Country: Argentina
Area: San Rafael to Salta
The Dakar Rally was originally a motor race that took place from Paris to Dakar in West Africa. The cars that participated were standard vehicles and it was a real endurance test for man and machine.
The race was discontinued because of the threat of terrorists in West Africa. After an absence of a year the race was then organized in South America. Unfortunately there is still confusion with the name Dakar with people thinking it is still Paris to Dakar.
If you are a “petrol head” then one of the events to follow is the Dakar races.
For South Africans there is very little coverage of this event.
In about 2012/13 I got a bee in my bonnet to follow the races in South America and combine it with my amateur photography and interest in technology.
Eventually through a sports travel agency in Europe I bought a package to follow the races.
The section we followed was from St Rafael to Salta and Route 40 in Argentina. Our transport was in Double Cab 4 x 4’s. The first day was to the dunes of Nihuil desert where we parked on top of a sand dune waiting for the rally vehicles to pass.
The adrenaline rush was unforgettable when we heard from kilometers away the first sounds of motor cycles and cars. As they appeared over the horizon I fumbled with trying to select the correct lens and missed taking pic’s of the first contestants
Of course being desert there were competitors that were off course and my fitness was really tested running up and down the sand dunes trying to get good pic’s.
I experienced then what camaraderie was all about.
As they came past the number of drivers that greeted me, possibly because I was taking pic’s was a humbling experience.
The desert took it’s toll on drivers. The Ford driver, Chris Visser raced over the top of a dune at speed and did a forward “ head over heels”. That was the end of the race for that team with Visser landing up with a neck injury.
In another incident, motorcyclist stalled his bike at the top of the dune where we were standing and seemed to collapse from exhaustion right there. Spectators revived him by pouring water over him. He then tried to get going but one could see he was totally disorientated. Spectators then gave him directions to assist him to get on track.
The bivouac was another experience and we were told that up to 3 000 people are active in this enclosure on the day the racers move in. These numbers consist of participants, team support personnel, organizers and V.I.P visitors.
Works teams are either accommodated in mobile homes or if you are a top driver like Geniel de Villiers or Carlos Sainz, then you could land up in a five star hotel.
Mechanics work through the night and sleep in the day. It is no holiday for them.
There is no glamour in being a works mechanic. Their accommodation is a one man tent. Come rain, wind, snow or sunshine. One day I experienced the most miserable rain and mud in a bivouac.. A rain coat or umbrella was not part of my carry equipment. Being at high altitude near the Andes made it a freezing experience.
Talking about altitude, we were advised to take medication to combat altitude sickness. Even participants would take on oxygen from the medics between stages.
