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SA Rangers hot for Dakar 2013 start

ROSARIO, Argentina – There’s still a day to go before the official start of the 2014 Dakar Rally from this the host city but Team Ford Racing is geared up for its event debut.

The crew from Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) in South Africa and South Racing in Europe arrived in Argentina on December 29 and spent four days preparing their two Ranger bakkies, T4 race truck, two assistance trucks and five Ranger support vehicles at Ford’s Pacheco Plant in Buenos Aires.

This included packing 12 tonnes of spares, tools, equipment and 112 Michelin race tyres in the support trucks, and ensuring the race cars are in perfect condition to tackle the continent-crossing 9300 km route.

FORMALITIES OVER

On Friday (Jan 3 2014) the team travelled 300km to Rosario, the administrative centre for the start and the first news media conference for Team Ford Racing.

During the course of Saturday all formal documentation and scrutineering will be completed, followed by the opening ceremony for Dakar Rally 2014 in the Rosario city centre at 3.30pm (local time).

Scott Abraham, South Racing’s team manager, told Wheels24: “It’s been a mammoth task getting all the vehicles ready but everybody’s done a great job and we are well prepared.”

Neil Woolridge said the drivers were relishing the opportunity to get behind the wheel for Stage 1.

“Lucio Alvarez and Chris Visser each had a final test before we left Buenos Aires and are delighted with their vehicles. We’ve done extensive work and improvements on the Rangers in the build-up to Dakar and Lucio commented that he couldn’t believe it was the same truck he first tested in Namibia in September 2013.”

The drivers and navigators, he added, were “in really good shape and have been preparing physically”.

The high-adrenalin Dakar Rally 2014 will start on Sunday January 5 from Rosario to San Luis over 809km - 629km a road section and 180km at competition speeds.

Bookmark Wheels24's special Dakar Rally section to keep up with event news and results.

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