2014: BJ Baldwin: “Demostrar lo que valgo…”

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DAKAR 2014: BJ Baldwin: “Demostrar lo que valgo…”

 It's a new challenge for us, you know. We've won seven off-road racing championships in the last nine years, in SCORE, in Best of the Desert, in Hydro… we won the world championships this year. We've won two Baja 1000s back-to-back these last two years so coming to the Dakar is the next logical step. It's a new challenge for us. I like the idea that I'm on a different team with a different programme than I was in previous years. In previous years I was with Robby Gordon and I was more of an assistant driver than a competitor. So this is really the first year that I'm going to be a competitive driver on the Dakar rally which is very, very exciting for me. Guerlain is a great driver and I'm really excited to compete against him because I know he's such a good driver and is very talented. He's won stages in the past, so I know that if I can hang with him or do better than him, then I'll be doing very well. As it relates to our strategy, in the beginning I just think we're going to kind of try and beat each other, but if one of us has a problem and is an hour down, whether it's me or him, we're going to help whoever the lead car is to get to the finish and to get the best finish possible. Obviously, I'd like to win stages immediately. In the end, I'd like to win the Dakar rally; that would be great for us, especially seeing as I'm a rookie and everyone says you have to have five or six Dakar rallies under your belt before you win one. So, to match my skill-set against guys like Peterhansel, Nani Roma, Nasser Al-Attiyah, all those guys… if I could do well against those guys I would be very, very happy because I believe that those guys are the best in the world.

 
“Participar en el Dakar 2014 es un desafío nuevo para nosotros, pero también es la continuación lógica a lo que venimos demostrando desde hace varios años, con victorias en prácticamente todos los campeonatos SCORE en los que hemos participado, así como 2 Bajas 1000 consecutivas. El Dakar es el paso siguiente y lo abordamos con menos presión que durante mis primeras participaciones, en las que era compañero de equipo de Robby Gordon y, como tal, debía sacrificar mi carrera por la suya en caso de necesidad. Por tanto, puede decirse que éste es el primer Dakar en el que tendré que demostrar lo que valgo. Y para ello cuento con un compañero de equipo perfecto, Guerlain Chicherit. Es todo un ganador de especiales en el Dakar y si consigo seguirle el ritmo significará que también yo puedo adjudicarme etapas. Éste es nuestro proyecto a corto para los próximos años, pues soy bien consciente de que tengo mucho que aprender antes de poder soñar con ganar el Dakar. Con todo, poder medirme ante los mejores pilotos del mundo, véanse Peterhansel, Al-Attiyah, Roma o De Villiers, es ya para mí un motivo de alegría… Una alegría que será aún mayor si tengo ocasión de colocarme por delante de ellos...”

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Range Rover Evoque ’T3’ Dakar Rally Racer

The world famous Dakar Rally poses the kind of challenges that makes it difficult for just about any professional race driver. As if traveling over 9,000 km in a span of two weeks is tough enough, the fact that you’re going to need to do it in some of the world’s toughest conditions makes it as unforgiving as any race there is in the world.

One team that appears to be up to the challenge of the Dakar Rally is the British Excite Rally Raid Team, which will take part in the world’s ultimate endurance race with three customized Range Rover Evoques commissioned by RaBe Race Cars.

On the surface, the vehicle does look like the Evoque, but pretty much everything about the luxury SUV has been stripped down to accommodate for its run in Dakar, including a different kind of engine that was added to make it rally-spec.

Instead of the typical 240-horsepower, 2.0-liter Si4 turbocharged engine that you can find under the Evoque, these rally-tuned versions carry a BMW-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six diesel engine that produces 275 horsepower and 480 lb/ft of torque mated. These engines are mated to a ZF six-speed transmission and equipped with special BF Goodrich desert tires.The RaBe-commissioned Evoque rally racers will be driven by three British drivers from the British Excite Rally Raid Team, consisting of Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley, and John Hardy.