Dakar and Rally-Raid discussion...

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

If you wonder what is left from an Hilux when in Dakar guise:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6rD_aCUo2E
I could visit serveral times Maingret bros premises (located at Pont de Vaux, F) and not much of the Mitsu trucks was done in Japan (engine and aero mainly).
Only few days to see if works teams have already given instructions or more likely when they will do so. Go Dakar rallye!

Interesting video. The increase of wheel size is significant, didn't know that.
Remarkable lots of these T1/T1+ cars have their origin in South-Africa.

[Gerard C]

Yes, sorry, even in french language it was hard to hear all the words but catching the spirit is feasible. Loeb went to Peter to have some info whan the Audi driver was packing up. One of the key factor of this year's race seems to be the tyre management.

[Gerard C]

One could think overtaking another competitor right in the middle of nowhere is no big deal. At least Martin Prokop won't agree, complaining about a "french buggies train"! Overtaking on the rails… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln8u3Ur7LQc

[FIRE]

Even the middle of nowhere has a racing line.

[Gerard C]

@JR: do you have a lot of adverts on Eurosport? If I'm correct allu the images are suppied by ASO. From the channel I mentioned, L'Équipe TV, out of one hour and a half we have at least more than 30' of commercials. Eurosport is much more expensive here.

Anyway, great views specially the bikers surfing the dunes. Loeb not too happy with his tyre punctures, whatever his pace and the surface. Kind of rock n' not roll!

[Gerard C]

Loeb having not much to loose now, is both playing hyde and seek and poker. He got on purpose a penalty "allowing" him to start in the middle of the pack and not in the front. I don't think it will work, but you never know what can happen. Next stage is said 48 hours. Same remark for Peter' its seems to be canned.

[NaBUru38]

Classification after stage 5:

Bikes

1. BWA Ross Branch (Hero), 19:05'03
2. CHI José Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) + 1'14
3. USA Ricky Brabec (Honda) + 3'47
4. FRA Adrien van Beveren (Honda), + 18'
5. ARG Kevin Benavides (KTM), + 21'
6. CHI Pablo Quintanilla (Honda), + 26'
7. AUS Toby Price (KTM), + 31'
8. AUS Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas), + 37'
9. FRA Romain Dumontier (Husqvarna), + 38'
10. CZE Martin Michek (KTM), +39'

T1 Ultimate Cars

1. SAU Yazeed Al Rajhi (Toyota), 17:24'04
2. QAT Nasser Al-Attiyah (Prodrive), + 9'
3. ESP Carlos Sainz (Audi), + 11'
4. SWE Mattias Ekström (Audi), + 22'
5. FRA Mathieu Serradori (Century), + 31'
6. FRA Stéphane Peterhansel (Audi), + 34'
7. LTU Vaidotas Zala (Mini), + 37'
8. BEL Guillaume de Mevius (Toyota), + 41'
9. FRA Sebastien Loeb (Prodrive), + 43'
10. BRA Lucas Moraes (Toyota), + 54'
11. RSA Giniel de Villiers (Toyota), + 1:01'
12. CZE Martin Prokop (Ford), + 1:12'

T3 Challengers:

1. POL Eryk Gocal (Taurus), 19:01'18
2. POL Marek Goczal (Taurus), + 34'
3. USA Mitchell Guthrie (Taurus), + 39'
4. CHI Francisco López (Can-Am), + 1:04'
5. USA Austin Jones (Can-Am), + 1:05'
6. ESP Cristina Gutiérrez (Taurus), + 1:07'

T4 SSV

1. SUI Jerome de Sadeleer (Polaris), 21:13'42
2. BRA Rodrigo Varela (Can-Am), + 5'
3. BRA Cristiano Batista (Can-Am), + 9'
4. SAU Ysair Seaidan (Can-Am), + 10'
5. USA Sara Price (Can-Am), + 12'
6. FRA Xavier de Soultrait (Polaris), + 22'

T5 Trucks

1. NED Janus van Kasteren (Iveco), 20:01'22
2. CZE Marti Macik (Iveco), + 22'
3. CZE Ales Loprais (Praga), + 26'
4. NED Pascal de Baar (Tatra), + 48'
5. NED Mitchel van der Brink (Iveco), + 1:06'
6. CZE Jaroslav Valtr (Tatra), + 1:25'

Quads:

1. ARG Manuel Andujar (Yamaha), 23:45'23
2. FRA Alexandre Giroud (Yamaha), + 20'
3. BRA Marcelo Medeiros (Yamaha), + 21'
4. SVK Juraj Varga (Yamaha), + 53'
5. LTU Laisvydas Kancius (Yamaha), + 1:46'
6. LTU Anastas Kanopkinas (CFMoto), + 6:54'

[Gerard C]

Thank you NaBUru!

[Gerard C]

After tyre management, here comes fuel management. The chilian Honda rider Pablo Quintanilla ran out of fuel 10 km before the refuelling point (was 6th before that). ASO decided to reduce the lenght of the stage from 572 to 549 km. At mid stage, electric Sainz seems to be surfing the dunes.

[Gerard C]

The competitors having to stay during sixteen hours with absolutely no communication during the night spent in the desert, I wonder if we'll have any info from the journalists… Sounds a little bit weird, does it?

[Adam43]

I agree. Maybe a series of 50km stages, perhaps only over two or three days. Less weird and also much better for TV.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I agree. Maybe a series of 50km stages, perhaps only over two or three days. Less weird and also much better for TV.

Please make this no a WRC sprint sport.

[FIRE]

Al-Rajhi has crashed and is DNF.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I agree. Maybe a series of 50km stages, perhaps only over two or three days. Less weird and also much better for TV.

Originally Posted by FIRE

Please make this no a WRC sprint sport.

I'm with FIRE on this one - if you shorten this then what's it's unique selling point? It'd just be another rally event that happens to include bikes and trucks. Extreme E already does the short sprint events, WRC does something a bit longer then we have the Dakar stuff that is the endurance events.

[Gerard C]

Peterhansel out too. What a loss.
What is said about Stéphane: one tyre puncture then hydraulic failure. No more power steering, impossible to use the hydraulic jack.

[Gerard C]

Loeb reports a worrying noisy front diffrential but happy with his -teir- performance. Carlos Sainz hosting another planet. Could he win at 61?

[Gerard C]

Poor Mathieu Baumel, Al-Attiyah "navigateur" or co-driver, he reports something like sea-sick, continuous nausea he can't get rid of. Camel -sickness?

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

I'm with FIRE on this one - if you shorten this then what's it's unique selling point? It'd just be another rally event that happens to include bikes and trucks. Extreme E already does the short sprint events, WRC does something a bit longer then we have the Dakar stuff that is the endurance events.

Sorry my fault. I didn’t put a winky because I thought it was so preposterous it didn’t need one

I’ll make a similar suggestion for Le Mans

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Al-Rajhi has crashed and is DNF.

Gosh, the car is wrecked! https://www.lequipe.fr/Rallye-raid/A...-tapis/1441572

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I’ll make a similar suggestion for Le Mans

Good luck with that!

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Sorry my fault. I didn’t put a winky because I thought it was so preposterous it didn’t need one

I’ll make a similar suggestion for Le Mans

And NASCAR...wait they already divided races in three stages.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by FIRE

And NASCAR...wait they already divided races in three stages.

Yes. And that really hasn’t improved things

[Gerard C]

Al-Attiyah knowing "some" mechanical issues, is canned for him sadly. Loeb back from ashes took over El Matador himself at the end of this stage!

PS: Sorry for sticking tho the thread…

[Gerard C]

Re Nasser mechanical issues, it seems a steering end rod broke together with the corresponding wheel hub. Hence a long spannering sequence. The Qatari says he will now help Loeb to win and could carry some additional spares for his Prodrive team mate car, becoming what is called in good french "porteur d'eau".

[Gerard C]

@NaBUru: from your previous classification and following the 48 heures chrono results, is seems that now the trucks category leader is Martin Macik*/ Iveco Powerstar (nicknamed Cenda). Is it correct? If yes all the contestants are far behind.* Martin Macik driver, Frantisek "Franck" Tomasek navigateur, David Svanda mechanic (all CZ).