Dakar 2009 - Stage 14 - Cordoba - Buenos Aires: Video - Cars

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Final Overall Standings

Dakar 2009 Last Stage - Cordoba - Buenos Aires: De Villiers, Coma, Machacek the winners of the Rally-Raid

The last stage of the 2009 Dakar Argentina - Chile has come to and end, finally. South African Giniel de Villiers (VW)in the cars category, Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM)in bikes and Czech Machacek (Yamaha) in quads are the new crowns of the famous rally. Still to finish, the trucks are now racing the final stage. Second overall to De Villiers (who won this last stage) is his VW partner from the USA, Mark Miller (second in the stage), Frenchman Cyril Deprés (3rd in the stage) is second overall to Coma (6th in the stage) also with KTM, and Argentinian Marcos Patronelli (7th in the stage) with a Can-Am quad came in second to Machacek (2nd in the stage), a wonderful feat for a Dakar rookie, who won 3 stages. Robby Gordon (Hummer USA) suffered a puncture at km 80 of the final stage but arrived in 18th place, placing him as 3rd overall. Norwegian Tollefsen (Nissan)(10th in the stage) is in 4th place overall after a fantastic race together with his partner from Poland Holowicz (Nissan)(3rd in the stage). Spaniard Nani Roma (Mitsubishi) came in 4th in the stage and finished 10th overall, the last survivor of the RalliArt team.
Final Overall Standings

Dakar 2009 - Series pre-event notes 2008-12-31

And it's how they discovered America...

Three days prior to the start of the rally, the Argentine side of the scrutineering has started. The mission of the race stewards is to check the conformity of vehicles and see if it matches the rules for those who had not yet done so in Le Havre. The contenders -- already thrilled by the first part of their stays -- are now impatient to discover the rest of the continent.

The countdown is ticking slowly toward the start of the rally raid; the wheels have not yet turned for the start of the 2009 edition of the Dakar. But people are already talking about excitement and fascination. Out of the 100km or so between Delta Rock and the La Rural Exhibition Park where the second round of scrutineering is happening, the competitors already had several opportunities to enjoy the thrilling atmosphere that is now gaining the country. A lot of them had chosen to arrive a little earlier in the southern hemisphere: the most insatiable meat eaters of them all relished at eating "bife de chorizo", these huge slices of beef served in all restaurants in Buenos Aires; the most careful of them decided to take some margin to adapt to the jetlag and the tourists strolled down the colorful streets of the Boca area or tasted a nice and fresh Quilmes on a terrace in San Telmo. No matter why, all were conquered by the preparation and expressed nothing but enthusiasm when the time of the last formalities came. "First, I tried the car, then I tried the meat", nevertheless clarifies Carlos Sainz who is focused on his aim: the final victory.

The scrutineering of the participants -- mainly organized for the technical scrutineering of the vehicles from the American continent -- allowed the Porteños to catch a glimpse of some of the favorites in the race who had been summoned on this first day. In the bike category, France's David Casteu, flanked by his new team mate, Chile's Francisco Lopez, successfully passed this first test. It was also the case for the BMW X-Raid Team with its top drivers Nasser Al Attiyah and Guerlain Chicherit, and of truck title holder Hans Stacey, who is more concerned with his recently injured wrist than with the technical and admin scrutineering. Expected in the mid afternoon, the gems of the Mitsubishi team however asked for their scrutineering to be differed. Wishing to take a new series of tests on the brand new Lancer of Peterhansel, Alphand, Roma and Masuoka, Dominique Serieys asked the organizers to slightly postpone their scrutineering appointment: "At the shake-down session in Le Creusot, the temperature was 2o.C. The cars being packed with electronics, we had to change some parameters that are sensitive e.g. to temperature differences, height or fuel, which is not exactly the same here. This is why we went test driving the cars on the Buenos Aires test track today", explains the boss of the squad that has a track record of 12 success on the Dakar.

So New Year's Eve will be studious and busy for the pilots of the Japanese manufacturer who now have an appointment in the morning for the administrative scrutineering. In the afternoon, their cars might cross paths for the first time with their main rivals from Volkswagen, i.e. Sainz and De Villiers as well as Robby Gordon's Hummer. The last two winners in the bike category, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, will also have the opportunity of chatting along the 9,500km of road and trail that await them. But one thing is sure: they will certainly not reveal their strategies to one another...

-credit: dakar

Mitsubishi aims for eight Dakars in a row

GIVING JAPANESE FANS SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT


READY FOR ANYTHING: A "formal" team portrait of the works Mitsubishi entries for the 2009 'Dakar' rally.

December 29, 2008

Mitsubishi aims to lift the recent gloom which has enveloped Japan's motorsport industry by winning an eighth consecutive "Dakar" rally in January 2009.

The gruelling two-week race will start on January 3 in the relative stability of Argentina and Chile rather than in north Africa after the 2008 Dakar was cancelled because of security fears after the murders of four French tourists in Mauritania.

It was the first cancellation in the 30-year history of the race.

Mitsubishi won the previous seven Dakar rallies; French driver Stephane Peterhansel won in 2004, 2005 and 2007 with compatriot and former skiing ace Luc Alphand taking the 2006 titleDrivers and navigators underwent tough, physical fitness tests.

Japan's Hiroshi Masuoka won in 2002 and 2003 and will return for the 2009 race Spain's Joan Roma, a former winner in the motorcycle category, making up Mitsubishi's four-car assault.

All four drivers and their navigators underwent a series of tough, physical fitness tests in France before flying out to Buenos Aires where the race will start on January 3.

Masuoka said: "We have a new place for the 'Dakar', a new world, with a new engine and a new car. This will be my 21st Dakar Rally and I'll be hoping for my third win.

CHALLENGE FROM VW

There will be added interest in Mitsubishi's campaign in South America after the global financial crisis dealt a series of body blows to motorsport in Japan with Honda quitting Formula 1 and Subaru and Suzuki pulling out of the World Rally championship.

Mitsubishi's main challenge will come from Volkswagen whose four-car bid will be led by former World rally champion Carlos Sainz, who's no stranger to South America – he won the Rally of Argentina in 1992, 2002 and 2004.

South Africa's Giniel de Villiers, Germany's Dieter Depping and Mark Miller of the United States make up the VW team. – AFP

Mitsubishi Racing LANCER

Dakar 2009 - Francisco Otaño: «I will get a tattoo of my race number»

The dream of his life. Francisco admits he has been waiting 20 years to participate on the Dakar. He knew that one day or another he’d be able to do it. «It is so important to me, I will get a tattoo of my race number and I don’t have any tattoos. » Francisco, ‘Patxi’ to his followers, has been making motor racing news in Argentina for 30 years. On a motorcycle or in a car, he has raced everywhere in the country. He has won the Patagonia-Atacama in two different categories. Coming from a motor racing family, he will also be racing in this Dakar for his father. «He is 88 and has suffered from cancer for the past three years. He told me no matter what happens, don’t change your ideas or stop chasing your dream. So, for me it is like I have a mission on this Dakar. » Used to running up front in other races, Francisco Otaño, admits he wants to have a strong result on the 31st Dakar. «We want to put in a credible race, » says Francisco. «We want to do better than just finish. » Having already gotten the better of the Mitsubishis and Volkswagens in Argentina, ’Patxi’ says he too wants to be one of the front runners in the rally. «I know we will do something on the La Serena and Copiapo stages. » Co-driver, Leonardo Monti confirms he would like a top 20 finish but has another preoccupation. « It is the start of a new adventure. We will race with the first example of a new prototype that we are developing. This is the beginning of a 15-year project. Patxi Otaño has number 411. »

Dakar 2009 - Cristian Romero: “I feel confident”

In 1998 he wore the 118 bib on his back. Cristian Romero was at the time the first Argentinian to live the Dakar adventure on a bike. The attempt stopped in Mauritania, close to Atar after nine stages. The Buenos Aires native then failed to find the time to take on the Dakar again. Competition indeed isn’t his cup of tea: “I don’t compete in races anymore. On the other hand I often take off on tracks with a bunch of friends in Argentina or Chile. During four or five days we travel through the regions where the rally will go”. After being a good rugby second row player at CASI, one of the San Isidro clubs where his friend Agustin Pichot started, Cristian Romero switched to bike motorsports and worked on his technique: “My body forces me to be in shape and on a bike I don’t have strong assets. On the other hand I’m an all-rounder”. He was also helped out and given advice by biking references like Cris Hayden, Franco Picco, and his 11 appearances on the Dakar, or Kenny Roberts in his biking school of Barcelona. Used to riding a 990 KTM during his journeys with his friends, he will however go for a 690 on the Dakar that he just hopes to finish: “I feel confident at the idea of competing on the terrain here. I know that the Dakar has nothing to do with the other rallies that I have competed in but I know that I can make it to the finish”.