Everything is lethal and deadly in Australia!! Im telling ya, Im happy I made it home in 1 piece and will make sure to fumicate my bike when it arrives in France!
I think an Aussie rally sounds great. I don't know anything about the country but Sydney to Perth sounds like a great point to point and is *plenty* long enough - especially if you traipsed up into the Northern Territory.
It seems that only group of people with spirit, will and world wide coverage to organize such grass-roots Rally race are right here. F5.Rally Association.
Inner Australia...draw 50 mile radius around every city...what is left is inner...has very little in the way of anyone to complain about a rally going through.
That's the simplistic versiuon of it (like the USA... Oz does have it's fair share of gov't departments, conservation authorities and political activists to placate also)... but pretty much... yeah. It's not so simple as it once was in Africa (and it's not that way any longer either for that matter) but I don't think that logistically it is any less feasable than Sth America, or anywhere else in the world really (there are environmental/government issues almost everywhere to consider in this day and age). The BIG plus for Sth America is that currently ASO and their partners have created a great public awarenes, generated big sponsor support and have the various national governments opening their wallets to attract/back the race up. THAT is what has helped make "El dakaro" the success it's been, as well as the fantastic landscapes the rally has traversed in it's 4 editions there.
Dakar Rally Eyes Long Stay In South America A few excerpts: "the organization plans to continue to hold the off-road race in Latin American in the coming years. 'In the first place, because they've received us very well and have given us all the facilities. But also because it's inconceivable at the moment to go back to Africa,' Etienne Lavigne said. "The director also referred to talks underway with Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Ecuador to incorporate those countries into the race, which currently spans Argentina, Chile and Peru." The article said that the 2012 Dakar brought Argentina, Chile and Peru about $350 million.
Start in California: south down Baja Cross over to Mainland Maxico from LaPaz Head south thru Central America into South America
Cali wouldn't work Their carb,epa, tree huggers Can't have loud race engines and exhaust Kinda joking but would cali let a race like that through
I've already got roadbooks that go from Vegas all the way to the boarder, about 800 miles, almost 100% dirt. Too bad they couldn't take that route! With the commonplace long liaisons in Dakar, they could start in the Coliseum in Los Angeles or even the Luxor parking lot in Vegas and make their way to the Mexican boarder where the Special would start. Maybe throw in a short bit of a prolog in the dirt while passing through Primm! I wonder how many donuts Robby could do between those concrete lion things in front of the Luxor? I think there's no road through the South part of Panama into Columbia, so they would have to take a boat to get into South America, or finish at the Panama Canal (easy loading everything on the boat for trip back home).
NZ, Australia and China aside, why did they decide that ALL the Dakar has to go thru desert?? It doesn't have to be all rocks and fesh-fesh in order to be the "Ironman of Motorsports" and keep the original goal of the Dakar! South America has some INCREDIBLE geography in the interior! I'm not talking about getting bogged down in the Amazon, but by god, let's not make every stage in a desert just because the logo is of a Toureg! Let's think back to the Camel or the Dominator series! Would a little real dirt (or clay) be so bad for the Dakar image?? :eek1
The vehicles aren't really designed for muddy jungle terrain....just saying....not that it wouldn't be a cool twist to the race
