Dakar
13 July 2012Powerhouse meets natural wonder.
Full speed ahead with preparations for the Dakar: the X-raid team is launching its Dakar campaign with two off-road rallies in a week – and on two continents.
What do you get if you cross huge quantities of water thundering spectacularly down an 80-metre drop with the no less impressive rumble of diesel powerhouses taking on a completely new challenge? The answer is a truly captivating marathon rally – and one with a charismatic star: the MINI ALL4 Racing. From 23rd to 28th July the Dakar Series will open up a new off-road region, having previously lined up in Romania/Hungary, Portugal and Russia /Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan. In the area surrounding the Iguazú waterfalls in the border region between Argentina and Brazil, X-raid’s Joan “Nani” Roma will take on the six stages between Iguazú and Resistencia.
Home race at the other end of the world.
It is a really tough test ahead of the Rally Dakar: the Desafío Litoral rally, which takes the teams through northern Argentina and along one of the seven natural wonders of the world, is organised by Dakar organiser A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation). “The races in the Dakar series have always been a good form of preparation for the Rally Dakar itself,” says Nani, who will once again pair up with the most successful navigator currently on the scene – Michel Périn. “The demands and challenges are similarly severe. Under competitive conditions, we will be trying to gain as much knowledge as possible to help with our further development of the MINI ALL4 Racing. This makes the Desafío Litoral an important step on the way to the Dakar. For me, as a Spanish-speaking driver, it is also something of a home event.”
It will also be a real home race for the MINI ALL4 Racing, which emerged victorious when the Rally Dakar headed through Argentina, Chile and Peru for the first time in January this year. Back then, Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret provided the X-raid team with its highly-acclaimed maiden win at the toughest rally in the world.
Baja Spain: battle for the World Cup title.
From 20th to 22nd July – just a few days after the Desafío Litoral gets underway – the X-raid team will also send at least one MINI ALL4 Racing into action at the Baja Spain. Khalifa Al Mutaiwei and his co-driver Andreas Schulz will line up in the next round of the battle for the World Cup title. The duo is currently second overall.
You can find updates on the Desafío Litoral and the Baja Spain at Twitter.com/MINImotorsport and Facebook.com/MINImotorsport.
