The Dakar Rally, arguably the world’s most demanding and grueling motorsports event, will start Jan. 6 in Lisbon, Portugal and end Jan. 21 in Dakar, Senegal – 6,500 miles and seven countries later.  The SCORE International Off-Road series consists of six races, including the Baja 500 and the granddaddy of all off-road races the Baja 1000. 

          Gordon, who last month teamed to win his third Baja 1000, will drive the Monster Energy Hummer H3 in the Dakar Rally with co-driver Andy Grider and will be a co-driver in the Monster Energy Trophy Truck in the Baja 500 in June and the Baja 1000 in November.  Monster Energy and a Team Gordon driver will compete for a SCORE Series championship in 2007.

          The Dakar Rally offers Monster Energy a global exposure platform given the race’s enormous following.  Robby is one of the world’s foremost off-road racer and his team has a history of winning, which gives Monster Energy exposure on the world stage.

          The new relationship with Robby and Team Gordon is further evidence of our commitment to off-road racing, and we look forward to having Monster Energy well represented throughout the 2007 SCORE season by both a Team Gordon truck as well as our on-going relationship with Alan Pflueger and the No. 28 Trophy Truck team.

          In addition to off-road racing, when Gordon begins his third season as a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series owner/driver in the Feb. 18 Daytona 500, his highly visible racing helmet will feature a unique green and black paint scheme with Monster Energy branding.  The No. 7 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series pit crew also will wear Monster Energy branded helmets, and Monster Energy will be prominently featured as an associate sponsor on the NASCAR team’s equipment and vehicles including its track-side merchandise trailer.

          “It is such an honor to have a company like Monster Energy come forward and support our off-road programs at Dakar and in SCORE,” team owner Gordon said.  “I feel that we have a lot in common in that we’re both on the rise in our respective businesses and it will be a lot of fun to grow our race teams with them as they continue to expand and become the energy drink category leader.  There is such a strong brand fit between our companies and seeing that black and green Hummer H3 in the white sand of Northern Africa during Dakar is going to be very cool.”

          Gordon was the first, and remains the only, American to win a stage in the Dakar Rally.  He shocked the racing world in 2005 by winning his first-ever stage of the famed race, and also won the third stage.  Last month he teamed with rookie Andy McMillin to win the Baja 1000, and also won the race in 1987 and 1989.  He has 11 top-five finishes in 18 Baja 1000 starts, is a three-time winner of the Baja 500, and has three SCORE International Series Championships to his credit.  Additionally, he is a four-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race winner and also has won in NASCAR Busch Series cars, the Indy cars, IMSA sports cars and virtually every other type of racing car in which he has competed.

          In addition to Monster Energy, Robby Gordon Off-Road is supported by Hummer, Chevrolet, Pro Comp and Toyo Tires.

About Monster Energy

Monster Energy supports the sport.  Be it surf, motocross, off-road, skate, snow, BMX – name it – the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the flavors – Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault and the new Monster/ fruit juice hybrid called “Khaos.” Robby Gordon digs ‘em – so will you.  On the ‘Net at www.monsterenergy.com.

The Dakar Rally

The Versus channel will provide more than 29 hours of Dakar Rally coverage throughout the month of January.  In 2007, the rally will start for the second time in its history in Portugal. The race will then head through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.  Since its creation in 1978, Dakar has inspired dreams and passions. From the very outset of this mythical race, the rally has become a true social phenomenon. Nurtured by the spirit of adventure and the passion of its courageous participants, The Dakar Rally has since remained faithful to its founding values: in the heart of Africa, a unique sporting competition experienced by all, amateurs and professionals alike, as a matchless human experience.

Versus Broadcast Schedule (all times EST)