Could they do it ?

How many NASCAR drivers could run Dakar and who would they be ? 

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Permalink Reply by mj on January 4, 2012 at 12:17am

Daniel you win the trophy for best reply so far !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Team Maranello on January 4, 2012 at 12:19am

I dont see any nascar driver being able to compete in dakar. My reasoning is

1. Nascar driver wont know how to change a tire without his pit crew
2. Nascar driver will not trade his motor home for a tent in the bivouac
3. Nascar driver will struggle with anxiety as he know he cannot wreck his competition to win the dakar
2. Nascar driver only knows only 3 words that the spotter tells him, Inside, Outside & clear. They lack the vocabulary to understand pace notes
3. Dakar has no prize money. Nascar driver will not be able to find any compass heading unless there are dollar bills hanging from it.

I dont consider Robby a nascar driver. It is just something he does to make a living, so he can do what loves which is racing on dirt

Permalink Reply by mj on January 4, 2012 at 12:54am

team maranello you get the 2nd place trophy lol

Permalink Reply by pdxracefan on January 4, 2012 at 11:21pm

Too true.

Permalink Reply by Wally Meier on January 4, 2012 at 12:24am

I may have to turn in my man card for this but at one time I believe Jeff gordon could have done the Dakar he is supremely motivated you can't argue his talent early on. He has a back ground on dirt and success which shows his car control and as far as working on the car Nasser didn't sound to excited about having to pitch in with the mechanics but seems willing to do whatever it takes. I believe JG would have been much the same. For all his faults he has been one hell of a wheel man.

Permalink Reply by Team Maranello on January 4, 2012 at 12:32am

@Wally, regardig Nasser, it is a bit lost in translation. Nasser has always driven for a factory team with big budgets and loads of Mechanics, so you have a mind set is from that experience. Robby's operation is more like, "everyone do what ever it takes". This is a new experience for Nasser and his comment were to do with adjusting to his new normal instead of not being too excited.

Permalink Reply by Wally Meier on January 4, 2012 at 12:49am

Didn't mean to sound negative I was trying to get across exactly what you said this has to be a whole new experience for him. He's sure making the best of it!.........Thanks Team!!

Permalink Reply by pdxracefan on January 4, 2012 at 11:22pm

Exactly

Permalink Reply by Janet B on January 4, 2012 at 2:57am

I love this question. There are many other drivers who THINK they could do it, but in reality, they'd melt. Or cry. Or both.

Tony Stewart was asked this question once - his answer was "No way in hell." Could he? Probably. But he wouldn't.

Brendan Gaughan once said that when he grows up, he wants to be Robby Gordon. :) If Robby were to ask him to run Dakar, he'd do it.

Bottom line: Robby is an actual, genuine one-of-a-kind. The real deal. He's the only one who can do what he does.

Permalink Reply by FlyHiFlyLo on January 4, 2012 at 3:51am

B I N G O

Just because Jimmy raced and did good in SHORT course doesn't mean crap... He sucked ass in the dezert...

NOBODY in NASCAR today could stay in the top 20 after day 4. They just won't have the speed all day everyday.

Biffle? Why because he plays in a dune buggy?

The level RG races at in these Dakar rallys is at the top of the heap...

Casey Mears? Not a chance... There is no f'n way in hell he could wheel one of these car all day everyday... He would be tree bait.

Tony stewart???? Get F'n real peeps. His fat ass wouldn't make past the meal at the Biviauc Tent. He would get to 12,000ft above sea level and pass out.

It takes a very very special person to run COMPLETLY unknown dirt roads for 2000+ miles and not yard sale it.

It takes an incredible ammout of experience IN THE DEZERT. Andy Mac? Maybe.... But yard sale. BJ Baldwin sure but will fade by the end. A younger Rod Hall or Larry Ragland? sure but will get killed on the unrelenting speed it takes to stay on top.

Travis could maybe do it but without a doubt... I would follow that race car because there will be a yard sale.

The guys that can do it are, and they are there because they can. The new guys that come up and make it into this 80% are WRC Factory bad ass'. Or the 2% of rest that have pockets so deep they can afford 10 yard sales in their life.

Just about anyone of us on this board could drive the shit out of any one of these special built cars... But no one on this board would last past day one.

You must have Speed, Experience, Focus, Patients and LUCK.

Permalink Reply by Josh Fisher on January 4, 2012 at 4:35am

On the flip side of things though how many of the guys that run Dakar could race a Cup car or a Touring car/Protoype or even an Openwheel/Formula car (or for the Moto guys, a MotoGP bike) without junking it?

Not many, well there may be many that would be able to keep it in one piece (at least for practice) but hardly any that could be competitive when it comes down to the actual race.

Permalink Reply by FlyHiFlyLo on January 4, 2012 at 4:42am

Throw them in a pack of 43 cars doing 200mph... Hell no! Massive yard sale.... Now you could take anyone of the top ten Dakar guys and run them through the truck/busch/cup program over 3 or 4 years and they could be there. But no way in hell could they do it the other way around.

ROBBY MAINTAINED HIS SKILLS every year. Just like Toney does in his V-8 go karts....

Here is an example: Robby in a modified the first time ever against all them "Cup" drivers- Wins his heat and 2nd place in the main.

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