After Volkswagen retired from the event following three consecutive wins, Team X-Raid’s MINI are the main favourites for 2012 Dakar rally, which will start from Mar Del Plata, Argentina, on Sunday, January 1st.
VW took the win in the previous years (Giniel de Villiers in 2009, Carlos Sainz in 2010 and Nasser Al-Attiyah in 2011), but the German manufacturer decided to withdraw from the race in order to focus on its WRC programme.
Team X-Raid, which runs BMW cars for several years, seems the best prepared squad. X-Raid will run no less than ten MINI All 4 Racing, including Stéphane Peterhansel, Krysztof Holowczyc, Juan Roma and Leonid Novitskiy’s cars. Peterhansel, who won the Dakar five times (three on motorcycle, two in car category) is the main favourite of the race, and aims to win for the first time on South American soil, as his last win was back in 2007 in Africa with Mitsubishi.
Among his main rival, two former VW drivers will be at the start. Last year’s winner Nasser Al-Attiyah will be at the wheel of a Hummer ran by Robby Gordon’s team, while the american driver will drive the second one. Giniel de Villiers will drive a Toyota Pickup Hilux.
Team Dessoud also aims great results on the Dakar. The french squad provides for years a semi-official presence of Nissan. This time, Dessoude will run two Mitsubishi, powered by a Nissan engine, with Christian Laveille as number one driver. Dessoude will also run two buggys for Ronan Chabot and Isabelle Patissier). SMG will also be in charge of the only factory presence on the race : the chinese brand Great Wall, which wil run two Haval.
There will be a canadien team at the start in Mar del Plata, with David Bensadoun and codriver Patrick Beaule, aboard a Desert Warrior 4x4.
The Dakar rally was organized since 1979, and was ran in Africa, from Paris to Dakar, Sénégal, until 2007. In 2008, security reasons forced the organizors to cancel the race. In 2009, the race was back, but in South America.
For the first time in 2012, the drivers will reach Lima, Peru, after the road will cross Argentina and Chile. More than 180 cars will be at the start in Mar del Plata, alongside motorcycles, quads and trucks.
VW took the win in the previous years (Giniel de Villiers in 2009, Carlos Sainz in 2010 and Nasser Al-Attiyah in 2011), but the German manufacturer decided to withdraw from the race in order to focus on its WRC programme.
Team X-Raid, which runs BMW cars for several years, seems the best prepared squad. X-Raid will run no less than ten MINI All 4 Racing, including Stéphane Peterhansel, Krysztof Holowczyc, Juan Roma and Leonid Novitskiy’s cars. Peterhansel, who won the Dakar five times (three on motorcycle, two in car category) is the main favourite of the race, and aims to win for the first time on South American soil, as his last win was back in 2007 in Africa with Mitsubishi.
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| Photo: X Raid |
Among his main rival, two former VW drivers will be at the start. Last year’s winner Nasser Al-Attiyah will be at the wheel of a Hummer ran by Robby Gordon’s team, while the american driver will drive the second one. Giniel de Villiers will drive a Toyota Pickup Hilux.
Team Dessoud also aims great results on the Dakar. The french squad provides for years a semi-official presence of Nissan. This time, Dessoude will run two Mitsubishi, powered by a Nissan engine, with Christian Laveille as number one driver. Dessoude will also run two buggys for Ronan Chabot and Isabelle Patissier). SMG will also be in charge of the only factory presence on the race : the chinese brand Great Wall, which wil run two Haval.
There will be a canadien team at the start in Mar del Plata, with David Bensadoun and codriver Patrick Beaule, aboard a Desert Warrior 4x4.
The Dakar rally was organized since 1979, and was ran in Africa, from Paris to Dakar, Sénégal, until 2007. In 2008, security reasons forced the organizors to cancel the race. In 2009, the race was back, but in South America.
 |
For the first time in 2012, the drivers will reach Lima, Peru, after the road will cross Argentina and Chile. More than 180 cars will be at the start in Mar del Plata, alongside motorcycles, quads and trucks.