Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Team Maranello on January 4, 2009 at 10:37am

Looking at Hummer vs the top 4 wheel drive manufacturers looks like this stage is going to be a challenge too. On the video, the 4x4 can carry a lot more speed thru the corners by initiating a 4 wheel drift, but Robby has to break before the corner and then power slide the big hummer around the corner, making him loose too much time and the big hummer tires don’t help the situation either on smooth gravel stages as the lateral bite is not great like the skinny one on the 4x4. Dakar mentions some very fast stages; maybe the top end speed of the hummer can help. I just remember in a video from 2 years ago, where Robby was made run a restrictor, wonder if that is still true and how that limits his top end speed??

I strongly believe that once we get into open country, sand and the really rough stuff, the hummer will come into its own, but till then we can only hope some bad luck hits the leaders. I am trying to be sporting, but I really need our boy to close the gap, so he is in the thick of the fight.

Permalink Reply by TOG on January 4, 2009 at 12:29pm

Overrall standings after Day 2

Permalink Reply by FlyHiFlyLo on January 4, 2009 at 12:44pm

Just Remember this folks. EVERYONE WILL HAVE TROUBLE. The guy that wins is the guy that can run 16 strait Barstow 250s with no breakage. If RG maintains exactly what he is doing and slowly creeps up in the overall and cars start pushing it... Thus falling to the desert doom, RG will be sitting in a very good spot by stage 10. After 10 stages and RG can be within 1.5 hours he will be in the top 3 fighting for the win. He will need some luck but the fact is of the cars that had not failed by then will. It's just the nature of the beast. 10,000 kilometers across two countries is no joke.

4 wheel drive has it's advantages... But hit one nasty whoop in those 10" of travel and it's game over.

Permalink Reply by Mike Taylor on January 5, 2009 at 5:09am

I love Robby and am going to support him no matter what. I understand the concept of not ruining your stuff early. I think that he has realized this, but in this race you can flip your car on a freak whoop later in the race trying to catch up. With the attrition that everyone should have once they start running 100 degree desert temps and wide open strain on the motors im hoping it will come out even. Whether you ran hard first or waited till the end, I don't think you can truly run wide open all race, not on this new terrain and with such long specials. But it seems like the same philosophy he uses in the restrictor plate races! and thats been working lately, which is funny since they have plated the monster in the past. I love this shit, I have been a Nascar fan for years but the technicality and thought process involved in off road racing is so much more fun to get invlolved in and it engulfs you in it, this site and being a robby fan have truly made me a fan of off road racing. As a matter of fact I think I am going to fly my jeep today!!!!! j/k

Permalink Reply by Team Maranello on January 4, 2009 at 8:39pm

Dear Baja Bill, we all want Robby to win, but many of us who follow many forms of racing enjoy the technicality and strategy of the sport which makes watching the race from such a distance more exciting. For example, in the Tour de France (also organized by ASO), people discuss the upcoming stage and potential team strategies that would take place in that stage and then watch in excitement how the actual strategy plays out. In LeMan, F1, NASCAR and WRC, the excitement is added thru knowing driver, fuel, car set up and tire strategy.

I commend you on your blind faith in American talent and I too hope the Americans do well, but some of us who want to have an intellectual discourse on this forum on the sport and driver we love and respect, please don’t interpret that as negative energy, but our own (maybe nerdy) way of enjoying the sport.

Permalink Reply by MikeNIN7 on January 4, 2009 at 2:50pm

What time dose stage 3 start. I'll be here.

Permalink Reply by TOG on January 4, 2009 at 4:10pm

Somebody will have the exact time Robby goes off on Monday.

Permalink Reply by TOG on January 4, 2009 at 4:26pm

so is that 9:12 Eastern time, or 7:12 Eastern Time ?

Permalink Reply by Mario on January 4, 2009 at 4:27pm

9:12am local, 7:12am eastern, 4:12am Pacific...and that is provided the 8:52am start time for the first vehicle is accurate (Stage 2 was listed at 8:07am local, but the first car actually rolled off for the special at 8:33am).

Permalink Reply by FlyHiFlyLo on January 4, 2009 at 4:52pm

They are attempting to push the car starts back so they give more of a gap between the bike class. It would be better for all if that happened.

Permalink Reply by WJM on January 5, 2009 at 12:09am

They've increased the time to an hour between the last bike and the first car.

Permalink Reply by zoomsss on January 4, 2009 at 9:05pm

... Change to the third day´s route following heavy rainfall: Short but just as sweet - the third stage of the Dakar Rally from Puerto Madryn to Jacobacci was already changed in the run-up by the organisers A.S.O. Heavy rainfall during the previous weeks had made several sections impassable due to heavy mud. The Volkswagen drivers and their competition can now expect 551instead of the scheduled 616 kilometres against the clock on the third stage.

Dakar 2009: Evening-Stories from Argentina and Chili.~marathonrally

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