HUMMER is proud to once again
sponsor Robby Gordon Motorsports' Team Dakar USA effort to
take on the Dakar Rally, widely considered to be the most
grueling off-road race in the world due to its brutal terrain
and extreme environmental conditions. HUMMER first sponsored
Team Dakar USA's inaugural Dakar Rally entry in 2006
Test driving in the desert - Photos:
Hummer
Gordon will pilot his own
vehicle, a purpose-built HUMMER H3, in the 16-stage event
operating under the banner of Team Dakar USA.
During last year's Rally, Gordon
was forced to make an early exit from competition when an
encounter with the devilish terrain during the seventh stage
punctured the radiator and sidelined the team for the remainder
of the race.
Gordon's H3 consists of an
H3-shaped body paired with a specially developed chassis
featuring a suspension designed by him and his Off-Road team.
The H3 will be a tube-chassis vehicle similar to Trophy Trucks
races in the famed Baja 1000, except that it will have a fully
enclosed air-conditioned cockpit, including windshield and side
windows. It will be powered by a production-based General Motors
V8 engine.
.
According to Martin Walsh,
HUMMER general manager, HUMMER's involvement at this
international race is a natural fit. "With the recent launch of
H3 production in South Africa, we now sell HUMMERs in 34
countries around the globe," said Walsh. "The extreme nature of
the Dakar Rally, as well as global exposure of the race provides
a natural environment in which to promote the HUMMER brand's
DNA."
The 16-stage Dakar race
covers more than 6,000 miles (nearly 10,000 km) in just over two
weeks.
While the event is gaining
popularity in the United States, it has a broad following around the
globe. The 2007 Dakar begins on January 6, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal and
runs through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and Guinea before finishing in
the capital city of Dakar, in Senegal.
The race covers all types of terrain,
from mountains to sea level and farmland to desert. Competitors can
encounter snow and sub-zero temperatures as well as sandstorms and
searing heat in the desert. More information on the Dakar race is
available at www.teamdakarusa.com or www.dakar.com.
