The second weekend of 2016 was a little busier for the motorsports world than the first weekend. The Dakar Rally reached the halfway point. AMA Supercross kicked off its season. Testing for the 24 Hours of Daytona took place. Here is a run down of what got me thinking.
Where Aero Kits Are Missing It
Thanks to this commercial, this song has been stuck in my head for the past three days.
However, that commercial got me thinking about aero kits.
There has been a lot of criticism over aero kits during the past year, including from the defending IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. I think people have a point when they question what aero kits add to IndyCar. They aren't drawing the average person to IndyCar but not every decision IndyCar makes should be focused on drawing in the average person. IndyCar needs to be a motorsports series first and while the first year of aero kits was a trying year, aero kits add a layer of diversity that has been missing from the series for a long time. Of course, IndyCar has yet to capitalize on bringing in independent aero kit manufactures but the door is still open.
But something hit me and I think it is because of that commercial. What are Honda and Chevrolet's aero kit know as? They are nameless. We just call them the Honda kit and the Chevrolet kit. That's boring. If IndyCar and the manufactures want the aero kits to be something that draws in more everyday people to the race then the aero kits should be relatable to the everyday person.
What if the Honda aero kit was called the "Civic Indy" or the "Accord IC" or the "Fit Indy Special" and the Chevrolet aero kit called the "Indy Impala" or the "Cruze IC" or the "Camaro Special"? Name the aero kits after road cars that way the aero kit becomes a promotional tool for the manufactures and the cars they produce and it would allow for the IndyCar to be featured in commercials. Instead of just having an IndyCar in the background of a commercial, by using a road car name for the aero kits, the IndyCar can be integrated into the commercial and simultaneously promote the manufactures' road car program and IndyCar program.
Take the Civic commercial at the top. The only line in the commercial is "direct from our imagination." To me, that line is perfect for the world of motorsports, especially IndyCar. While 2016 isn't the 1960s with turbines, four-wheel drive cars, front-engine vs. rear-engine, gasoline vs. methanol, imagination is still important to motorsports. In another world, perhaps that commercial features an IndyCar with a "Civic Indy" kit to show people what the human imagination can create and the broaden their idea of what a car can be.
I think aero kits should exist and I hope someday soon there are multiple independent aero kits to give IndyCar teams multiple options and not force the teams to use the aero kits of their manufacture or the lame-duck, undeveloped Dallara aero kit. But while questions rage on about the point of aero kits, shouldn't they become what motorsports has always been in a sense? A promotional tool. After all, I don't think Honda would mind hearing that the Honda "Civic" or "Accord" won the Indianapolis 500 and the same for Chevrolet and the "Impala" or "Camaro."
Perhaps once the manufactures starting taking advantage of aero kits for their own cause, then the existence of aero kits will be more appreciated.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about what has been happening in the Dakar Rally but did you know...
Jason Anderson picked up his and Husqvarna's first Supercross victory as he took the season opener from Anaheim.
Antonio Giovinazzi and Sean Gelaeli won the 3 Hours of Buriram in the #9 Jagonya Ayam with Eurasia Oreca-Nissan. In the LMP3 class, the #1 DC Racing Ligier-Nissan of David Cheng, Ho-Pin Tung and Thomas Laurent took the victory and clinch the LMP3 title. The #27 Nexus Infinity Ferrari of Joshua Hunt and Dominic Ang won in the GT class
Coming Up This Weekend
The final week of the Dakar Rally.
Dubai 24 Hour starts Friday.
Chili Bowl from Tulsa.
AMA Supercross heads to San Diego.
Toyota Racing Series begins from Ruapuna Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Loeb Retakes Class Lead
The 2016 Dakar Rally returned to Argentina and there was a change at the top of the car class.
Carlos Sainz won his first stage of this year's rally. The Spaniard defeated his Peugeot teammate Sébastien Loeb by 38 seconds. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished third, three minutes and 22 seconds behind Sainz. Stéphane Peterhansel entered stage seven as the car class leader but the Frenchman relinquished his lead after finishing fourth, five seconds behind Al-Attiyah. Mikko Hirvonen cracked the top five and was four minutes and seven seconds behind Sainz. Cyril Despres finished five minutes and 24 seconds back in sixth with Giniel de Villiers a second behind Despres. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Leeroy Poulter followed their Toyota teammate de Villiers in eighth and ninth. They were six minutes and 42 seconds back and six minutes and 57 seconds back respectively. Nani Roma was tenth, seven minutes and 16 seconds back. Robby Gordon finished 11th, ten minutes and a second back.
Loeb takes a two-minute and 22-second lead into the rest day over Peterhansel. Sainz is four minutes and 50 seconds back in third. Al-Attiyah is fourth, over 17 minutes back and Hirvonen rounds out the top five, over 32 minutes behind Loeb. Toyota drivers take up the next four spots in the overall classifications. De Villiers leads Poulter, Al-Rajhi and Vladimir Vasilyev, who finished 13th on stage seven. Emiliano Spataro is tenth, the first driver over an hour behind Loeb.
Sheldon Creed remains the top American, 24th overall after finishing 21st on stage seven. Gordon is now 28th overall. Both drivers are over three and a half hours back.
Antoine Meo won his first career Dakar Rally stage. The Frenchman defeated Kevin Benavides by a minute and 53 seconds. Bike class leader Paulo Gonçalves finished third on the stage, three seconds behind Benavides. Michael Metge was fourth, three minutes and 51 seconds back. Hélder Rodrigues finished four minutes and 28 seconds behind Meo in fifth. Toby Price finished sixth, five seconds outside the top five. Pablo Quintanilla was 19 seconds behind the Australian in seventh. Txomin Arana was eighth, five minutes and three seconds. Ivan Cervandes and Gerard Farres rounded out the top ten. Cervandes was thirty seconds behind Arana and Farres was 28 seconds back of Cervandes.
Gonçalves retains the class lead into the rest day. He is three minutes and 12 seconds ahead of Price and nine minutes and 24 seconds ahead of Štefan Svitko, who finished 11th on stage seven. Quintanilla is 18 minutes and six seconds back in fourth with Benavides 21 minutes and a second back. Meo is five seconds behind Benavides. In seventh, Rodrigues is 22 minutes and 44 seconds behind his fellow countryman. Farres is eighth, 29 minutes and 57 seconds behind Gonçalves. Alain Duclos is over a half an hour back in ninth after finishing 15th on stage seven. Juan Pedrero rounds out the top ten, 32 minutes back after finishing 16th on the stage.
American Ricky Brabec finished 12th and is now 12th overall, over 38 minutes back. Ian Blythe is nearly two hours back in 34th. Alexander Smith is over three and a half hour behind Gonçalves in 47th. Scott Bright trails Smith by just less than an hour in 58th. Carroll Gittere is over seven hours back in 83rd.
Argentine Lucas Bonetto won his first stage of this year's rally. He won the quad class by 29 seconds over fellow countryman Pablo Copetti. Walter Nosiglia finished third, 54 seconds back. The Patronelli brothers rounded out the top five. Alejandro finished two minutes and 34 seconds back and Marcos was 48 seconds behind his brother.
Alejandro Patronelli continues to lead overall. He leads his brother by three minutes and 36 seconds. Russian Sergei Karyakin is third; seven minutes and 51 seconds back after finishing seventh on stage seven. Jeremias González is over 26 minutes behind Patronelli after he finished sixth on the stage. Alexis Hernandez rounds out the top five, just over a minute behind Gonzàlez. Since winning stage five, Hernandez had failed to crack the top five in a stage. The Peruvian finished 11th on stage seven, matching his worst stage finish in this year's race.
In the truck class, Eduard Nikolaev won his second stage of this year's Dakar. The Russian beat Kamaz teammate Airat Mardeev by 58 seconds. Dutchman Pieter Versluis was third, a minute and 17 seconds behind Nikolaev. Gerard de Rooy finished two minutes and 11 seconds back in fourth and Andrey Karginov was fifth, six minutes and 44 seconds behind his countryman.
Versluis leads the truck class heading into the rest day after Hans Stacey finished ninth on stage seven and drops to fifth in class. Versluis leads de Rooy by five minutes and 31 seconds. Ten minutes and 48 seconds back is Mardeev with Nikolaev six seconds behind his fellow Russian. Stacey is 11 minutes and 28 seconds behind Versluis.
Sunday will be a rest day. On Monday, the teams head from Salta to Bélen.
Carlos Sainz won his first stage of this year's rally. The Spaniard defeated his Peugeot teammate Sébastien Loeb by 38 seconds. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished third, three minutes and 22 seconds behind Sainz. Stéphane Peterhansel entered stage seven as the car class leader but the Frenchman relinquished his lead after finishing fourth, five seconds behind Al-Attiyah. Mikko Hirvonen cracked the top five and was four minutes and seven seconds behind Sainz. Cyril Despres finished five minutes and 24 seconds back in sixth with Giniel de Villiers a second behind Despres. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Leeroy Poulter followed their Toyota teammate de Villiers in eighth and ninth. They were six minutes and 42 seconds back and six minutes and 57 seconds back respectively. Nani Roma was tenth, seven minutes and 16 seconds back. Robby Gordon finished 11th, ten minutes and a second back.
Loeb takes a two-minute and 22-second lead into the rest day over Peterhansel. Sainz is four minutes and 50 seconds back in third. Al-Attiyah is fourth, over 17 minutes back and Hirvonen rounds out the top five, over 32 minutes behind Loeb. Toyota drivers take up the next four spots in the overall classifications. De Villiers leads Poulter, Al-Rajhi and Vladimir Vasilyev, who finished 13th on stage seven. Emiliano Spataro is tenth, the first driver over an hour behind Loeb.
Sheldon Creed remains the top American, 24th overall after finishing 21st on stage seven. Gordon is now 28th overall. Both drivers are over three and a half hours back.
Antoine Meo won his first career Dakar Rally stage. The Frenchman defeated Kevin Benavides by a minute and 53 seconds. Bike class leader Paulo Gonçalves finished third on the stage, three seconds behind Benavides. Michael Metge was fourth, three minutes and 51 seconds back. Hélder Rodrigues finished four minutes and 28 seconds behind Meo in fifth. Toby Price finished sixth, five seconds outside the top five. Pablo Quintanilla was 19 seconds behind the Australian in seventh. Txomin Arana was eighth, five minutes and three seconds. Ivan Cervandes and Gerard Farres rounded out the top ten. Cervandes was thirty seconds behind Arana and Farres was 28 seconds back of Cervandes.
Gonçalves retains the class lead into the rest day. He is three minutes and 12 seconds ahead of Price and nine minutes and 24 seconds ahead of Štefan Svitko, who finished 11th on stage seven. Quintanilla is 18 minutes and six seconds back in fourth with Benavides 21 minutes and a second back. Meo is five seconds behind Benavides. In seventh, Rodrigues is 22 minutes and 44 seconds behind his fellow countryman. Farres is eighth, 29 minutes and 57 seconds behind Gonçalves. Alain Duclos is over a half an hour back in ninth after finishing 15th on stage seven. Juan Pedrero rounds out the top ten, 32 minutes back after finishing 16th on the stage.
American Ricky Brabec finished 12th and is now 12th overall, over 38 minutes back. Ian Blythe is nearly two hours back in 34th. Alexander Smith is over three and a half hour behind Gonçalves in 47th. Scott Bright trails Smith by just less than an hour in 58th. Carroll Gittere is over seven hours back in 83rd.
Argentine Lucas Bonetto won his first stage of this year's rally. He won the quad class by 29 seconds over fellow countryman Pablo Copetti. Walter Nosiglia finished third, 54 seconds back. The Patronelli brothers rounded out the top five. Alejandro finished two minutes and 34 seconds back and Marcos was 48 seconds behind his brother.
Alejandro Patronelli continues to lead overall. He leads his brother by three minutes and 36 seconds. Russian Sergei Karyakin is third; seven minutes and 51 seconds back after finishing seventh on stage seven. Jeremias González is over 26 minutes behind Patronelli after he finished sixth on the stage. Alexis Hernandez rounds out the top five, just over a minute behind Gonzàlez. Since winning stage five, Hernandez had failed to crack the top five in a stage. The Peruvian finished 11th on stage seven, matching his worst stage finish in this year's race.
In the truck class, Eduard Nikolaev won his second stage of this year's Dakar. The Russian beat Kamaz teammate Airat Mardeev by 58 seconds. Dutchman Pieter Versluis was third, a minute and 17 seconds behind Nikolaev. Gerard de Rooy finished two minutes and 11 seconds back in fourth and Andrey Karginov was fifth, six minutes and 44 seconds behind his countryman.
Versluis leads the truck class heading into the rest day after Hans Stacey finished ninth on stage seven and drops to fifth in class. Versluis leads de Rooy by five minutes and 31 seconds. Ten minutes and 48 seconds back is Mardeev with Nikolaev six seconds behind his fellow Russian. Stacey is 11 minutes and 28 seconds behind Versluis.
Sunday will be a rest day. On Monday, the teams head from Salta to Bélen.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Peterhansel Takes Dakar Lead, Loeb Drops to Second
The sixth stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally saw three lead changes in the overall classifications in three classes and one competitor scored his first stage victory of this year's race.
Stéphane Peterhansel won the car class, his second stage victory, by seventeen seconds over Peugeot teammate Carlos Sainz. Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi finished seven minutes and 19 seconds back in third. Sébastien Loeb failed to finish in the top three of a stage for the first time since the prologue as the nine-time World Rally champion finished eight minutes and 15 seconds back of Peterhansel. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished fifth, 36 seconds behind Loeb. Nani Roma was sixth, 11 minutes and a second back. Orlando Terranova finished two minutes and five seconds back of Roma and Mikko Hirvonen was a minute and nine seconds behind Terranova. Giniel de Villiers finished ninth, 59 seconds behind Hirvonen. Erik Van Loon and Cyril Despres finished tied for tenth, 16 minutes and 45 seconds back of Peterhansel.
Peterhansel has taken a 27-second lead over Loeb in the overall standings. Sainz is five minutes and 55 seconds back of Peterhansel, third overall. Al-Attiyah is fourth, over 15 minutes back. De Villiers and Hirvonen trail Peterhansel by 29 minutes and 21 seconds and 29 minutes and 51 seconds respectively. Leeroy Poulter is over 34 minutes back in seventh. Al-Rajhi is eighth, over 37 minutes back. Vladimir Vasilyev is ninth, 42 minutes back and Emiliano Spataro is tenth, 57 minutes back.
The Americans Sheldon Creed and Robby Gordon finished 37th and 50th on the day. Creed is 29th overall and Gordon is 32nd overall. Both are over three hours behind Peterhansel.
Toby Price won in the bike class for the second consecutive day. The Australian finished a minute and five seconds ahead of fellow KTM rider Matthias Walkner. Class leader Paulo Gonçalves finished third, a minute and 12 seconds behind Price. Štefan Svitko finished fourth, four minutes and 44 seconds behind Price and Hélder Rodrigues rounded out the top five, five minutes and 23 seconds back. Husqvarna riders Pablo Quintanilla and Txomin Arana finished sixth and seventh, with seven seconds separating the riders. Ricky Brabec finished eighth, eight minutes and 16 seconds behind Price. Italian Alessandro Botturi finished a minute and three seconds behind Brabec and Jordi Viladoms was tenth, 11 minutes and nine seconds behind Price.
Gonçalves keeps his overall lead but only leads Price by 35 seconds. Walkner is two minutes and 50 seconds back. Svikto trails by five minutes and 17 seconds with Quintanilla nearly ten minutes behind the Slovakian. Rodrigues is over 20 minutes behind his fellow countryman. Kevin Benavides is over 21 minutes back in seventh. French riders Antoine Meo and Alain Duclos are eight and ninth and Juan Pedrero is tenth.
Brabec is 14th with Ian Blythe in 36th, Alexander Smith in 50th and Scott Bright in 50th.
Marcos Patronelli won his second stage in the quad class. The Argentine rider finished six minutes and 39 seconds ahead of his brother Alejandro. Brian Baragwanath finished third, eight minutes and 21 seconds back. Sergei Karyakin finished nearly ten minutes behind Baragwanath and Jeremias González was fifth, over three minutes behind Karyakin.
Alejandro Patronelli took the overall lead in the quad class as Alexis Hernandez finished eighth on stage six. Alejandro leads his brother by two minutes and 48 seconds. Karyakin is five minutes and 39 seconds back. Hernandez dropped to fourth, trailing the Argentine by 21 minutes and a second back. González is fifth, just under 25 minutes back of his fellow countryman.
Hans Stacey won his first stage in the truck class and retook the truck class lead overall. The Dutchman finished seven seconds ahead of Gerard de Rooy. Pieter Versluis made it a Dutch sweep of the top three, finishing a minute and 15 seconds behind Stacey. Eduard Nikolaev was fourth, two minutes and 11 second back with Dmitry Sotnikov ten seconds back of Nikolaev.
Stacey leads Versluis by 59 seconds. Federico Villagra dropped from the lead to third, four minutes and five seconds back of Stacey after finishing ninth on stage six. De Rooy trails Stacey by five minutes and 36 seconds and Airat Mardeev is fifth, 12 minutes and six seconds behind Stacey after the Russian finished eighth in stage six.
Stage seven brings the teams back to Argentina. All four classes head to Salta.
Stéphane Peterhansel won the car class, his second stage victory, by seventeen seconds over Peugeot teammate Carlos Sainz. Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi finished seven minutes and 19 seconds back in third. Sébastien Loeb failed to finish in the top three of a stage for the first time since the prologue as the nine-time World Rally champion finished eight minutes and 15 seconds back of Peterhansel. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished fifth, 36 seconds behind Loeb. Nani Roma was sixth, 11 minutes and a second back. Orlando Terranova finished two minutes and five seconds back of Roma and Mikko Hirvonen was a minute and nine seconds behind Terranova. Giniel de Villiers finished ninth, 59 seconds behind Hirvonen. Erik Van Loon and Cyril Despres finished tied for tenth, 16 minutes and 45 seconds back of Peterhansel.
Peterhansel has taken a 27-second lead over Loeb in the overall standings. Sainz is five minutes and 55 seconds back of Peterhansel, third overall. Al-Attiyah is fourth, over 15 minutes back. De Villiers and Hirvonen trail Peterhansel by 29 minutes and 21 seconds and 29 minutes and 51 seconds respectively. Leeroy Poulter is over 34 minutes back in seventh. Al-Rajhi is eighth, over 37 minutes back. Vladimir Vasilyev is ninth, 42 minutes back and Emiliano Spataro is tenth, 57 minutes back.
The Americans Sheldon Creed and Robby Gordon finished 37th and 50th on the day. Creed is 29th overall and Gordon is 32nd overall. Both are over three hours behind Peterhansel.
Toby Price won in the bike class for the second consecutive day. The Australian finished a minute and five seconds ahead of fellow KTM rider Matthias Walkner. Class leader Paulo Gonçalves finished third, a minute and 12 seconds behind Price. Štefan Svitko finished fourth, four minutes and 44 seconds behind Price and Hélder Rodrigues rounded out the top five, five minutes and 23 seconds back. Husqvarna riders Pablo Quintanilla and Txomin Arana finished sixth and seventh, with seven seconds separating the riders. Ricky Brabec finished eighth, eight minutes and 16 seconds behind Price. Italian Alessandro Botturi finished a minute and three seconds behind Brabec and Jordi Viladoms was tenth, 11 minutes and nine seconds behind Price.
Gonçalves keeps his overall lead but only leads Price by 35 seconds. Walkner is two minutes and 50 seconds back. Svikto trails by five minutes and 17 seconds with Quintanilla nearly ten minutes behind the Slovakian. Rodrigues is over 20 minutes behind his fellow countryman. Kevin Benavides is over 21 minutes back in seventh. French riders Antoine Meo and Alain Duclos are eight and ninth and Juan Pedrero is tenth.
Brabec is 14th with Ian Blythe in 36th, Alexander Smith in 50th and Scott Bright in 50th.
Marcos Patronelli won his second stage in the quad class. The Argentine rider finished six minutes and 39 seconds ahead of his brother Alejandro. Brian Baragwanath finished third, eight minutes and 21 seconds back. Sergei Karyakin finished nearly ten minutes behind Baragwanath and Jeremias González was fifth, over three minutes behind Karyakin.
Alejandro Patronelli took the overall lead in the quad class as Alexis Hernandez finished eighth on stage six. Alejandro leads his brother by two minutes and 48 seconds. Karyakin is five minutes and 39 seconds back. Hernandez dropped to fourth, trailing the Argentine by 21 minutes and a second back. González is fifth, just under 25 minutes back of his fellow countryman.
Hans Stacey won his first stage in the truck class and retook the truck class lead overall. The Dutchman finished seven seconds ahead of Gerard de Rooy. Pieter Versluis made it a Dutch sweep of the top three, finishing a minute and 15 seconds behind Stacey. Eduard Nikolaev was fourth, two minutes and 11 second back with Dmitry Sotnikov ten seconds back of Nikolaev.
Stacey leads Versluis by 59 seconds. Federico Villagra dropped from the lead to third, four minutes and five seconds back of Stacey after finishing ninth on stage six. De Rooy trails Stacey by five minutes and 36 seconds and Airat Mardeev is fifth, 12 minutes and six seconds behind Stacey after the Russian finished eighth in stage six.
Stage seven brings the teams back to Argentina. All four classes head to Salta.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Loeb Wins Stage Five, New Quad Class Leader
Stage five of the Dakar Rally saw two classes remain the same with two classes featuring changes at the top of the classifications.
Sébastien Loeb won his third stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally. The Frenchman defeated fellow Peugeot driver Carlos Sainz by 22 seconds. Stage four winner Stéphane Peterhansel finished third on stage five, three minutes behind Loeb. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished fourth, seven seconds off the podium. Leeroy Poulter finished three minutes behind Al-Attiyah and rounded out the top five.
Mikko Hirvonen finished sixth, seven minutes and 42 seconds back of Loeb. Giniel de Villiers was seventh, eight minutes and 36 seconds back. Robby Gordon was eighth on the day, nine minutes and 20 seconds back. Bernhard ten Brinke finished fifteen seconds behind Gordon and Orlando Terranova rounded out the top ten on the stage. The Argentine was ten minutes and 15 seconds back of Loeb. Nani Roma was 18 seconds outside the top ten.
Loeb extended his overall lead in the car class to seven minutes and 48 seconds over Peterhansel. Sainz is 13 minutes and 26 seconds back in third. Al-Attiyah is 50 seconds behind Sainz and is the top non-Peugeot competitor. Poulter rounds out the top five, 18 minutes and 38 seconds back. De Villiers follows his fellow South African in the classifications with Hirvonen seventh. Ten Brinke, Vladimir Vasilyev and Yazeed Al-Rajhi round out the top ten. Vasilyev and Al-Rajhi finished 13th and 16th respectively on stage five.
Robby Gordon jumped up to 24th overall, an hour and 48 minutes back. Sheldon Creed is 28th; two hours and two minutes back after finishing 32nd on stage five.
Toby Price won his second stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally. The Australian defeated Antoine Meo by two minutes and 21 seconds. Štefan Svitko was third, 12 seconds behind Meo. Matthias Walkner finished seven seconds off the podium in fourth. Joan Barreda was fifth on the day, five minutes and 57 seconds back. Pablo Quintanilla finished sixth, six minutes and 51 seconds back of Price. Ivan Jakes was seventh; seven minutes and 19 seconds back with Hélder Rodrigues a second behind Jakes and Juan Pedrero finishing 17 seconds behind the Slovakian Jakes. Alain Duclos rounded out the top ten, 58 seconds behind Pedrero.
Paulo Gonçalves finished 12th on stage five but retained his class lead. The Portuguese rider is a minute and 45 seconds ahead of Svitko and Price is two seconds back of Svitko. Barreda is two minutes and 27 seconds behind Gonçalves. Walkner is fifth, two minutes and 57 seconds back. Argentine Kevin Benavides finished 16th on the stage but remains sixth overall, six minutes and 46 seconds back. Meo is three seconds behind Benavides. Ruben Faria finished 11th on the day but is still eighth and is trails his countryman by eight minutes and 13 seconds. Quintanilla is eight minutes and 30 seconds back in ninth and Duclos is tenth, 13 minutes and 39 seconds behind Gonçalves.
Ricky Brabec is 19th overall; 26 minutes and 42 seconds back after finishing 24th on stage five. Ian Blythe remains the second-best American, 42nd and an hour and 12 minutes back. Alexander Smith is 59th, two hours and 21 minutes back. Scott Bright and Carroll Gittere are 67th and 91st respectively, both over two and a half hours behind Gonçalves.
There is a new leader in the quad class after Alexis Hernandez won the stage and Ignacio Casale suffered engine problems. The Peruvian won the stage by a minute and 57 seconds over stage three winner Brian Baragawanath. Alejandro Patronelli finished third, twenty seconds behind Baragawanath. Russian Sergei Karyakin finished two minutes and 50 seconds back in fourth and the Dutchman Kees Koolen was fifth, three minutes and 20 seconds behind Hernandez.
Hernandez took over the overall lead with his victory. The Peruvian is 48 seconds ahead of Alejandro Patronelli. Karyakin is third, eight minutes and 35 seconds back. Marcos Patronelli moves up to fourth, ten minutes and 15 seconds behind Hernandez. He finished eighth on the stage. Jeremias González is fifth, 11 minutes and nine seconds back. González was seventh on stage five. Casale dropped to 14th, an hour and four seconds behind Hernandez.
Eduard Nikolaev picked up his first victory of this year's Dakar in the truck class. The Russian finished two minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Martin Kolomy. Federico Villagra finished third, four minutes and 32 seconds behind Nikolaev. Dutch driver Ton Van Genugten finished fourth, with the same time as Villagra. Rounding out the top five was Airat Mardeev, five minutes and 58 seconds behind Nikolaev.
Villagra took the truck class lead by five seconds over Pieter Versluis, who finished sixth on the day. Hans Stacey was seventh on stage five and is now third, 21 seconds behind Villagra. Gerard de Rooy is five minutes and 50 seconds back after finishing eighth on stage five. Mardeev is fifth overall, eight minutes and 49 seconds back.
Stage six will be a lap around Bolivia with the teams starting and ending in Uyuni.
Sébastien Loeb won his third stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally. The Frenchman defeated fellow Peugeot driver Carlos Sainz by 22 seconds. Stage four winner Stéphane Peterhansel finished third on stage five, three minutes behind Loeb. Nasser Al-Attiyah finished fourth, seven seconds off the podium. Leeroy Poulter finished three minutes behind Al-Attiyah and rounded out the top five.
Mikko Hirvonen finished sixth, seven minutes and 42 seconds back of Loeb. Giniel de Villiers was seventh, eight minutes and 36 seconds back. Robby Gordon was eighth on the day, nine minutes and 20 seconds back. Bernhard ten Brinke finished fifteen seconds behind Gordon and Orlando Terranova rounded out the top ten on the stage. The Argentine was ten minutes and 15 seconds back of Loeb. Nani Roma was 18 seconds outside the top ten.
Loeb extended his overall lead in the car class to seven minutes and 48 seconds over Peterhansel. Sainz is 13 minutes and 26 seconds back in third. Al-Attiyah is 50 seconds behind Sainz and is the top non-Peugeot competitor. Poulter rounds out the top five, 18 minutes and 38 seconds back. De Villiers follows his fellow South African in the classifications with Hirvonen seventh. Ten Brinke, Vladimir Vasilyev and Yazeed Al-Rajhi round out the top ten. Vasilyev and Al-Rajhi finished 13th and 16th respectively on stage five.
Robby Gordon jumped up to 24th overall, an hour and 48 minutes back. Sheldon Creed is 28th; two hours and two minutes back after finishing 32nd on stage five.
Toby Price won his second stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally. The Australian defeated Antoine Meo by two minutes and 21 seconds. Štefan Svitko was third, 12 seconds behind Meo. Matthias Walkner finished seven seconds off the podium in fourth. Joan Barreda was fifth on the day, five minutes and 57 seconds back. Pablo Quintanilla finished sixth, six minutes and 51 seconds back of Price. Ivan Jakes was seventh; seven minutes and 19 seconds back with Hélder Rodrigues a second behind Jakes and Juan Pedrero finishing 17 seconds behind the Slovakian Jakes. Alain Duclos rounded out the top ten, 58 seconds behind Pedrero.
Paulo Gonçalves finished 12th on stage five but retained his class lead. The Portuguese rider is a minute and 45 seconds ahead of Svitko and Price is two seconds back of Svitko. Barreda is two minutes and 27 seconds behind Gonçalves. Walkner is fifth, two minutes and 57 seconds back. Argentine Kevin Benavides finished 16th on the stage but remains sixth overall, six minutes and 46 seconds back. Meo is three seconds behind Benavides. Ruben Faria finished 11th on the day but is still eighth and is trails his countryman by eight minutes and 13 seconds. Quintanilla is eight minutes and 30 seconds back in ninth and Duclos is tenth, 13 minutes and 39 seconds behind Gonçalves.
Ricky Brabec is 19th overall; 26 minutes and 42 seconds back after finishing 24th on stage five. Ian Blythe remains the second-best American, 42nd and an hour and 12 minutes back. Alexander Smith is 59th, two hours and 21 minutes back. Scott Bright and Carroll Gittere are 67th and 91st respectively, both over two and a half hours behind Gonçalves.
There is a new leader in the quad class after Alexis Hernandez won the stage and Ignacio Casale suffered engine problems. The Peruvian won the stage by a minute and 57 seconds over stage three winner Brian Baragawanath. Alejandro Patronelli finished third, twenty seconds behind Baragawanath. Russian Sergei Karyakin finished two minutes and 50 seconds back in fourth and the Dutchman Kees Koolen was fifth, three minutes and 20 seconds behind Hernandez.
Hernandez took over the overall lead with his victory. The Peruvian is 48 seconds ahead of Alejandro Patronelli. Karyakin is third, eight minutes and 35 seconds back. Marcos Patronelli moves up to fourth, ten minutes and 15 seconds behind Hernandez. He finished eighth on the stage. Jeremias González is fifth, 11 minutes and nine seconds back. González was seventh on stage five. Casale dropped to 14th, an hour and four seconds behind Hernandez.
Eduard Nikolaev picked up his first victory of this year's Dakar in the truck class. The Russian finished two minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Martin Kolomy. Federico Villagra finished third, four minutes and 32 seconds behind Nikolaev. Dutch driver Ton Van Genugten finished fourth, with the same time as Villagra. Rounding out the top five was Airat Mardeev, five minutes and 58 seconds behind Nikolaev.
Villagra took the truck class lead by five seconds over Pieter Versluis, who finished sixth on the day. Hans Stacey was seventh on stage five and is now third, 21 seconds behind Villagra. Gerard de Rooy is five minutes and 50 seconds back after finishing eighth on stage five. Mardeev is fifth overall, eight minutes and 49 seconds back.
Stage six will be a lap around Bolivia with the teams starting and ending in Uyuni.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
2016 Dakar Rally Stage Four Review
Stage four of the 2016 Dakar Rally was completed today and four competitors picked up their first stage victories of this year's edition.
Stéphane Peterhansel won stage four, the third consecutive stage victory for Peugeot. The Frenchman won by eleven seconds over Carlos Sainz with Sébastien Loeb making it a Peugeot 1-2-3, 27 seconds back of Peterhansel. Defending Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah finished four minutes and 57 seconds back in fourth. Cyril Despres rounded out the top five, five minutes and 44 seconds back.
Toyota drivers Yazeed Al-Rahji and Leeroy Poulter finished sixth and seventh. Al-Rahji was 15 seconds behind Despres and Poulter was 16 seconds behind his fellow Toyota driver. Mini drivers Nani Roma and Orlando Terranova finished eight and ninth. The Spaniard was seven minutes and ten seconds back of Peterhansel and Terranova was seven minutes and 43 seconds back of the stage winner. Robby Gordon rounded out the top ten. The American finished eight minutes and 43 seconds behind Peterhansel.
After four stages, Loeb continues to lead in the car class after the Frenchman won stages two and three. Peterhansel trails Loeb by four minutes and 48 seconds. Al-Attiyah is 11 minutes and nine seconds back in third. Poulter is 12 minutes and 31 seconds behind Loeb and Sainz rounds out the top five, 13 minutes and four seconds back. Giniel de Villiers and Mikko Hirvonen are sixth and seventh overall. They finished 11th and 12th respectively on stage four. Despres, prologue winner Bertnard ten Brinke and Russian Vladimir Vasilyev round out the top ten overall.
American Sheldon Creed is 24th, over an hour and five minutes back. Creed finished 17th on stage four. Gordon is 33rd, nearly an hour and 40 minutes behind Loeb. Gordon has accumulated an hour and four minutes in penalty time.
Paulo Gonçalves won stage four after Joan Barreda was handed a five-minute penalty. It was a Portuguese 1-2 with Ruben Faria finishing two minutes and 35 seconds behind Gonçalves. Argentine and stage three winner Kevin Benavides was third, two seconds behind Faria and Barreda finished fourth, three minutes and 11 seconds back after the penalty. Stage two winner Toby Price was third on the day, four minutes and a second behind Gonçalves.
French riders Antoine Meo and Michael Metge finished sixth and seventh. Meo was four minutes and 15 seconds back and Metge was a minute and five seconds behind Meo. Gerrard Farres Guell was eighth, three seconds behind Metge and American Ricky Brarbec was ninth, nine seconds behind Metge. Pablo Quintanilla rounded out the top ten, five minutes and 52 seconds back.
Gonçalves now leads overall, two minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Benavides and Barreda is three minutes and three seconds back. Štefan Svitko is fourth, five minutes and 22 seconds back. The Slovakian finished 12th on the day. Faria is two seconds behind Svitko and fifth overall. Austrian Matthias Walkner is sixth, seven minutes and eight seconds back and 48 seconds ahead of Price. Quintanilla, Meo and Alain Duclos round out the top ten.
Brabec is 17th, 18 minutes and 48 seconds back while Ian Blythe is 44th, over an hour back. Alexander Smith is 63rd, Scott Bright is 70th and Carroll Gittere is 92nd.
Marcos Patronelli won in the quad class by 16 seconds over Peruvian Alexis Hernandez and 25 seconds over prologue and stage two winner Ignacio Casale. Alejandro Patronelli finished three minutes and 49 seconds behind Marcos. Mohammed Abu-Issu rounded out the top five on the stage, four minutes and 12 seconds back.
Casale leads the quad class, 12 minutes and six seconds ahead of Brazilian debutant Marcelo Medeiros, who finished sixth on stage four. Alejandro Patronelli is third, 13 minutes and 52 seconds back and Hernandez is fourth, 15 minutes and 45 seconds back. Marcos Patronelli rounds out the top five overall, 17 minutes and 50 seconds back. Defending Dakar winner Rafeł Sonik is sixth overall, 19 minutes and 24 seconds behind Casale.
In the truck class, Gerard de Rooy took the stage four victory with fellow Dutchman Pieter Versluis finishing 37 seconds behind him in second. Stage two winner Hans Stacey made it a Dutch 1-2-3, finishing a minute and 18 seconds behind de Rooy. Argentine Federico Villagra finished fourth, a minute and 46 seconds back. Russian Eduard Nikolaev rounded out the top five, three minutes and 32 seconds behind de Rooy.
Versluis leads Stacey in the overall classification by 15 seconds. Villagra is third, two minutes and four seconds back. De Rooy trails Versluis by four minutes and 59 seconds in fourth. De Rooy has accumulated two minutes worth of penalties so far. Airat Mardeev rounds out the top five, nine minutes and 27 seconds back. Mardeev finished ninth on stage four, over five and a half minutes behind de Rooy.
Stage five of the Dakar Rally leaves Argentina. The teams will go from San Salvador de Jujuy to Uyuni, Bolivia.
Stéphane Peterhansel won stage four, the third consecutive stage victory for Peugeot. The Frenchman won by eleven seconds over Carlos Sainz with Sébastien Loeb making it a Peugeot 1-2-3, 27 seconds back of Peterhansel. Defending Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah finished four minutes and 57 seconds back in fourth. Cyril Despres rounded out the top five, five minutes and 44 seconds back.
Toyota drivers Yazeed Al-Rahji and Leeroy Poulter finished sixth and seventh. Al-Rahji was 15 seconds behind Despres and Poulter was 16 seconds behind his fellow Toyota driver. Mini drivers Nani Roma and Orlando Terranova finished eight and ninth. The Spaniard was seven minutes and ten seconds back of Peterhansel and Terranova was seven minutes and 43 seconds back of the stage winner. Robby Gordon rounded out the top ten. The American finished eight minutes and 43 seconds behind Peterhansel.
After four stages, Loeb continues to lead in the car class after the Frenchman won stages two and three. Peterhansel trails Loeb by four minutes and 48 seconds. Al-Attiyah is 11 minutes and nine seconds back in third. Poulter is 12 minutes and 31 seconds behind Loeb and Sainz rounds out the top five, 13 minutes and four seconds back. Giniel de Villiers and Mikko Hirvonen are sixth and seventh overall. They finished 11th and 12th respectively on stage four. Despres, prologue winner Bertnard ten Brinke and Russian Vladimir Vasilyev round out the top ten overall.
American Sheldon Creed is 24th, over an hour and five minutes back. Creed finished 17th on stage four. Gordon is 33rd, nearly an hour and 40 minutes behind Loeb. Gordon has accumulated an hour and four minutes in penalty time.
Paulo Gonçalves won stage four after Joan Barreda was handed a five-minute penalty. It was a Portuguese 1-2 with Ruben Faria finishing two minutes and 35 seconds behind Gonçalves. Argentine and stage three winner Kevin Benavides was third, two seconds behind Faria and Barreda finished fourth, three minutes and 11 seconds back after the penalty. Stage two winner Toby Price was third on the day, four minutes and a second behind Gonçalves.
French riders Antoine Meo and Michael Metge finished sixth and seventh. Meo was four minutes and 15 seconds back and Metge was a minute and five seconds behind Meo. Gerrard Farres Guell was eighth, three seconds behind Metge and American Ricky Brarbec was ninth, nine seconds behind Metge. Pablo Quintanilla rounded out the top ten, five minutes and 52 seconds back.
Gonçalves now leads overall, two minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Benavides and Barreda is three minutes and three seconds back. Štefan Svitko is fourth, five minutes and 22 seconds back. The Slovakian finished 12th on the day. Faria is two seconds behind Svitko and fifth overall. Austrian Matthias Walkner is sixth, seven minutes and eight seconds back and 48 seconds ahead of Price. Quintanilla, Meo and Alain Duclos round out the top ten.
Brabec is 17th, 18 minutes and 48 seconds back while Ian Blythe is 44th, over an hour back. Alexander Smith is 63rd, Scott Bright is 70th and Carroll Gittere is 92nd.
Marcos Patronelli won in the quad class by 16 seconds over Peruvian Alexis Hernandez and 25 seconds over prologue and stage two winner Ignacio Casale. Alejandro Patronelli finished three minutes and 49 seconds behind Marcos. Mohammed Abu-Issu rounded out the top five on the stage, four minutes and 12 seconds back.
Casale leads the quad class, 12 minutes and six seconds ahead of Brazilian debutant Marcelo Medeiros, who finished sixth on stage four. Alejandro Patronelli is third, 13 minutes and 52 seconds back and Hernandez is fourth, 15 minutes and 45 seconds back. Marcos Patronelli rounds out the top five overall, 17 minutes and 50 seconds back. Defending Dakar winner Rafeł Sonik is sixth overall, 19 minutes and 24 seconds behind Casale.
In the truck class, Gerard de Rooy took the stage four victory with fellow Dutchman Pieter Versluis finishing 37 seconds behind him in second. Stage two winner Hans Stacey made it a Dutch 1-2-3, finishing a minute and 18 seconds behind de Rooy. Argentine Federico Villagra finished fourth, a minute and 46 seconds back. Russian Eduard Nikolaev rounded out the top five, three minutes and 32 seconds behind de Rooy.
Versluis leads Stacey in the overall classification by 15 seconds. Villagra is third, two minutes and four seconds back. De Rooy trails Versluis by four minutes and 59 seconds in fourth. De Rooy has accumulated two minutes worth of penalties so far. Airat Mardeev rounds out the top five, nine minutes and 27 seconds back. Mardeev finished ninth on stage four, over five and a half minutes behind de Rooy.
Stage five of the Dakar Rally leaves Argentina. The teams will go from San Salvador de Jujuy to Uyuni, Bolivia.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Musings From the Weekend: A New Year But Same State
The first Monday of 2016 features the return of Musings From the Weekend. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Not much motorsports action but it appears rain will continue to follow the motorsports world as torrential rain fell upon the Dakar Rally. We are still a few weeks away from the first major events of 2016 but here is a run down of what got me thinking.
A New Year But Same State
I have actually been thinking about this since the middle of autumn but I am only now typing it out: IndyCar does not have forward thinking people in charge.
IndyCar's problem has been it's constantly in a stationary state and instead of being progressive and seeking out how to do things differently or get more manufactures involved or get more teams involved, IndyCar draws a line in the sand and lives by it. IndyCar become rigid and while IndyCar stick to their guns, IndyCar limps on into the future instead of opening up it mind and eyes.
Jay Frye is the new man at the helm of IndyCar and to be fair he has been on the job for all of five minutes. He wasn't and no one in the world was going to walk right in and perform miracle to take the series to the pinnacle of the motorsports world in terms of race attendance and television ratings. But I just wonder, when will someone at IndyCar realize it's time to try something new and actually do it?
On Trackside back in August (go to the 1:26:45 mark) when talking about IndyCar returning to Road America and the possibility of lengthy caution periods because of the size of the track, Kevin Lee wondered about doing something different so caution periods wouldn't last 20 minutes. The answer is virtual safety car, which has been successful in sports cars and Formula One as the field slows down but a safety car is not released and the corner workers are able to take care of whatever it is (stranded car, piece of debris, etc.) and races get back underway after one lap of virtual safety car instead of five laps behind an actual safety car.
It sounds great. IndyCar should adopt it immediately. However, are the people in charge capable of making such a change? I don't think so. I don't think Brian Barnhart is smart enough to make that evolution and therein lies the problem. If he can't make a simple change to something that has been proven to be an evolutionary step for safety car/full-course caution periods then why have him in charge? Why not get someone who will be on the forefront of changes in motorsports?
IndyCar cannot become a series viewed as behind with the times although I fear it is already viewed that way by some. However, a few simple changes can change how the entire series is perceived.
Winners From the Weekend
At the Dakar Rally prologue, Bernhard ten Brinke won in the car class, Joan Barreda won in the bike class and Ignacio Casale won in the quad class. The first stage of the Dakar Rally, which was scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled due to heavy rain.
Coming Up This Weekend
More from the Dakar Rally.
AMA Supercross opens its season in Anaheim.
A New Year But Same State
I have actually been thinking about this since the middle of autumn but I am only now typing it out: IndyCar does not have forward thinking people in charge.
IndyCar's problem has been it's constantly in a stationary state and instead of being progressive and seeking out how to do things differently or get more manufactures involved or get more teams involved, IndyCar draws a line in the sand and lives by it. IndyCar become rigid and while IndyCar stick to their guns, IndyCar limps on into the future instead of opening up it mind and eyes.
Jay Frye is the new man at the helm of IndyCar and to be fair he has been on the job for all of five minutes. He wasn't and no one in the world was going to walk right in and perform miracle to take the series to the pinnacle of the motorsports world in terms of race attendance and television ratings. But I just wonder, when will someone at IndyCar realize it's time to try something new and actually do it?
On Trackside back in August (go to the 1:26:45 mark) when talking about IndyCar returning to Road America and the possibility of lengthy caution periods because of the size of the track, Kevin Lee wondered about doing something different so caution periods wouldn't last 20 minutes. The answer is virtual safety car, which has been successful in sports cars and Formula One as the field slows down but a safety car is not released and the corner workers are able to take care of whatever it is (stranded car, piece of debris, etc.) and races get back underway after one lap of virtual safety car instead of five laps behind an actual safety car.
It sounds great. IndyCar should adopt it immediately. However, are the people in charge capable of making such a change? I don't think so. I don't think Brian Barnhart is smart enough to make that evolution and therein lies the problem. If he can't make a simple change to something that has been proven to be an evolutionary step for safety car/full-course caution periods then why have him in charge? Why not get someone who will be on the forefront of changes in motorsports?
IndyCar cannot become a series viewed as behind with the times although I fear it is already viewed that way by some. However, a few simple changes can change how the entire series is perceived.
Winners From the Weekend
At the Dakar Rally prologue, Bernhard ten Brinke won in the car class, Joan Barreda won in the bike class and Ignacio Casale won in the quad class. The first stage of the Dakar Rally, which was scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled due to heavy rain.
Coming Up This Weekend
More from the Dakar Rally.
AMA Supercross opens its season in Anaheim.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
2016 Dakar Rally Preview
Sunday marks the start of the 37th Dakar Rally. For the eighth consecutive year, the race will take place in South America and for the second consecutive year the race will start in Buenos Aires. Eleven of the thirteen stages will start in Argentina with two starting in Bolivia. A rest day is scheduled for January 10th in Salta, Argentina. This year's Dakar Rally features star-studded Peugeot line-up and the debuts for two of the best rally drivers of this 21st century and a Le Mans winner.
Mini has won the last four Dakars in the car class and Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah took his second Dakar victory last year. The 2014 car class winner Nani Roma returns to drive for Mini. Last year, Roma won a stage but failed to finish. Argentine Orlando Terranova is another Mini driver and he won four stages last year but finished 18th overall. A South American driver has never won the Dakar Rally in the car class. Mikko Hirvonen makes his Dakar debut driving for Mini. Other Mini drivers to watch for are Erik Van Loon, Boris Garafulic and Adam Malysz.
Peugeot's line-up is headlined by 11-time Dakar winner (five in cars) Stéphane Peterhansel and 2010 Dakar winner Carlos Sainz. Sébastien Loeb makes his Dakar debut for the French manufacture. The nine-time World Rally Championship Drivers' champion could become the fourth driver to win both the WRC title and a Dakar Rally joining Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen and Sainz. Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas will also make his Dakar debut with Peugeot. Five-time Dakar bike-class winner Cyril Despres returns with Peugeot. He finished 34th last year in his car-class debut. Peugeot's last victory was in 1990 with Vatanen.
South Africa Giniel de Villiers leads the Toyota charge. The 2009 Dakar winner finished second last year to Al-Attiyah and has finished on the podium in five of the seven editions to take place on the South American continent. Russian Vladimir Vasilyev won a stage last year and finished fifth driving for Toyota and he returns this year. Bernhard ten Brinke returns with Toyota. The Dutchman finished seventh last year. Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi returns with Toyota for his sophomore Dakar Rally. He won a stage last year but failed to finish. Czech driver and full-time WRC competitor Martin Prokop will make his Dakar debut driving for Toyota.
Robby Gordon returns with his Gordini. An American has never won the Dakar Rally. Gordon won a stage last year, his eighth career stage victory, but finished 15th. His best finish was a third in 2009. Christian Lavieille and Emiliano Spataro will be driving Renaults. Carlos Sousa and Guilherme Spinelli lead the Mitsubishi line-up. Guarlain Chicherit will drive a Buggy.
Marc Coma will not return to defend his Dakar victory in the bike class. The Spaniard won his fifth Dakar last year and had won the previous two editions. KTM has won every Dakar Rally since 2001. Leading the KTM charge will be the Australian Toby Price. Price finished third last year and won a stage on debut. Štefan Svitko finished fifth last year and the Slovakian returns with KTM. Besides Price and Svitko, KTM has hired four other top ten finishers from last year's race including David Casteu, Olivier Pain, Ivan Jakeš and Laia Sanz. Austrian Matthias Walkner also returns to ride for his native manufacture and Jordi Viladoms returns with KTM.
Honda's Paulo Gonçalves leads the charge to end KTM's reign. The Portuguese rider finished second last year and won a stage. Joan Barreda won three stages last year and led until a disastrous stage eight handed Coma the class lead. Barreda has won 13 stages in the last four Dakars. American Ricky Brabec makes his Dakar debut riding for Honda. The last Dakar victory for Honda came in 1989 when France's Gilles Lalay was victorious.
Husqvarna will be led by last year's fourth place finisher Pablo Quintanella and Ruben Faria. The Swedish manufacture has never won a Dakar Rally.
Yamaha has not won since 1998 and Portuguese rider Hélder Rodrigues and Dutchman Frans Verhoeven.
Besides Brabec, there are four other Americans competing in the bike class. Scott Bright and Ian Blythe will be competing on KTMs. Alexander Smith and Carroll Gittere will ride Husqvarnas. All four are making Dakar debuts.
In the quad class, Polish rider Rafeł Sonik will not return to defend his title, leaving Chilean Ignacio Casale as the top Yamaha rider. Yamaha has won in the quad class in all seven Dakars that has featured the class. Casale looks to join Marcos and Alejandro Pastronelli as winner of multiple Dakars in the quad class. Both Pastronellis are looking for their third Dakar victory this year. Argentine Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli looks for his first Dakar victory as does Paraguayan Nelson Sanabria. Both will ride Yamahas.
Looking to dethrone Yamaha of their reign in the quad class are Honda riders Mohammed Abu-Issu of Qatar and Walter Nosiglia of Bolivia. Other Honda riders to watch for are Argentine Lucas Bonetto and Chilean Sebastian Palma.
Can-Am is the other manufacture competing in the quad class. Italian Franco Picco is a Can-Am rider to watch for. He finished second in the bike class in 1988 and 1989.
In the truck class, Russian Ayrat Mardeev is the defending winner and he looks to become the first driver to win consecutive years in the truck class since Vladimir Chagin in 2010-11. Kamaz looks for their fourth consecutive Dakar victory. Eduard Nikolaev and Andrey Karginov each look for their second Dakar victories. Dmitry Sotnikov looks for his first Dakar victory and finished in the top five the last two years.
Iveco drivers Gérard de Rooy and Aleš Loprais look to end Kamaz's streak. The Dutch manufacture won the 2012 edition with de Rooy. Loprais is the nephew of six-time Dakar winner Karel Loprais. Winner of the 2007 Dakar Rally, Han Stacey will drive a MAN. Martin Kolomy is the lead Tatra driver. Belorussian Siarhei Viazovich leads the MAZ team. Jan Lammers will driver a Ginaf.
Stage one will go from Buenos Aires to Villa Carlos Paz.
Mini has won the last four Dakars in the car class and Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah took his second Dakar victory last year. The 2014 car class winner Nani Roma returns to drive for Mini. Last year, Roma won a stage but failed to finish. Argentine Orlando Terranova is another Mini driver and he won four stages last year but finished 18th overall. A South American driver has never won the Dakar Rally in the car class. Mikko Hirvonen makes his Dakar debut driving for Mini. Other Mini drivers to watch for are Erik Van Loon, Boris Garafulic and Adam Malysz.
Peugeot's line-up is headlined by 11-time Dakar winner (five in cars) Stéphane Peterhansel and 2010 Dakar winner Carlos Sainz. Sébastien Loeb makes his Dakar debut for the French manufacture. The nine-time World Rally Championship Drivers' champion could become the fourth driver to win both the WRC title and a Dakar Rally joining Ari Vatanen, Juha Kankkunen and Sainz. Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas will also make his Dakar debut with Peugeot. Five-time Dakar bike-class winner Cyril Despres returns with Peugeot. He finished 34th last year in his car-class debut. Peugeot's last victory was in 1990 with Vatanen.
South Africa Giniel de Villiers leads the Toyota charge. The 2009 Dakar winner finished second last year to Al-Attiyah and has finished on the podium in five of the seven editions to take place on the South American continent. Russian Vladimir Vasilyev won a stage last year and finished fifth driving for Toyota and he returns this year. Bernhard ten Brinke returns with Toyota. The Dutchman finished seventh last year. Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi returns with Toyota for his sophomore Dakar Rally. He won a stage last year but failed to finish. Czech driver and full-time WRC competitor Martin Prokop will make his Dakar debut driving for Toyota.
Robby Gordon returns with his Gordini. An American has never won the Dakar Rally. Gordon won a stage last year, his eighth career stage victory, but finished 15th. His best finish was a third in 2009. Christian Lavieille and Emiliano Spataro will be driving Renaults. Carlos Sousa and Guilherme Spinelli lead the Mitsubishi line-up. Guarlain Chicherit will drive a Buggy.
Marc Coma will not return to defend his Dakar victory in the bike class. The Spaniard won his fifth Dakar last year and had won the previous two editions. KTM has won every Dakar Rally since 2001. Leading the KTM charge will be the Australian Toby Price. Price finished third last year and won a stage on debut. Štefan Svitko finished fifth last year and the Slovakian returns with KTM. Besides Price and Svitko, KTM has hired four other top ten finishers from last year's race including David Casteu, Olivier Pain, Ivan Jakeš and Laia Sanz. Austrian Matthias Walkner also returns to ride for his native manufacture and Jordi Viladoms returns with KTM.
Honda's Paulo Gonçalves leads the charge to end KTM's reign. The Portuguese rider finished second last year and won a stage. Joan Barreda won three stages last year and led until a disastrous stage eight handed Coma the class lead. Barreda has won 13 stages in the last four Dakars. American Ricky Brabec makes his Dakar debut riding for Honda. The last Dakar victory for Honda came in 1989 when France's Gilles Lalay was victorious.
Husqvarna will be led by last year's fourth place finisher Pablo Quintanella and Ruben Faria. The Swedish manufacture has never won a Dakar Rally.
Yamaha has not won since 1998 and Portuguese rider Hélder Rodrigues and Dutchman Frans Verhoeven.
Besides Brabec, there are four other Americans competing in the bike class. Scott Bright and Ian Blythe will be competing on KTMs. Alexander Smith and Carroll Gittere will ride Husqvarnas. All four are making Dakar debuts.
In the quad class, Polish rider Rafeł Sonik will not return to defend his title, leaving Chilean Ignacio Casale as the top Yamaha rider. Yamaha has won in the quad class in all seven Dakars that has featured the class. Casale looks to join Marcos and Alejandro Pastronelli as winner of multiple Dakars in the quad class. Both Pastronellis are looking for their third Dakar victory this year. Argentine Jeremias Gonzalez Ferioli looks for his first Dakar victory as does Paraguayan Nelson Sanabria. Both will ride Yamahas.
Looking to dethrone Yamaha of their reign in the quad class are Honda riders Mohammed Abu-Issu of Qatar and Walter Nosiglia of Bolivia. Other Honda riders to watch for are Argentine Lucas Bonetto and Chilean Sebastian Palma.
Can-Am is the other manufacture competing in the quad class. Italian Franco Picco is a Can-Am rider to watch for. He finished second in the bike class in 1988 and 1989.
In the truck class, Russian Ayrat Mardeev is the defending winner and he looks to become the first driver to win consecutive years in the truck class since Vladimir Chagin in 2010-11. Kamaz looks for their fourth consecutive Dakar victory. Eduard Nikolaev and Andrey Karginov each look for their second Dakar victories. Dmitry Sotnikov looks for his first Dakar victory and finished in the top five the last two years.
Iveco drivers Gérard de Rooy and Aleš Loprais look to end Kamaz's streak. The Dutch manufacture won the 2012 edition with de Rooy. Loprais is the nephew of six-time Dakar winner Karel Loprais. Winner of the 2007 Dakar Rally, Han Stacey will drive a MAN. Martin Kolomy is the lead Tatra driver. Belorussian Siarhei Viazovich leads the MAZ team. Jan Lammers will driver a Ginaf.
Stage one will go from Buenos Aires to Villa Carlos Paz.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)