Dakar 2014

2014 Dakar is underway! Any Dakar fans around here? I mostly follow the moto's, but Porsche definitely has a legacy in the event! (of course it was on a different continent back then... Any resemblance to the current overall [car] leader? BMW still has a huge presence... albeit through their 'Mini' brand. Mark Coma.... Currently leading on bikes.

I stopped following the race when it was moved to SA. Paris-Dakar was IT for me as a kid. I would be watching Kamaz trucks dominate the vile capitalist trucks every winter. Also, back in 1980s and 1990s Dakar was a lot more amateurish event, with guys bringing in FWD cars and racing them with no aids, no team trucks, and no GPS/Computer support. Then it was an epic adventure event, spectacular to watch and very unpredictable. Now....meh, Kamaz still dominates though.

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While the coverage sucks, Dakar is still a world-class race that mere mortals can still compete in. Perhaps more for bikes than other categories, but I know/ride with three guys who have competed and finished Dakar(which is a huge accomplishment in and of itself). Two in SA, one in Africa... You do have to submit an application, and without some cred's (Baja 500/1000, vegas->reno, etc) you aren't going to get a spot, and of course it is *very* expensive, but it was a lifelong dream of a few of my buddies and they made it happen. Of course usually the only way a privateer will get any media coverage is if they go up in flames (literally) or manage a rare-as-hens-teeth top ten stage finish... $100K & years of reaching for the dream going up in smoke earlier today... ACCIDENTE DAKAR 2014 Dunas Nihuil Se prende fuego moto y piloto #167 Peter Hardy (USA) - YouTube

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Oh, no question that it is still a grueling event and requires some credentials to your name to join. If you know some riders, than you definitely have reasons to watch. I grew up watching the old races on Eurosport, old Paris Dakar was a lot more involving and adventurous. No GPS, simple cars, no high tech equipment. Pure adventure, just like old Camel Trophy races. Marreau brothers win 1982 Paris Dakar. Renault 20 - YouTube 1984 Dakar - YouTube

I watch it too. Yes, coverage sucks. 30 mins (actually less time if you remove time for commercials) is horrible. Wish they showed an hour or so and also the same day. -K

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No GPS navigation in Dakar. Roadbook directions, compass heading, mileage. That's it. Additionally, the navigation difficulty has ramped up a bit in the past two years, with even the top riders/drivers getting off course with some frequency. The 'roadbook' is issued the night before, which the riders mark up themselves and load on a scrolling roadbook holder. They show 'tulip' diagrams with mileages, intersection diagrams, and sometimes compass headings. Other than the roadbook, the only nav aids are an digital compass repeater (showing numerical direction heading) and an ICO accurate odometer. There are GPS's on the bike, but they are not for navigation purposes... They are for organization tracking this is what a typical roadbook page segment looks like, from the first special in Dakar 2014... This is what you are trying to read and navigate by all while riding at the edge of your skill levels while physically exhausted... Rider Cockpit... The Iritrack does have a built-in GPS as well as a sat phone, but GPS info is NOT available to the rider/driver... The GPS functionality is for organizational tracking and to ensure that the rider actually hits the checkpoints required on the roadbook. It only displays speed and compass heading, which are repeated on the small display higher up for better visibility. The Sat phone only comes on if it detects a crash or if a rider presses his own or another riders panic button.

Thanks for posting details. I've followed the Dakar for probably over 10 years now. It's traditionally the first motorsports event of the year I follow, and is a pleasure to watch the different classes and cinematography as they move through the continent. If you can, try to find a Eurosport feed from the internet . Worst case, there are torrent sites out there that have the daily highlight episodes on them. They're usually 30min to 1hr, no commercials, and have much better and consistent race coverage than what you can find in the US. Sam

^^ Thanks for the info, EVOMS.

Well, at least one thing haven't changed in all those years. Kamaz is still the Champion of Dakar 2014.

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Is there a thread explaining you avatar? I've never seen a 996 do that!

The picture is from very old Australian review of the 996. Christophorus* magazine. Test was titled along the lines of New 911 is still better off-road than your SUV .

Dakar, isn't that a men's cologne?

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No, cologne is Drakkar Noir.

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thanks for posting the pictures! love it

How is Robbie Gordon doing?