Jan 7th , 2011 Dakar Rally Stage 6 Race Info & Discussion

Stage 6 race discussion of the 2011 Dakar Rally. Eliseo Salazar begins his stage at 9:06am/et. Live raceday chat will be open all day too. Robby Gordon is not a scored competitor throughout the remainder of the rally.

 

STAGE 6: Iquique > Arica
Connection 265km | Special Stage 456km | Total 721km

Course Overview

The exploration of the Atacama Desert this year brings the Dakar participants to Arica, the last town before the Peruvian border. For this large slice of desert before the rest day, the menu is full of dunes, whose sizes increase as the day passes by. But throughout the special stage, the riders and drivers will experience an alternation of sensations. After surfing on the dunes, most of them will get to grips with the unavoidable zones of fesh-fesh, or “guadal” as they are known in this part of the world. For the section of slaloming between dust and dry grass, patience is the competitors’ best ally.

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wheaton56 on January 7, 2011 at 12:31pm
any pictures on the speed decals on Codys helmet?
Permalink Reply by Bob Sadowski on January 7, 2011 at 12:42pm
He's got some tweeted pictures. Just black with the orange Speed Logo
Permalink Reply by TOG on January 7, 2011 at 12:46pm
Permalink Reply by Shane on January 7, 2011 at 1:01pm
About half way through the stage #327 is running mid 20's at 1hr 15 back, after starting 46th.
Permalink Reply by NIKAL on January 7, 2011 at 1:08pm

I dont know how many are reading the Toyo Blog, but here is what Adrian posted on 1/6/11 at 8:50pm.

 

Its great to see and hear that teams like VW see the value of having RG in the Dakar Rally. To me this is great sportsmanship.

 

from Toyos website:
I am sad to report the disqualification of Robby Gordon No. 303 Speed/Toyo Tires Hummer. The disqualification is very hard for the team knowing the following stages were in the hummer's favor.

Robby was disqualified due to not starting the special on time. Robby had 60k to go, to reach the start line of the special. A wheel bearing cost him the rally. It's heart breaking knowing the hummer is 100% ready to race and a simple bearing breaks and kills a whole year's effort. When the support team finally reached him, it was too late. Robby changed out the bearing and continued the special on his own just in case they would still count it. He actually did the special in two hours and one minute. It would of definitely put him in the top five. The special winner finished it in one hour fifty eight minutes (unofficial time). At the end of the stage Robby's camp was swarmed with press and media wanting to know what had happened with Robby. Right after the media dispersed the other race teams came over and did not want Robby to be disqualified from the race. Volkswagon helped Robby with a letter to the officials to allow him to race. Unfortunately the organization did not allow him to continue. The rally teams and fans seem saddened to know he would not be racing. Still in the game is the Speed/Toyo Tires Hummer number 327 currently in 34th position and gaining. The next 7 stages definitely favor the hummer.

For now there is alot of speculation of what will happen to the 303 speed/toyo hummer. The organization wants to keep him in the race but at the same time wants to follow their rules. There are talks of just changing the number and running it as a support vehicle. Stay posted for more information.
Permalink Reply by MerlotMax on January 7, 2011 at 1:18pm

Nice to see the support he has from the other teams.  It would have been to the benefit of the rally to keep him going.  But how can they justify bend the rules for one and not others.  Hate to say it but they did the right thing. 

 

We will just have to wait until next year when RGOR comes back bigger and better.  Hope they have their own T4  running.

Permalink Reply by alan4s on January 7, 2011 at 2:03pm
But they did bend thier own rules last year when almost half of the field couldn't finish a stage in time. They extended the time limit for them to keep a bunch of them in the race.
Permalink Reply by joseph on January 7, 2011 at 4:03pm
plus allowed others to re enter
Permalink Reply by MerlotMax on January 7, 2011 at 4:07pm
If I remember right all these guys started on time and it was the stage that ended up being harder and taking longer than the ASO estimated.  Slightly different circumstance than this.
Permalink Reply by alan4s on January 7, 2011 at 4:15pm
Different circumstances in the details, but they bent the rules none the less.
Permalink Reply by ktm pilot on January 7, 2011 at 2:38pm
327 is thru waypoint 8 , 2:07:29 down
Permalink Reply by joseph on January 7, 2011 at 4:06pm

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