Jan 11th, 2015 Dakar Rally Stage 8 Race Info & Discussion

Join in and discuss all the action from stage 8 of the 2015 Dakar Rally. This is the second half of the Marathon stage. The special section of stage 8 is 781km long. Robby Gordon start time: 5:25am/et, and he will be the 9th car off the line. After a 9th place finish in stage 7, Gordon sits 23rd in the overall standings, 5h48m behind. Raceday chat will be available throughout the entire 2015 Dakar Rally.

2015 Stage 7 Photos

STAGE 8 TRACKING

STAGE 8: UYUNI > IQUIQUE

Connection 24km | Special Stage 781km | Total 805km

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Dakar bows to the laws of nature. Hence, the weather will decide which route will be taken to leave Bolivia. If it’s dry, the start could take place in the Salar de Uyuni, for a 100km route across a smooth road of white salt: full throttle and foot to the floor! The route then slows down abruptly, with the longest part of the special stage taking place on more technical mountain terrain. The day will end with more than 40km of dunes, concluding with the vertiginous descent to Iquique.

The GREEN section of the route is the connection , the RED is the Special Section of the stage.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MTG on January 11, 2015 at 9:31am

Altitude and lack of sleep may be affecting today's race in a negative way for RG and JC

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Permalink Reply by patricio garcia on January 11, 2015 at 9:51am

1 hour difference thru wp12

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Permalink Reply by RICK ALDRIDGE on January 11, 2015 at 9:51am

Looks like we will have to use our other provisional after the rest day. Headed toward a finish about 60th today. :-(

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Permalink Reply by TOG on January 11, 2015 at 9:53am

Keep in mind, the tarmac 'neutral section' between KM472 and KM746. His WP13 time will be the true indication.

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Permalink Reply by patricio garcia on January 11, 2015 at 10:02am

so RG will still be 1 hour back thru the neutralized section, 304km, then will have 38km to push and make up time?

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Permalink Reply by TOG on January 11, 2015 at 10:08am

Neutral section started around WP10 (KM472) so I'm going with 25minutes behind

WP 11 & 12 don't mean anything to me, other than that RG is still running.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Meyer on January 11, 2015 at 10:12am

I thought the neutralization section started before the WayPoints stop recording before 13. That's a relief. Thank you for clearing that up.

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Permalink Reply by TOG on January 11, 2015 at 10:14am

I'm going by the maps, and what I've seen for neutral sections year after year.

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Permalink Reply by Jan vdV on January 11, 2015 at 10:09am

Isn't it confusing that there are multiple WP's in the 'neutral section' and the time difference and positions between the competitors changes as well in this section? If there is a real neutralization the differences and positions should be frozen for this section, shouldn't they?

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Permalink Reply by patricio garcia on January 11, 2015 at 10:11am

that is what puzzles me, ASO has some weird timing rules.

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Permalink Reply by TOG on January 11, 2015 at 10:15am

They can't "RACE" in the neutral sections. If changing positions and 'gaining time" were allowed in the neutral section, then there would be no need for a neutral section.