Jan 1st, 2012 Dakar Rally Stage 1 Race Info & Discussion

Join in and discuss all the action from Stage 1 of the 2012 Dakar Rally. Robby Gordon will drive the #303 Speed Energy Hummer & Nasser Al Attiyah will drive the #300 Qatar Hummer. Raceday chat will be available throughout the entire 2012 Dakar Rally. Raceday chat now works on the Ipad & Iphone.

STAGE 1 TRACKING

STAGE 1: Mar Del Plata > De La Pampa

Connection 763km | Special Stage 57km | Total 823km

COURSE OVERVIEW

The seaside resort of Mar del Plata brings to mind lazing around, especially after the competitors have mingled with the crowd during the public presentation ceremony on 31st December. For the short warm-up special stage, they will nevertheless be allowed to pass by the seafront, where the small dunes to be crossed will represent the first hurdle. In this simple exercise, the fastest time will establish a first winner and determine each competitor's position in the rankings. After this challenge, there will be a long liaison section to be covered to Santa Rosa de la Pampa.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by will on December 30, 2011 at 12:06pm

With one day to approve it's time to take a look ahead to the first special of short Sunday. The start of the 60km long stage is just past the village of Necochea. Then it's a lot of gravel paths through the pampas.

Bit by bit, the participants closer to the coast. Between kilometer 30 and 40 dives the only real obstacle of the day, the Medano Blanco. This dune has some parts a height of 110 meters and extends over a length of several kilometers. The area is very popular with 4x4 drivers.
Experts from the area say it is not very difficult to drive. Between the dunes is often water, so it's careful. After the dunes, the party route northward. Finish at the village Energia.
Because the exact road book is not yet known, it is still a guessing which route to take exactly the participants. The Dakar organization dune Knowing this certainly is not avoided. Favorites? Note the Argentine participants from this area, the dunes and they know only too happy to book a good result for the "home crowd".

Permalink Reply by TOG on December 30, 2011 at 10:01am