Salta, Argentina (January 10, 2014) – Coming off Thursday’s Stage 5 – one that Robby Gordon described as the most difficult he had faced in nine previous years of the Dakar Rally, Stage 6 did not get any easier for Gordon and his SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires team.

After finishing in a podium position the first time in 2014 after Stage 5, Team SPEED would receive news of a one-hour penalty that was applied following Stage 5 for missing a waypoint, thus forcing Gordon to forgo the third starting position for Friday’s Stage 6.

Gordon started as the 25 car off the line, making his objective for the Stage to pass as many cars as he could without jeopardizing the HST Gordini before Saturday’s scheduled rest day.

Picking cars off one-by-one, Gordon quickly found himself in the top-15 after the first checkpoints, but shortly he put the SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires HST Gordini into conservation mode for the rest of the Stage, as the heat of the South American desert caused engine temperatures to rise.

Gordon and Co-Driver Kellon Walch would cross the finish at kilometer 424 as the 21car, 24 minutes 26 seconds behind stage winner Stephen Peterhansel of France.

Tomorrow is Rest Day where competitors are given a day to relax and prepare their cars for the final seven days of this year’s Dakar Rally. The SPEED Energy/Toyo Tires Team will be very busy prepping and making changes to secure their chances at a Stage victories.

Be sure to watch the nightly highlight show of the 2014 Dakar Rally January 6th through January 18th on NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. EST/ 2 p.m. PST. Check local listings for exact channel and time.

To follow Gordon and the SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires team as they try to rise above the competition at the legendary Dakar Rally, log onto www.speedenergy.com and www.toyotires.com/dakar for race team updates.

Photo: Weyens Dakarworld