The 2012 Dakar Rally is going down this month in Argentina, Chile and (for the first time ever) Peru. So what the hell is Dakar? It’s a multi-stage long distance off-road car, truck and motorcycle race that used to be held between Paris and Dakar, Mauritania. Since 2009 has been held in South America due to concerns about terrorism in Africa (but they kept the name Dakar anyway).
Much like its Mexican cousin, the Baja 1000, Dakar is notoriously dangerous for both racers and the alcohol-fueled lunatics who line the courses to get a close-up view of 1000 hp rally trucks at full throttle. So not surprisingly, it’s a treasure trove of great videos. Let’s take a look.
Here’s a nice overview of Stage 8.
There are no grandstands. In this sport, the spectators always have front row seats.
Dakar is seriously dangerous. An Argentine motorcycle racer named Jorge Boero was killed last week and there are always lots of spectacular crashes. American Quinn Cody did his own impression of Superman last week, going head first over the handlebars at full speed. He suffered a concussion and broken collarbone but was mostly OK.
You’ll notice in the video that other racers pull over and help the fallen rider. I didn’t realize this until this week, but the racers are actually not penalized for doing that. Any time spent helping another racer is given back at the end of the stage.
Some of the vehicles competing in the rally are truly cool — like the Russian Kamaz trucks. They look like beer delivery trucks with huge knobby tires and turbocharged engines. This is basically the most manly vehicle on Earth.
And here’s the LEAST manly vehicle ever to race in the Dakar — the Monster Energy X-Raid Team’s Mini Cooper. OK, so this Mini is not exactly stock. Much like Crasstalk it’s cute, yet seriously badass.
Still want more? Our car-freak buddies over at Jalopnik have put together a nifty post-apocalyptic slideshow of great Dakar photos.
