German Car Scene

Dakar: Sainz Keeps VW On Top

Posted 12th January, 2007 in Volkswagen | Leave a comment

Volkswagen’s Touareg, maintained its domination at the head of the leader board after six of the Dakar Rally’s 15 stages. World Rally legend Carlos Sainz and his co-driver Michel Périn lead the Dakar Rally for the fourth day in succession.

On the extremely fast stage from Tan Tan in Morocco to Zouérat in Mauritania, at 817 kilometres also the longest of the rally, Sainz recorded the fourth fastest time. Under these conditions the buggies were able to exploit their weight and power advantages granted to them by the regulations– the American Robby Gordon won from the Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser. The third fastest time went to Giniel de Villiers in a Volkswagen Race Touareg. The South African and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz clawed back 25 seconds from the overall leader and now lie second 3:11 minutes behind Sainz.

The Portuguese-German duo Carlos Sousa/Andreas Schulz still hold third position in the Lagos Team Race Touareg 2, who recorded the sixth fastest stage time. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/South Africa) from the Volkswagen factory team completed the stage 12:38 minutes behind in ninth position and, in doing so, improved their overall position by two places to eighth on the tough stage, which saw several top teams tumble down the leader board. Ari Vatanen/Fabrizia Pons (Finland/Italy) reached the finish in 56th place even though they could only drive their Race Touareg in second gear and after having stopped to help Guerlain Chicherit (France), who had had an accident, and after towing his BMW team mate Jutta Kleinschmidt (German) to the finish.

Sainz remarked “The stage ran absolutely perfectly for us, I’m really pleased. It wasn’t easy to forge a path through the camel grass, since the motorbikes had taken a completely different path that was hardly drivable for cars. The first 180 kilometres were very fast, followed by sandy section and then dunes again. I hope things can continue in this vane for Michel and I and naturally for Volkswagen as well.”

[Source: VW]