Coming off a first-in-class finish and third-place result in the 2009 Dakar Rally, Robby Gordon is determined to compete for the overall victory in his sixth appearance in the endurance race.
"In my mind, there is no tougher race out there than the Dakar Rally," Gordon said. "As an avid racer and car builder, a win at the Dakar Rally would be a major accomplishment for my team. To be the first American to ever win a stage of the event was great, but to be the first American team to win the Dakar Rally would mean so much more – not just to me but to the people who are as passionate about this program as I am – from our sponsors to our dedicated employees."
Gordon entered his first Dakar Rally in 2005, when he became the first American to win a stage of the race.
Traditionally run throughout Europe and Africa, the 2010 Dakar Rally will take place in South America again, where it was relocated last year after political unrest in North Africa forced the cancellation of the 2007 event. Competitors will race on a 5,592-mile course while navigating across some of the world's highest sand dunes and mountains. The event begins on Jan. 2 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Competitors will race over the Andes Mountains, across the Pampas plains and through the Atacama Desert. After 14 stages, the competitors will return to Buenos Aires as they race to the finish.
Gordon's two Hummers – the No. 302 that he will drive and the No. 326 of teammate Carlo de Gavardo – left Robby Gordon Racing's race shop in California on Saturday to be transported to Argentina via air freight while the team's support vehicles left the shop in late November, shipped by sea freight.
Versus will provide TV coverage of the Dakar Rally with a 30-minute daily program featuring highlights from that day's action that will air at 3:30 p.m. ET daily from Jan. 3-18. An hour-long recap featuring all 14 stages will air at 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 24.