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Team Dakar USA going to be 3 cars in 2010?
Just heard that Team Dakar USA will campaign 3 Hummers next year. Heard the driver sponsor is already a done deal for the 3rd Hummer. Eliseo Salazar will be the driver. If you dont know how he is look him up.
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Permalink Reply by Brad Williams on
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WHAT????? SaladBar is coming out of retirement? where's the link
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Permalink Reply by Eric on
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El norteamericano Robby Gordon y Eliseo se encuentran en el podio final. Ambos empezaron conversaciones para que el chileno corra el Dakar 2010 con un Hummer.
http://dakar.eliseo.com/
about half way down the page!
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Permalink Reply by Ryan Plowman on
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"The North American Robby Gordon and Eliseo is in podio final. Both began conversations so that the Chilean runs Dakar 2010 with a Hummer."
Began conversations is the key word there. I don't see anything "final" about this statement...
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Permalink Reply by NIKAL on
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Here are all your answers and even more questions about this year in CUP!
http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/01/21/rgordon.shootou...
Robby Gordon's 2009 NASCAR season got a whirlwind start this week as Gordon, about 32 hours after returning to America from a three-week South American excursion, confirmed Wednesday he'd race a Dodge Charger in the season-opening Budweiser Shootout.
The 32-hour delay came up because of a question of whether or not Gordon would run a Toyota -- the brand he'll use for 2009 -- or Dodge.
Robby Gordon wrapped up a demanding two weeks in Chile and Argentina with an impressive third-place finish in the Dakar Rally.
Gordon hit the ground running on Tuesday morning upon returning to the United States after a third-place run in the Dakar Rally through Argentina and Chile, and explored the possibility of running a Toyota in the Shootout, set for Feb. 7 at Daytona International Speedway.
"When I left to go to the Dakar Rally, there wasn't the wild card program, there was only the Dodge guys, and I chose to be a Dodge because I could be in the Bud Shootout," Gordon said. "We have a Dodge done, with an Ernie Elliott motor in it, so it's easiest to just go that route."
In addition to the Dodge leftover from his 2008 season, Gordon said he also has two superspeedway Toyotas complete that he'll use for the balance of Speedweeks 2009.
"I'm happy that we're two weeks ahead [of Speedweeks] and we have three cars done," Gordon said. "I consulted with Toyota prior to our agreement and they approved my running a Dodge [in the Shootout]. With the wild card, I had to make some more phone calls to see if they wanted me to run a Toyota or a Dodge because I could do either."
The only potential glitch to Gordon's plan was if Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, whose Ganassi Racing arm fielded Dodges last season, would take advantage of either of its owner point positions ahead of Gordon to run the Shootout. An EGR spokesman on Wednesday said the team wouldn't field a Dodge at Speedweeks.
It created the latest good feeling around the Robby Gordon Motorsports complex.
"I've kinda stayed out of the media a bit here lately, because we haven't been running that good -- and when you don't have anything good to say, don't say nothing at all," Gordon said. "But now we've got good stuff again and I feel really good about my Toyota program -- I feel good about what we're bringing for race cars."
And race cars isn't the only reason Gordon's enthused about getting back with Toyota first the first time since they provided engines for his IndyCar team. Gordon, after turning 40 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the eve of the Dakar, is reunited with a guy he met as a 20-year-old dirt racer, Lee White, president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development.
White was the manager of Jack Roush's potent sports car racing program in 1990, when Gordon switched from off-road to sports car. Their most notable achievement, among many, was winning four consecutive class titles in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
In the mid-1990s, White moved from Roush Racing and ended up with Toyota, where he was involved in the manufacturer's IndyCar program. He facilitated Gordon starting his own team, which missed winning the 1999 Indianapolis 500 when the car ran out of fuel with Gordon leading to the white flag.
"As a kid, racing, there were numerous days I spent at his house -- we were really good friends," Gordon said of White. "I've been trying to get back with Toyota for a couple years, and we finally were able to make it work this year, and package-wise, I think I'm coming [to Toyota] at the right time."
Consistency strengthens any race team, and Gordon's happy to have that in place at his NASCAR shop.
Fellow Californian Kirk Almquist, a friend for more than 10 years with whom he worked at Richard Childress Racing, returns as crew chief. In 2003, Almquist was one of the lead mechanics on RCR's No. 31 car with which Gordon won a 125-mile Daytona 500 qualifying race and swept the Cup road races.
"We've got pretty much the same crew that we ended '08 with, and I'm very happy with the guys I have," Gordon said. "I have a good friend, Johnny Kaiser, who's been my buddy for more than 20 years and we've built some of the finest cars in racing, period.
"He came onboard about six months before the end of the [2008] season and he's running the shop for us."
Gordon said competing in the 5,900-mile Dakar was an "organizational nightmare" akin to "doing a Cup race at Martinsville daily for 14 days, and your crew has to drive to Daytona Beach every day -- and you have to bring all your parts. You can't call FedEx and say you forgot something."
But Gordon accomplished that so well that his two Hummers finished third and 13th; and he's already planning to add a third car to the 2010 effort. Gordon said a deal's done with Chilean former Formula One, IndyCar and sports car driver Eliseo Salazar to run the third Hummer.
Gordon ran four Nationwide Series races in 2008, two in his own cars, but said if he did any races in '09 they'd be in Toyotas but "it'll only be the road races, because nothing translates right now [between the two series] and I think we can run a better race team if we concentrate on the Sprint Cup side of it."
Gordon returned to America with some economic concerns, but admitted that being an owner/driver was an advantage for him. His team's announced 2009 Cup sponsorship from returning supporters Jim Beam and Menards, but he's still short of a full-season backing.
"I need [sponsors] -- I have a lot of races open, about 15, but I can make it work by being creative," Gordon said. "What I do -- I'm the race car driver and I happen to be the team owner, so if we're short, the race car driver gets screwed. It's real simple. I love to race, so this is what we do and we'll figure out how to make it work.
"Don't get me wrong -- I like to make money. But it's not all about money. I've got a lot to prove, still, here in NASCAR -- that we can do this program. And 2009 is gonna be the year that we're gonna show everybody."
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So by reading this Kirk is the CC for the team in 09, Johnny Kaiser is still helping build cars at RGM. Robby still has about 15 races that he needs a sponsor for. And Yes Eliseo will run a third Hummer for Team Dakar USA in 2010!
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Permalink Reply by GTX - HEMI on
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In one of Robbys interviews he mentioned that he needs speed for next year. In my estimation after looking at all the stages he needs to do better in the rally stages. The 4wd's are eating him up. He also said more top speed is needed. With that said, I see new cars for next year. Anyone know anything ??????? I know Vangard has some say in who drives the 2nd hummer, will Eric get the nod. Does anyone know where Robby builds the TT & Hummers.
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They are built in the off-road shop in California. I dont expect to see new vehicles. What he needs is for the ASO to let them open up the intake restrictors a bit. But because he finished 3rd I dont see the ASO feeling to bad for him. Robby has the bugs worked out of these cars and I'm sure they will continue to perfect what they already have. But I'm 99.9% sure they will not build completely new designed cars. The only thing lacking is HP and that is only lacking because the ASO is controlling that.
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Permalink Reply by Keith on
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Fly said during the rally that new rules went into effect for 2010... maybe he'll have to build new.
Ask Fly.
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Permalink Reply by alan4s on
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He also needs to change the suspension some, to allow for more adjustments. He'll need to lower and tighten it somewhat for the WRC-like rally stages, then be able to raise it back up for the dunes. A dynamic shock (such as the magnetic flux technology) that could be adjusted on the fly, would be very cool if he could make it durable enough. GM has some experience with these, so maybe they could lend some expertise.
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Thanks everyone for your input. I live in CA and would like to visit Robby's shop some time. Is that possible or is his shop off limits. I have followed him and off road racing for many years. I was on a class 1 team back in the day. At one of the first tire stops in Ojos Negros while waiting for our car to pass you could here this guy comming for miles. Yes make no mistake it was the Baja Bronco. PJ & Bill Stropp were driving unfortunately on that day they hit a MC rider that was going on the course the wrong way. Both PJ & Stropp had flash burns on there faces and the MC rider was dead on impact. In thoes days PJ had a copter following him (Vels Ford sponsered) and was air lifted out to San Diego. "Anybody out there old enough to remember" :)
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