world’s most infamous off-road race: the Dakar Rally. But the party really started the previous day at the beach…
“What can I say but ‘wow!’ Crossing the Dakar podium for the first time was an incredible experience. The energy from the fans was off the charts. This has been something I have dreamed of doing since I was a little kid, and it has become a reality." - Garrett Poucher #71, Garrett Off-Road Racing, USASunday is a time for family in Lima, which was evident as hordes of adults, children and the elderly alike packed themselves against barricades, outside the fences or lining the tall cliffs which overlook Dakar Village just to catch a glimpse of their favorite Motorsports heroes. The word floating around most of the day was “mayhem.” But as always, the ASO organization kept their cool and sent the 541 challengers (334 vehicles) up and over the bayside podium in swift fashion. Each met by excited cheers which would burst out as each team approached and exited the stage, warming the spotlight for the next.
"Up until this point the process has been pretty easy-going, but today going up and over the podium, the magnitude of this event really set in. The amount of people there to watch the ceremony was unreal, and we were packed right in there with them getting snagged for selfies left and right. Going up over the podium was brief but still a huge moment for me, putting that check mark next to my #1 dream and goal in life." - Skyler Howes #73, Garrett Off-Road Racing, USAThe following day was an early one, as motorbikes departed Peru’s capitol at about half past 5a.m. local time for the event’s first Special Stage – enroute to the Pisco bivouac. What obstacles could riders and drivers face? Where will we find the 12 Americans (Ricky Brabec #15, Andrew Short #29, Garrett Poucher #71, Skyler Howes #73, Nathan Rafferty #104 on bikes; Robby Gordon and Kellon Walch #316, Cole Potts and Max Eddy #346, Blade Hildebrand and Bill Conger #367 in cars; and Casey Currie #343 in a Side-by-Side) in the starting order for Special Stage Two? Until the final competitor reaches the end of his or her road book today, we’re yet to know. Stay tuned…
Key points:
• 541 competitors and 334 vehicles —137 motorbikes, 26 quads, 130 cars (including 30 SxS) and 41 trucks— were cleared to start the 41st edition of the Dakar at the end of the technical and administrative scrutineering.• This year the roster of women racers continues to grow, including the rally’s first-ever female Malle Moto contestant, Sara Garcia #98 of Spain.
• Before the start of the race, the drivers, riders and crews will get a big send-off from the fans during the podium ceremony in Lima. The celebration will take place on Magdalena beach, where over 100,000 visitors flocked to enjoy a wide range of activities in the Feria Dakar over the last three days.
• The first round comes with a sand-packed 84 km course in the Pisco region.
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