Published on:
Jan 13, 2017
The Dakar is heading towards “the grand finale”. Every competitor was driving strategically today. On the one hand, they do not want to force a vehicle breakdown so close to the finish. On the other hand, competitors in contention for a podium finish, have to push their cars to the limit, which requires taking risks. The Toyota teams have no opportunity to sit back and relax; they must keep the pressure on. The strategy paid off with four Toyota drivers ending up in the top ten today: Giniel De Villiers in 4thplace, Erik Van Loon in 7th, Conrad Rautenbach in 8th and Nani Roma in 9th (putting Roma 4th in the overall rankings). The final surf to Buenos Aires has begun.
Published on:
Jan 12, 2017
The overall ranking is like a dance: it can change after every song. With yesterday’s cancellation of the “Super Belén”, today’s stage towards San Juan was tremendously decisive. What might have been the most difficult stage of the rally, could arguably be the most exciting one as it comes to this year’s podium candidates. With three Toyota driver’s, Giniel in the #302 in 6th, Conrad in the #320 in 7th and Nani in the #305 coming in 10th, all finishing again within the top ten, the podium is still a possibility.
Published on:
Jan 11, 2017
Nobody expected that yesterday would bring a massive mud avalanche, putting the brakes on stage 9. The natural disaster would divert competitors and support vehicles hundreds kilometers and six to seven hours to the bivouac, causing everyone to arrive late and tireless inspections. With stage 9 cancelled, all competitors retain their current rankings. Officials have decided to keep the 751 km course for stage 10. With the finish in Buenos Aires in sight, the race is not determined yet. Toyota is still has a chance at claiming a piece of the podium.
Published on:
Jan 10, 2017
The common theme for this year’s Dakar is “Anything can happen”. To add to the already difficult raid through heavy rains, tall river-crossings and deep sand traps; a muddy landslide in the Argentinian village of Volcan bisected the liaison to the bivouac in Salta. Officials scrambled to create alternate routes to safely get teams to the bivouac. Stage 9 is set to be cancelled as the rally re-groups and evaluates the Dakar. TGRSA Giniel De Villiers in the #302 crossed the finish line in 5th place, putting their Hilux in 6th place overall. Overdrive Toyota driver Nani Roma in the #305 arrived in Salta in 7th place, slipping to 4th place in the overall ranking. Conrad Rautenbach in the #320 rolled into the bivouac in 9th place for the stage.
Published on:
Jan 09, 2017
The marathon stage could be compared to floating in space. No external assistance is allowed. No support crews are found along the whole special stage. Drivers and co-drivers are left with their road books, filled petrol tanks and the great open Bolivian landscape. The competitors left La Paz for a long drive towards the “Salar de Uyuni”, the remarkable salt flats. Because of the bad weather conditions the last few days, the seventh special stage was shortened to 160 km. TGRSA driver Giniel de Villiers #302 finished 3rd and Overdrive Toyota driver Nani Roma #305 finished in 5th; placing Nani in 3rd place in the overall ranking for his category.
Published on:
Jan 08, 2017
The Dakar is all about adventure and proving to be the best of the best. Drivers and co-drivers find themselves in the spotlight for obvious reasons. They are the ones conquering the elements, challenging extreme conditions and pushing to get to the finish line in Buenos Aires. The truth is: the Dakar would not be what it is without the dedicated crew next to them: the engineers and mechanics. The team’s crew plays a very important role before and throughout the whole rally. Without their knowledge and support, the Dakar would be an impossible rally for all.
Published on:
Jan 07, 2017
All competitors of the Dakar faced an extremely and demanding stage five yesterday. Heavy rains changed the terrain dramatically, which caused problems for many drivers. Because of this, stage six was cancelled and the competitors were instead given a direct route to La Paz. However, there was still several hundred cold and wet kilometers to be conquered. Due to there being no race, there were no changes in the rankings and so three Toyota drivers are in the top ten: Overdrive Toyota driver’s Nani Roma #305 and Conrad Reichenbach #320 respectively finished in 2nd and 6th place. TGRSA driver Giniel de Villiers #302 came back in 10th position.
Published on:
Jan 06, 2017
When it comes to endurance and focus, combined with driving at high altitudes above 4000 meters, the Bolivian Altiplano proved to be a tough opponent today. The drivers left the bivouac in Tupiza around 8 am and on towards the fifth special stage: a 447 km trek with the finish line in Oruro. The day proved grueling. The trail was unrelenting, competitors got lost, and, due to strong heavy rain, the second section of the special stage was cancelled. Despite all, Toyota was able to carry three 4WD Hilux drivers finishing in the top ten: Nani Roma #305 in 2nd place, Conrad Rautenbach in 6th and Giniel de Villiers #302 in 10th place.
Published on:
Jan 05, 2017
The fourth stage was a unique one by crossing two countries: Argentina and Bolivia. The competitors had to deal with the first section in Argentina out of San Salvador de Jujuy; and the second section in colourful Bolivia towards Tupiza. With the unfortunate outcome of TGRSA driver Nasser Al-Attiyah #301 having to retire from the rally, Giniel de Villiers #302 is striving for the best result. He finished in an amazing 7th place today, leaping forward 7 ranks from stage three.
Published on:
Jan 04, 2017
The Dakar Rally makes a move upwards. However, it’s not a gradual climb that allows competitors to comfortably get used to the change in altitude. On the contrary: the competitors rapidly climbed up from 280 meters in San Miguel de Tucumán to 4895 meters in San Salvador de Jujuy. It was a dramatic and harsh climb causing TGRSA driver Nasser Al-Attiyah in the #301 Hilux trouble. Overdrive Toyota driver Nani Roma #305 Hilux finished in 8th place today. #Dakar2017 #ToyotaDakar2017
