The new Dakar Series label has gone off to a good start, recording a great deal of entries ahead of the label’s first race of the year, Central Europe Rally between 20 – 26 April 2008. According to the ASO, “Dakar Series certification will be given to other races that offer the same high organisation and safety standards, strong participation and media attention as the legendary Dakar. With the Central Europe Rally, the aim of A.S.O. is to enable the competitors of the Dakar, which was cancelled on 2008, to enter a new rally with some extremely advantageous conditions and offer their sponsors exposure in a major international event.”
The format for the C.E.R. is unprecedented, and will take place in two countries, Hungary and Romania, covering a distance of about 3,000km/ 4,828 miles. Around half of it will be run in special stages.
Entry forms have been received from Bruno Saby, Guerlain Chicherit and Nasser Al Attiyah for the BMW X-Raid team, Jean-Louis Schlesser for the blue buggy, and Robby Gordon for the HUMMER. What many will be most looking forward to of course, is the mini-war between Mitsubishi’s Stéphane Peterhansel, Alphand and Roma, against Volkswagen’s Spaniard Carlos Sainz and South African Giniel De Villiers.
The year 2009 of course sees “Dakar Rally” back on the scene but at a completely new venue, a 9,000km loop that begins and ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mass media around will be able to watch the C.E.R. via satellite, beamed by networks such as France Television, South Africa’s Supersport, Eurosport and Fox Sport International in South America.
An unprecedented format for a rally-raid, in the heart of two countries raiders have rarely visited: the idea has already won over the regulars of the sport, including a large portion that has redirected its energy toward a new objective. Less than a month after entries began to be accepted, the Central Europe Rally, which will be run in Hungary and Romania between April 20-26, is shaping up to be a must do event for the competitors, because some 110 motorcycles, 70 cars and 37 trucks have entered to date.
The Central Europe Rally is preparing for a large number of competitors. This first edition of the event will also welcome a who’s who in all-terrain competition. Among the regular top runners on the Dakar, the entry forms of Bruno Saby, Guerlain Chicherit and Nasser Al Attiyah for the BMW X-Raid team, Jean-Louis Schlesser and his blue buggy, as well as Robby Gordon with his always impressive Hummer, have already been received.
In all probability, the duel opposing Mitsubishi, with Peterhansel, Alphand and Roma, against Volkswagen, with Sainz and De Villiers, should be yet another episode in the ongoing battle between the two constructors on the tracks of Central Europe. The battle for the first ever win of the REC should also be a fantastic race for the motorcycles, because Cyril Despres, Marc Coma, David Casteu, without forgetting Francisco Lopez or David Frétigné, will also be on hand in Budapest. With such a strong field, led by defending Dakar winner, Hans Stacey, the race to be the first to write his name in the record books in the truck category will too be hotly contested.
The awaited reunion of these rally-raid champions constitutes a significant media event with the airing of specific programmes in more than 130 countries all over the world, via France Television, as well as networks Eurosport, Supersport in South Africa and Fox Sport International in South America.
what? there are no north american braodcasters?