2019 Robby Gordon Headquarters
Team SPEED Stage 5 Recap
Gordon on podium once again, Nasser finds trouble late in stage
Fiambala, Argentina (January 5, 2012) - Robby Gordon and his SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires HUMMER did exactly what needed to be done in the 5th stage of the Dakar Rally to gain time and position in the overall standings. The same can't be said for his teammate, Qatarian driver, Nasser Al-Attiyah, as a costly mistake could diminish his hopes for another Dakar Rally overall victory.
Gordon started off the line in 14th place quickly setting a pace as one of the fastest cars in the dunes today. This stage, taking the competitors from Chilecito to Fiambala, had to be shortened due to large amounts of rain in the area.
Nasser Al-Attiyah jumped out to an early lead with Robby Gordon right on his tail. Gordon talked about his solid run, "we ran together for a good part of the stage. He ran his car pretty hard so I figured if that's what he wants to do then that's okay. I just didn't want him to get too far out front from me. For us it was good, just what we wanted. If it wasn't for stopping to aid Nasser when he had problems, I'm sure we could have won yet another stage. Today showed what our cars are capable of in the sand and I look forward to progressing further into the rally on the days to come."
After leading nearly the entire special, Al-Attiyah would encounter problems towards the end and found himself losing even more minutes to the overall leader. Pushing his HUMMER to the limit would cause him to bottom out and bend the frame near the rear of the race vehicle that surrounds the motor; therefore resulting in spare wheel rubbing against the water lines causing slight damage but not enough to hurt the motor since Nasser stopped just in time and fixed the problem.
"Even though he may be down in time again, the positive side of it is that he is capable of winning stages. He must keep his head up and keep digging. Racers don't run the Dakar to come here and quit." Gordon said about Al-Attiyah being nearly an hour down now to the leader.
With Gordon gaining 3 minutes and now sitting in 4th place overall, he knows consistency is a must for him and his SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires team. Tomorrow is a long stage for everyone as the teams cross the Andes into Chile. Gordon looks to post another top 5 finish, which would be his 5th out of 6 stages. Al-Attiyah will look for redemption as he will try for his second stage victory in the 2012 Dakar Rally.
*Editors note: STAGE 6 CANCELED Due to the bad weather continuing over the Andes Cordillera (rain and snow), the Chilean authorities were forced to close, for the night, the border at Paso de San Francisco, situated at 4700m.
For the 7th time, the Dakar is about to cross over the Andes, and because of very unfavourable conditions, added to the fact that the course has been hit by rain and snow, in order to guarantee the security of the competitors and those following the rally, the organisers have decided to organise a convoy for all vehicles tomorrow. The itinerary has been changed after the border (follow the main road on the right which goes to Diego de Almagro).
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by BajaTuner on
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Sentences about Nasser sound slightly negative/defensive . Hope moral is still high
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Permalink Reply by 7gason7 on
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Baja, I would bet RG is very happy with Nasser. I have seen nothing but great interactions on video. There is a scene in the Stage 4 Speed recap at the 3:18 mark that says a lot. I think they getting along very well:
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Permalink Reply by Team Maranello on
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Nasser seems like the rich brat and Robby as the responsible one. Wow, Robby being responsible, measured and calculating. I guess our boy is finally maturing.
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Permalink Reply by mark roye on
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The problem with a "Rent-A-Racer" deal is that team management often has little influence over tactics and style of the renter. The Dakar is an endurance event, not a sprint race. In any endurance race, whether it's Le Mans, Daytona 24 hr, or the Dakar, preservation of the equipment is job one. Next is outright speed. It's impossible to win if you don't finish. Driving "like a mad man"(JC quote) might be fast, but it's not conducive of finishing. At some point RG will need to either make this understood, or carry on on his own with less regard for assisting a "team mate".
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Permalink Reply by Scott B on
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Agreed...to a point...Nasser knows what it takes to win endurance races...
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Permalink Reply by pdxracefan on
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I don't know. Maybe, as short as the partnership is and was put together, a strategy was formed kinda like that of the factory teams at LeMans. Each team sends out a rabbit to try and push the other team(s) to the breaking point, while the rest of the team cars runs a more conservative pace in the hopes that will result in them winning the race. Not a new concept.
And one I always thought was rather brilliant.
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That's certainly a good tactic with multi-car teams, like Mini, or VW in the past. But not so practical with only two cars, especially when it costs the only other team car time assisting. Unlike when RG, with VW, stopped, removed an entire steering system, and replaced that of a higher placed team car. There were other VWs in contention. With a two car team, this tactic does not work---it only penalizes both.
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Good point. Just thinking out loud.
You have to admit that RG's race pace this year is a 180 from years past. Thus, my comment.
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Agreed--RG is driving a very sensible race. Pushing absolutely as fast as is prudent, only loosing time to the usual things like tire changes, alternator failure, sleight navigational errors, but very much within himself. That's exactly what it takes. A good part of the time he's lost has been assisting the team car, and over time this becomes unsustainable.
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Mark, another good point.
Man, you're good. :-)
If this keeps going as it has, at some point he has to begin to start looking out for his own result. Then break out and start running his own pace for the win.Depending on what happens, of course.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Martinez on
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Here's a point of view, call it The View From The Balcony. A spare tire came loose due to:
a) An insecure fastener that slipped by at the inspection level when the car was deemed to be "race ready"
b) A fastener failed due to any one of many reasons thus can be classified as a part failure.
c) An asshole sabotaged the works causing an international war and bringing about the end of mankind just the ................
d) A system no matter how scrutinized and prepared is now another item to be added to the list of things to look at, improve, work on or other wise rectify for future successes that will one day be the legacy of RGM
e) An answer you come with yourself."A fastener can be classified as a single or group of tethering, tightening, securing, or other wis.....no I used that already tethering, tightening, securing or binding of any and all applicable thingamobobs incurred for this little observation". Such as a simple nut and bolt to a spring loaded triple lug centering hub torqued to 65 FT. LBS.
Perhaps you can draw from the choices that somthin dun broke on the #300 hummer so masterfully operated thus far in this race by Nasser
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Hah! Great missive Michael. But I do believe the two spare are secured with ratcheting, tie-down straps.
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