A Dakar rally raid is something you prepare... way ahead of the start, but not necessarily from inside Team Robby Gordon, who had to call on a replacement driver at the very last minute for this 2010 edition. US driver BJ Baldwin, who should never have been racing in the Dakar - at least this year - was called and invited to join the team at the very last minute to replace a sick Ronn Bailey behind the wheels of one of Team Gordon’s Hummers. At the finish of the Cordoba special stage, the 2008 winner of the Baja 500 still could not believe it: "I was asked to join the Dakar on Christmas Day, so I must say I am still not completely at ease in this monster machine. I have not driven such a big car in years." Rather used to being in the Protruck or Trophy Truck circuit for Baja, Baldwin did do pretty well for this first stage that was not really made for two-wheel drive cars; he finished 19th at 13’53’’. As he stepped out of his large Hummer, the driver’s prime concern was to find a tree in the shade to discreetly relieve himself. As for his co-pilot Kellon Walch, who felt queasy, he was trying to recover from this crazy first day.