2014 Dakar Rally F.A.Q.

With the 2014 Dakar Rally beginning in less than 45 days, here is a brief F.A.Q.

Is Robby Gordon racing in the 2014 Dakar Rally? YES!
What is the car number? 305
What is he driving? A new design - called the HST
Who is the navigator? Kellon Walch
Is there going to be a 2nd car? No
How come we haven't seen pictures of the car yet? It's still being built
When will we see the car? Mid December
Will the race be televised? Yes. NBC Sports Network TAPE DELAY recap show.
How can we follow the rally? You're already at the right place.
When does the rally begin? Stage 1 begins on Jan 5th.

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Permalink Reply by Greg on December 19, 2013 at 11:32am

Now you're just being mean.

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Permalink Reply by Chet Raschka on December 19, 2013 at 12:48pm

I think today is when I'm going to least expect it.

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Permalink Reply by Kirk G on December 19, 2013 at 3:01pm

Something to read will we wait. An article about Kurt Caselli. Eye opening, many questions to answer.... who knows what could have been if he was found sooner. We have to much technology for this to happen! I hope we learn a lot from this. http://xgames.espn.go.com/rally-moto-x/article/10078322/kurt-casell...

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Permalink Reply by Mike Kenyon on December 19, 2013 at 3:56pm

Thanks for adding this.I'll add this to Planet Biker Bar tonight.

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Permalink Reply by pdxracefan on December 19, 2013 at 3:58pm

Thanks for this.

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Permalink Reply by Dave McPartlin on December 19, 2013 at 8:55pm

Butterflies in my chest as I read this. Rest in peace.

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Permalink Reply by mj on December 19, 2013 at 10:16pm

Wonderful article thanks for the post

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Permalink Reply by Kirk G on December 20, 2013 at 12:20am

Maybe someone at RGM can shed some light on how you track RG. Both DAKAR and BAJA.

What are the rules on communication with the driver, both DAKAR and BAJA? Are you DQ'd with any communication? I would assume you could make contact if there is a medical emergency for yourself or a competitor without consequences. what about calling for mechanical help?

I know RG ran a SPOT car in at least one NASCAR race. I have a SPOT and it seems like each team could/would be monitoring the vehicle's position at all times. Even without internet you could be in communication with someone via a SAT phone that has an internet connection. I'm sure the big teams have enough resources for this. Maybe could have helped Kurt. How does RGM know where to go when there is a mechanical problem?

It would be cool if RG would let the planet watch his progress via his SPOT page! Just to know he is making forward progress in-between check points would be great!! I'm sure there is a reason why not to do this (both official and unofficial) ?????

Thanks in advance for any comments.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Kenyon on December 20, 2013 at 12:37am

I'll try.
DAKAR, ASO tracking only, anything else is illegal.
when we get closer to the start, we, the Planet will have links for tracking.

Baja, SPOT was Roger and SCORE's decision,time will tell if it works better.
Maybe TOG can fill us in on the do's and don'ts with the helicopter communications

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Permalink Reply by John on December 20, 2013 at 3:54am

Comms in ASO are regulated and limited.

Comms in SCORE are wide open. You can do anything you want/can afford. Score was using Iritrack for their official tracking program for media purposes. The cars/trucks have 2 way sat comms to iritrack in case of emergency via satellite. The unit is too big for bikes so they only ran a data logger on them to confirm they stayed within the boundaries of the course. These are checked at the finish line. This year Roger went with Spot instead. It is smaller and runs off it's own battery. It does not have voice comms.

Plenty of big teams have sat phones wired into their onboard intercom system along with their 2 meter radios. The 2 meter radio is what the race is managed on via weatherman and just about everyone who is involved with the event has these radios. Generally they are used to communicate with your pit crew to let them know you are getting close and update them to any needs you may have so they can be ready. Teams will also give drivers info like time splits to other racers so you have some idea where you stand so you can adjust your pace accordingly. The sat phone is usually programmed to call one number if a button is pushed on the dash and/or it can be setup to send a text with GPS location at predetermined intervals.

If you can imagine it and afford it, you can run it in Score.