There are few off-road racing challenges on Earth tougher than the Dakar.
Yes, we know. The legendary Dakar is no longer held anywhere near Dakar. In fact, the 2019 event will take place completely inside the borders of Peru. That inconvenient truth doesn’t take anything away from the toughness and dedication shown by competitors, though.
In all, 334 vehicles will turn up for the start on January 7, all of whom share the goal of returning to the capital after 5,000 kilometres, including 3,000 of special stage that will be remembered for an unequalled intensity.
“It is a little like as if we were competing in the Vendée Globe only in the roaring 40s”, says race director Etienne Lavigne in defining the degree of difficulty of the 2019 event. The skill level of dune crossing, the ability to navigate without detours in open terrain and the indispensable physical strength to battle in the massive sandy sectors will be the criteria to fulfil for the title contenders.
The disappointments are sometimes cruel on the Dakar, especially in the case of an early retirement thanks to a mishap or mechanical failure after a few hundred miles of action. This year, the cars, trucks and side-by-sides that experience this hardship in the opening half of the rally will be able to re-join in a parallel competition following the rest day. Competing in a separate classification, these vehicles will run with an orange plate but will not be permitted to start in the first 25 places of a special stage.
In side-by-side action, a burgeoning class featuring 30 contestants this year, Can-Am will field a new Monster Energy / Can-Am racing team featuring a three-racer squad consisting of star American Casey Currie, reigning Dakar champion Reinaldo Varela, and racer Gerard Farrés. They’ll be piloting a brutish Can-Am Maverick X3 making 172 turbocharged horsepower.
The truck division will see the favourites from Kamaz facing their rivals from Team De Rooy, led by Gerard De Rooy, who returns after a one-year absence. The car field is expected to be the largest since 2015, where some former Peugeot stars have moved to Mini and the driver roster features big names like Loeb and Sainz. Interestingly, a full 30% of the field will compete for rookie honors.
El Mini número 300 ya está camino de Peru!! Buen trabajo @XraidTeam // The Mini number 300 is already on the way to Peru. Good job @XraidTeam. pic.twitter.com/0qdu2Ple0a
— Carlos Sainz (@CSainz_oficial) November 23, 2018
It all kicks off on January 7th. Be sure to check in then for our coverage and watch social media for live updates from companies like Can-Am.
[image: Dakar]