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VW TOUAREGS TAKE THE DAKAR AGAIN
Carlos Sainz & Lucas Cruz, Volkswagen Race Touareg 2
Photo: courtesy audi-motorsport.info

Wolfsburg (16 January 2010). Triumphant title defence in South America: Volkswagen has won the legendary Dakar Rally for the second time in succession and including 1980 for a third time.

After a ’showdown in blue’ the Volkswagen duos and their TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one two three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge worldwide in motorsport. In the process, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of his team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 kilometre sprint on the 14th and final rally day. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) claimed third position. Last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team. It’s stunning what the drivers, co-drivers and the entire team have achieved on every single day of the Dakar Rally. With this one two three triumph Volkswagen Motorsport even surpassed its own lofty goals,” says Dr. rer. pol. h. c. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at VOLKSWAGEN AG for procurement, at the finish of the final stage. Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explains: “Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the ‘Dakar’ title won last year. Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world’s hardest rally up to now with diesel technology. The Volkswagen drivers fought amongst themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag - sometimes by hard but fair means. This is exactly how we imagine motorsport to be. My congratulations therefore go to every Volkswagen duo who would all have been worthy winners.”

>>>>>Read all the latest and final results of the DAKAR in our RolfsRacing.com 2010 DAKAR Page.

60 tons of material, 17 support vehicles - Volkswagen’s “Dakar” crew embarked on its voyage across the Atlantic ocean to South America.

The winning team of the past Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile will tackle the title defence project from 02 to 16 January 2010 by fielding five Volkswagen Race Touareg vehicles. To successfully master the challenge of the world’s toughest rally Carlos Sainz, Giniel de Villiers and company will be supported on location by a service crew consisting of some 80 members. In Le Havre, France, five service trucks, three equipment trucks and two race trucks of the Volkswagen factory team set out on the longest part of the journey, the roughly four week passage to Buenos Aires in Argentina. The cargo ship Grande Brasile that takes the equipment to the starting location was loaded the day before.

“For Volkswagen the preparation for the Dakar Rally entered its hot phase as early as at the end of September. Today the cargo loading and embarkation of the support crew marked the completion of another stage for the team,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “And of course every successful completion of these individual steps makes us look forward to the ‘Dakar’ in Argentina and Chile, which as the title defender we want to again decide in our favour, with even greater anticipation. Today, a major portion of the logistical effort was accomplished.”

The Grande Brasile and its precious cargo: joint passage of all participants

Dakar Rally organiser A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation) made it possible for all European participants to transport their material to South America by ship by centrally organising the voyage. The Grande Brasile carries a major portion of the material of the total of 373 participating teams in its bowels.

On 28 December - exactly 27 days after the Grande Brasile’s departure - the teams will receive their trucks and other support vehicles again, including six Volkswagen Panamericana Multivans that will transport the Volkswagen crew through South America. For the roughly 80 team members work will then start on location: Immediately after clearing customs the support vehicles will be checked again. On 29 and 30 December they will undergo scrutineering, just like the actual rally vehicles. Every vehicle has to prove that the required modifications - from safety features all the way to sufficient water supply - were made. On 01 January when the starting signal is given at the ceremonial “Dakar” start the armada will embark on its tour of Argentina and Chile.

>>>>>Read all the News in our RolfsRacing.com News Page.

Volkswagen will again participate in the legendary Dakar Rally in 2010. After the one-two victory and the historic first “Dakar” triumph of a diesel-powered car this year, the automobile manufacturer from Wolfsburg will yet again take on one of the major challenges of international motorsport. “No doubt, the 2009 Dakar Rally contributed to the fact that the Volkswagen brand is now shining even brighter around the world,” said Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Volkswagen Group, on the occasion of the “Dakar” victory celebration at the Wolfsburg “Autostadt”. “Therefore, our participation in this event is a good investment in the future of our company and that’s why we decided to again compete in the Dakar Rally in 2010.”

In the Race Touareg powered by a 280-hp TDI diesel engine Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (RSA/D) had won the “Dakar” that was staged for the first time in South America; as the runners-up, Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/RSA) gave Volkswagen a one-two victory. In 2010, the Dakar Rally will be held in Argentina and Chile again, from 02 to 17 January.”

“Besides our joy about this sporting exploit, the positive response by media around the world convinced us,” said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Executive Board of the Volkswagen Brand with responsibility for Technical Development including the manufacturer’s motorsport commitment. “Our ‘Dakar’ win stands for enormous reliability and innovative technology - and these are values which substantially stand for all Volkswagen vehicles. Particularly in TDI technology, the development activities for motorsport result in valuable synergies benefiting our production vehicles as well,” commented Dr Ulrich Hackenberg.

Preparations for the two-week cross-country rally covering 9,500 kilometres across the desert and the pampas have already started. “We’ve got quick drivers, a reliable car and an experienced team - in other words, everything we need to again contest the ‘Dakar’ and to fight for victory,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. That is why in 2010 the victorious Race Touareg 2 will compete in the event yet again.
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