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With the first two days of the 2013 Dakar Rally in South America behind them, South Africans Johan van Staden and Mike Lawrenson (KEC McRae MC-4RS) are still in the world’s longest and toughest 4x4 race despite experiencing a few problems in the sand dunes of Peru.
The 13km opening special stage was not much more than a brief prologue for seasoned Dakar competitors, but for some of the less experienced crews it turned out to be a brutal wake-up call for the long and arduous 4200km journey that lie ahead in the next two weeks.
LOST TIME
Van Staden and Lawrenson, runners-up in the 2012 South African Off-Road championship in the special vehicle category, arrived just a minute before their start time and were unable to lower their tyre pressures after the 250km liaison stage from Lima to Pisco.
As a result they battled in the soft sand that characterised the stage and lost time when they got stuck. An oil pressure problem in the McRae’s 3.0 turbo-diesel BMW engine meant they only had 40% of their engine power.
They eventually finished 141st in the car category, 14min11 seconds behind the stage winners, 2010 Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz of Spain and Jean Paul Cottret of France in a Buggy.
After fixing the engine problem overnight in the bivouac in Pisco, they started near the back of the 151-car field and were confronted with the first real test of the 2013 Dakar – a 242km special stage in soft, deep sand and dunes near Pisco in temperatures that reached 40 degrees Centigrade.
Van Staden said: “It was a really tough day. We got stuck in the sand on three separate occasions and lost around 40 minutes altogether. We also had fuel pressure problems which delayed us even further.”
They brought the 4x4 McRae home in 103rd place, 3hr47 min behind stage winners Sainz and Cottret and now lie 106th overall in the car category, 4hr30min behind the leaders.
'BIGGER CHALLENGES'
Van Staden said: “We’re finding our first Dakar as tough as we expected, but we’ve had a few early problems with the car and hope that once these are sorted out, we’ll be able to concentrate on improving our driving and navigation skills in the sand and prepare ourselves for the bigger challenges that await us in the days ahead.
"There’s still a long way to go and Mike and I are in good spirits and determined to be at the finish in Santiago on January 20.”
The third stage sees entrants driving from Pisco to Nazca abd includes a 100km liaison section before a 243km special stage.
Wheels24 will be following the 'Dakar' rally throughout the race. Keep up with things on our Dakar Rally section.
The 13km opening special stage was not much more than a brief prologue for seasoned Dakar competitors, but for some of the less experienced crews it turned out to be a brutal wake-up call for the long and arduous 4200km journey that lie ahead in the next two weeks.
LOST TIME
Van Staden and Lawrenson, runners-up in the 2012 South African Off-Road championship in the special vehicle category, arrived just a minute before their start time and were unable to lower their tyre pressures after the 250km liaison stage from Lima to Pisco.
As a result they battled in the soft sand that characterised the stage and lost time when they got stuck. An oil pressure problem in the McRae’s 3.0 turbo-diesel BMW engine meant they only had 40% of their engine power.
They eventually finished 141st in the car category, 14min11 seconds behind the stage winners, 2010 Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz of Spain and Jean Paul Cottret of France in a Buggy.
After fixing the engine problem overnight in the bivouac in Pisco, they started near the back of the 151-car field and were confronted with the first real test of the 2013 Dakar – a 242km special stage in soft, deep sand and dunes near Pisco in temperatures that reached 40 degrees Centigrade.
Van Staden said: “It was a really tough day. We got stuck in the sand on three separate occasions and lost around 40 minutes altogether. We also had fuel pressure problems which delayed us even further.”
They brought the 4x4 McRae home in 103rd place, 3hr47 min behind stage winners Sainz and Cottret and now lie 106th overall in the car category, 4hr30min behind the leaders.
'BIGGER CHALLENGES'
Van Staden said: “We’re finding our first Dakar as tough as we expected, but we’ve had a few early problems with the car and hope that once these are sorted out, we’ll be able to concentrate on improving our driving and navigation skills in the sand and prepare ourselves for the bigger challenges that await us in the days ahead.
"There’s still a long way to go and Mike and I are in good spirits and determined to be at the finish in Santiago on January 20.”
The third stage sees entrants driving from Pisco to Nazca abd includes a 100km liaison section before a 243km special stage.
Wheels24 will be following the 'Dakar' rally throughout the race. Keep up with things on our Dakar Rally section.
