Dakar Rally 2009 in Argentina and Chile
The Annual Race in January for Cars, Motorcycles, Quads and Trucks
After almost thirty years, the Dakar Rally made a fundamental switch: the course is no longer run on African soil but from 2009 on will take place in South America – in Argentina and Chile to be exact.
History of the Dakar Rally
It all started with Thierry Sabine, a Frenchman who got lost in the Libyan Desert during the Abidjan-Nice rally. The race opened his eyes and he initiated the Paris-Dakar Rally, to "give everybody a chance to tame the desert".
The Dakar Rally is also known as "Paris Dakar", or "Paris to Dakar rally". In 1978 the first race was held from Paris in France to Dakar in Senegal, but due to the unstable political situation in Africa, the rally changed its course. For example, in 2003 it ended in Egypt and in 2006 it started in Lisbon [Portugal]. In 2000, the race never even touched European soil but went from Dakar to Cairo. Whatever the course, this rally has always been known as the foremost endurance race of the world.
The Dakar rally is organized for cars, trucks, quads and motorcycles, and is held annually in January. Through the years its popularity has grown but unfortunately, the instability in parts of Africa has as well. In 2008 the race was cancelled only days before it was to start, after four French tourists had been murdered in Mauritania in December 2007.
The Route of Dakar Rally 2009 in South America
Within weeks after the cancellation, the organization announced a fundamental change: starting in 2009 the Rally was going to be held in South America. Contracts were signed in Argentina and Chile and the news quickly travelled over the world.
On 3 January 2009, 530 teams will start a 9,000 kilometres loop course from Buenos Aires in Argentina. The teams consist of 188 cars, 230 motorbikes, 30 quads, 82 trucks and there will be 49 nationalities. The competitors will head south towards the vast emptiness and windy region of the Patagonian plains, cross the Andes Mountains into Chile where a major challenge awaits them in the Atacama Desert. Via Paso de Francisco in the Andes they'll cross back into Argentina and via Córdoba drive back to finish in Buenos Aires on January 18th.
Dakar Rally 2009 in South America: the Biggest Challenge Ever?
The loop consists of driving 800 to 900 kilometres per day, during which dunes, wind and mountains will provide the necessary challenges. Participants, organizers and fans speculate that the Dakar Rally in South America could actually be more sensational than it was ever before. After all, it's not the first rally held on this continent. Argentina and Chile won fame through their Atacama Rally and Las Pampas Rally resp.
The website of the Dakar Rally is full of detailed information on the participants, the itinerary and the latest developments.
Dakar Rally South America 2009
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Hummer Robby Gordon, Dakar Rally 2009
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Maintenance Ginaf Trucks Holland, Dakar Rally 2009
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Motorcyclist Ewan Buchan, Dakar Rally 2009
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Argentinean Patronelli, Dakar Rally 2009
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