SAN SALVADOR DE JUJUY, Argentina (January 6, 2016) – Robby Gordon in his quest to become the first American to win the Dakar Rally, overcame two days of horrible course conditions to post his first top ten finish of the 38 Annual Dakar Rally on Wednesday.
Starting in the 19 position Robby Gordon broke out to a blistering pace working his way up to the 13 position by km 80 just 3 minutes and 47 seconds behind leader Frenchman Stephan Peterhansel. Pushing the HST Gordini supercar and his Toyo Tires to its maximum capacity at altitudes of 3,500 m (11,483 ft), Gordon and navigator Kellon Walch would gain time on the leaders in the sandy and rocky terrain, but would also loose time in certain portions that were noted as tricky navigational areas.
Gordon would go on to put a consistent run together at the end of the stage to finish in 3 hours, 51 minutes and 16 seconds, just 8 minutes and 34 seconds behind the time set by stage winner Peterhansel who finished in a time of 3 hours, 42 minutes and 42 seconds. The time was good enough to record Gordon’s first top-ten finish of the 2016 Rally, setting up a 10 place starting position for Stage 5 on Thursday in a special where the Gordini should be able to gain valuable time on the leaders and content for the stage win.
Team SPEED teammate Sheldon Creed would start stage 4 in the 28th position, and really showed positive driving throughout the day advancing all the way to the eighth position at one time. After being accessed a 10-minute penalty for speeding during one of the transfer sections, Creed would finish the fourth stage in a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds in the 26 position, just 21 minutes and 38 seconds behind the winner.
Peterhansel would go on to win Stage 4 in a time of 3 hours, 42 minutes, 42 seconds, followed closely by Spain’s Carlos Sainz at 3 hours, 42 minutes , 53 seconds and Stage 2 winner Sebastien Loeb of France completeing the stage in 3 hours, 43 minutes, and 9 seconds to finish third. Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar finished fourth with a time of 3 hours, 47 minutes, 39 seconds, while Cyril Despres of France would finish fifth in 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 26 seconds.
After four stages Loeb continues to hold the overall lead over Peterhansel by 4 minutes, and 48 seconds. Followed by 2015 Dakar Winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in third 11 minutes, and 9 seconds back. South Africa’s Leeroy Poulter moves into the top for the first time with the fourth position 12 minutes, 31 seconds behind, while Sainz rounds out the top five 13 minutes, and 4 seconds back. Sheldon Creed holds the twenty-fifth position 1 hour, 15 minutes, 51 seconds behind leader Loeb.
Thursday’s fifth stage (642 km/399 mi) will take drivers from San Salvador De Jujuy, Argentina to Uyuni, Bolivia for the second portion of the marathon stage. With altitudes increasing to around 4,600 m (15,092 feet) the fatigue of the Dakar will start to kick in for the drivers, navigators, and race vehicles. Generally in Dakar Rally history the fifth stage starts to separate the contenders from the rest of the pack. Navigators; Kellon Walch and Jonah Street will be on extremely high alert as Gordon and Creed cannot sacrifice loosing any more valuable time to the leaders.
Follow the quest for an American podium finish in the 2016 Dakar Rally for Team SPEED through live timing and scoring as well as live updates with chat at http://www.planetrobby.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss and http://www.StadiumSuperTrucks.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will provide daily highlights after each stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally at 5:30 p.m. ET. Check your local listings for exact time and channel for availability.
Photos from Stage 4 can be downloaded from the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/d1y044bxr489y2gzjys05iugh90ter8l?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
Team SPEED is supported by the following partners; SPEED Energy, Toyo Tires, TRAXXAS, KMC Wheels, Arctic Cat, 4 Wheel Parts, Grand Design Recreational Vehicles, Magnaflow Exhaust, Eibach Springs, King Shocks, Outlaw LED, Mastercraft Safety, Holley Performance, Embee Performance, MAC Tools, DeWALT, Freightliner Trucks, Replay XD, Valvoline, Impact by Mastercraft Safety, Lincoln Electric, Torchmate by Lincoln Electric, Ron Davis Racing Products, Techni Waterjet, Mechanix Wear, Saftey-Kleen, Weddle Industries, and Loctite.
Stage 5: San Salvador De Jujuy – Uyuni
Cars
Special Sections: 327 km (203.2 mi)
Total: 642 km (399 mi)
All round vigilance is required for this second part of the marathon stage: in addition to managing mechanics, particularly the tires, all the drivers will have to pay attention to their own bodies reactions. Entry into Bolivia is also marked by an abrupt increase in altitude, rising to 4,600 m (15,092 feet)– the highest point in Dakar’s story – during the day’s special section. Technically, it is also in this stage that the rally steps up a gear, with the first off-piste sections as well as some navigational gems, which might be a headache for some navigators.
The post Robby Gordon Claims First Top Ten Finish of 2016 Dakar Rally Creed Penalized Finishes 26th appeared first on RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine.
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Starting in the 19 position Robby Gordon broke out to a blistering pace working his way up to the 13 position by km 80 just 3 minutes and 47 seconds behind leader Frenchman Stephan Peterhansel. Pushing the HST Gordini supercar and his Toyo Tires to its maximum capacity at altitudes of 3,500 m (11,483 ft), Gordon and navigator Kellon Walch would gain time on the leaders in the sandy and rocky terrain, but would also loose time in certain portions that were noted as tricky navigational areas.
Gordon would go on to put a consistent run together at the end of the stage to finish in 3 hours, 51 minutes and 16 seconds, just 8 minutes and 34 seconds behind the time set by stage winner Peterhansel who finished in a time of 3 hours, 42 minutes and 42 seconds. The time was good enough to record Gordon’s first top-ten finish of the 2016 Rally, setting up a 10 place starting position for Stage 5 on Thursday in a special where the Gordini should be able to gain valuable time on the leaders and content for the stage win.
Team SPEED teammate Sheldon Creed would start stage 4 in the 28th position, and really showed positive driving throughout the day advancing all the way to the eighth position at one time. After being accessed a 10-minute penalty for speeding during one of the transfer sections, Creed would finish the fourth stage in a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds in the 26 position, just 21 minutes and 38 seconds behind the winner.
Peterhansel would go on to win Stage 4 in a time of 3 hours, 42 minutes, 42 seconds, followed closely by Spain’s Carlos Sainz at 3 hours, 42 minutes , 53 seconds and Stage 2 winner Sebastien Loeb of France completeing the stage in 3 hours, 43 minutes, and 9 seconds to finish third. Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar finished fourth with a time of 3 hours, 47 minutes, 39 seconds, while Cyril Despres of France would finish fifth in 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 26 seconds.
After four stages Loeb continues to hold the overall lead over Peterhansel by 4 minutes, and 48 seconds. Followed by 2015 Dakar Winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in third 11 minutes, and 9 seconds back. South Africa’s Leeroy Poulter moves into the top for the first time with the fourth position 12 minutes, 31 seconds behind, while Sainz rounds out the top five 13 minutes, and 4 seconds back. Sheldon Creed holds the twenty-fifth position 1 hour, 15 minutes, 51 seconds behind leader Loeb.
Thursday’s fifth stage (642 km/399 mi) will take drivers from San Salvador De Jujuy, Argentina to Uyuni, Bolivia for the second portion of the marathon stage. With altitudes increasing to around 4,600 m (15,092 feet) the fatigue of the Dakar will start to kick in for the drivers, navigators, and race vehicles. Generally in Dakar Rally history the fifth stage starts to separate the contenders from the rest of the pack. Navigators; Kellon Walch and Jonah Street will be on extremely high alert as Gordon and Creed cannot sacrifice loosing any more valuable time to the leaders.
Follow the quest for an American podium finish in the 2016 Dakar Rally for Team SPEED through live timing and scoring as well as live updates with chat at http://www.planetrobby.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss and http://www.StadiumSuperTrucks.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will provide daily highlights after each stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally at 5:30 p.m. ET. Check your local listings for exact time and channel for availability.
Photos from Stage 4 can be downloaded from the following link:
https://app.box.com/s/d1y044bxr489y2gzjys05iugh90ter8l?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
Team SPEED is supported by the following partners; SPEED Energy, Toyo Tires, TRAXXAS, KMC Wheels, Arctic Cat, 4 Wheel Parts, Grand Design Recreational Vehicles, Magnaflow Exhaust, Eibach Springs, King Shocks, Outlaw LED, Mastercraft Safety, Holley Performance, Embee Performance, MAC Tools, DeWALT, Freightliner Trucks, Replay XD, Valvoline, Impact by Mastercraft Safety, Lincoln Electric, Torchmate by Lincoln Electric, Ron Davis Racing Products, Techni Waterjet, Mechanix Wear, Saftey-Kleen, Weddle Industries, and Loctite.
Stage 5: San Salvador De Jujuy – Uyuni
Cars
Special Sections: 327 km (203.2 mi)
Total: 642 km (399 mi)
All round vigilance is required for this second part of the marathon stage: in addition to managing mechanics, particularly the tires, all the drivers will have to pay attention to their own bodies reactions. Entry into Bolivia is also marked by an abrupt increase in altitude, rising to 4,600 m (15,092 feet)– the highest point in Dakar’s story – during the day’s special section. Technically, it is also in this stage that the rally steps up a gear, with the first off-piste sections as well as some navigational gems, which might be a headache for some navigators.
The post Robby Gordon Claims First Top Ten Finish of 2016 Dakar Rally Creed Penalized Finishes 26th appeared first on RockCrawler 4x4 and Offroad Magazine.
Related posts:
- Americans Robby Gordon and Sheldon Creed Post Respectable 23rd and 28th Place Finishes during Stage 2 of the 2016 Dakar Rally
- Team SPEED Rebounds in Dakar Rally Stage 3 with Robby Gordon Finishing 16th and Sheldon Creed 25th
- Robby Gordon Greeted Enthusiastically at Dakar Rally Preliminaries, Claims 25th in Mini-Section Prologue for Stage 1
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