El Dakaro Videos 2012

[NordieBoy]

He still hasn't made it to WP6 and others are finished at WP9...

Looks like he hit WP6 4mins behind the other top guys hitting the finish, which would indicate he's still mobile?

[NordieBoy]

Chris is 28th overall after todays stage!
He picked up 8mins on Daryl Curtis but the stage was fairly short.
The 2 Chileans ahead of him seem to have changed engines...

29th overall and the 2 Honda mounted Chileans haven't changed engines

Good riding

[NordieBoy]

Robby Gordon has lost 1:50 on Peterhansel this stage alone.
1 hr behind 3rd and 2:10 behind 1st overall...

[cromagnon]

Stage 11, video links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypqdt2FoKDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94jSLmzEPGw

Unlisted videos so might be hard to search for them...

[cromagnon]

Stage 11, video links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypqdt2FoKDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94jSLmzEPGw

Unlisted videos so might be hard to search for them...

Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WWNaD0Z8uY part 2 & 3 in description

[Padmei]

good stuff yet again. Whats the word on the street about Robbies hummer? The frenchies must think hes tellling porkies if all it is is tyre deflators etc. Unless the deflators have turbos or something attached?

[Eddieb]

I haven't seen the latest stage come out from Alonsospeed on Racingforme.

Edit: it's up now.

[cooneyr]

good stuff yet again. Whats the word on the street about Robbies hummer? The frenchies must think hes tellling porkies if all it is is tyre deflators etc. Unless the deflators have turbos or something attached?

Got a bit interested in this show down yesterday. It seems the deflation system is connected to the inlet manifold downstream of the restrictor plate. Rules clearly say all air the engine sucks must pass through the restrictor. Robbies contention is that the amount of air has no effect on performance and that it is just to make the tyres deflate quicker. He also said that the deflation system uses a diaphragm and they need a vacuum to operate it. So which is it Mr Gordon?

All this from the Speed Energy youtube channel with Robbie speaking to the camera. Whatever the case it seems pretty dumb set up and is just asking for a bit of controversy. Especially when the Baja trophy trucks style cars are not the norm so will likely come under a bit of controversy when they started doing well.

Saw another comment that they were filling their tyres with NOS so deflating the tyres directly into the mainfold would give them a nice boost. Given NOS is usually under pressure in a cylinder and therefore the volume dumped into a engine is pretty large I can't see sucking a few litres from tyres in a likely pretty uncontrolled manner being much use. Besides one piddly shot of NOS doesn't account for the significant speed they manage to pull all stage long.

By the way they were claiming to do 130 miles and hour down the big dunes into Iquique on stage 9.

Cheers R

[cromagnon]

It was blocked off today...

[NordieBoy]

Chris Birch (@BirchyNZ)
15/01/2012 07:21
Chris had huge crash today, sprained ankle, nearly broke his nose, knocked out a bit... but still 28th and ok to finish tomorrow! OUCH!

RallyRAIDio (@RallyRAIDio)
15/01/2012 06:10
Marc Coma is being reported saying he had to ride most of the stage without 2nd and 3rd gear. Repost: gearbox broken, needs 2nd engine swap.

Robby Gordon got stuck in the dunes, crashed, repaired and lost 35mins...

[NordieBoy]

What's up with Birchy and Daryl?
Birchy will be a couple of places faster at every WP except for the finish where he'll be 5min behind overall?

Is he waiting for Daryl?

Aliens?

[NordieBoy]

Nooooooo!!!!!!

Luis didn't start today's stage!
Looks like he may have missed a WP near the end yesterday.
Other issues too? That should have only been a 40min penalty?

[NordieBoy]

RallyRaidReview (@RallyRaidReview)
15/01/2012 08:03
Big crash for Chris Birch today. 3m unexpected drop off knocked him out briefly. He was able to continue and finish. Much respect.

[Woodman]

That ruling for the Hummers is bollocks. I like the Hummers, the hummers are cool. Minis are ghey.

To put it in perspective, if you have a vehicle with a 350ci chevy or therabouts and you have one of them big bugcatcher/letterbox scoops sticking out the bonnet facing forwards, the vehicle will need to do inxs of 300km/hr before there is any supercharging(boost) effect. So some air from a few tyres occaisionally is not going to give him an advantage. The air is probarbly hotter than ambient too.

Bollocks rule.

[NordieBoy]

Luis on the KTM 150 isn't in the withdrawals list?

Bad transponder?