Corbett 24th in Dakar Rally
Mark Corbett pulled off a great achievement when he crossed the finish line of the Dakar Rally in the Peruvian capital Lima on Sunday afternoon.
Driving a privately-funded and privately-built, two-wheel-drive buggy powered by a V8 Toyota engine, Corbett and co-driver Francois Jordaan conquered the world's longest and toughest motor race at their first attempt together, finishing a remarkable 24th overall after 13 special stages and more than 4 000 kilometres of racing in Argentina, Chile and Peru.
The South African privateers started the ultra-marathon in Mar del Plata in Argentina on 1 January in 60th place and ran as high as 17th overall after special stage three in Argentina. The incessant punishment meted out by the harsh conditions took its toll over the 15 days. These included high-speed stages through desert scrubland, dry river beds and canyons, maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in the Atacama Desert and a high altitude (4 700 metres above sea level) crossing of the Andes Mountains in sub-zero temperatures.
The CR4 buggy stood up to the punishment remarkably well. Team manager Julien Hardy, designer of the car, was full of praise for the driver and co-driver as well as the small technical team of fellow South Africans that serviced the car at the end of each stage and prepared it for the next day's challenge.
"Words like 'relentless', 'gruelling', 'tough' and 'tenacity' take on a whole new meaning on the Dakar," said a delighted Corbett at the finish in the Plaza de Armas in Lima. "I've watched the Dakar Rally on television for many years and it's always been my dream to compete in this great race. It has been a privilege and an unforgettable experience. To finish the Dakar is an achievement all on its own, but to do so in our own car with our own support team is something of which I am immensely proud. We couldn't have done it without our wonderful back-up crew, which included my father, Ernest, and mother, Gaye. Francois did a great job of keeping us on the route, which was a difficult task with our having to find hidden waypoints each day. This has been almost a life-changing experience and I can't wait to come back and do it all again.
Four Wheel Drive Mini Buggies - News
Corbett and Jordaan competed in the two-wheel-drive class of the T1 car category and were classified fourth in the class and third among the petrol-engined cars. The event was won by France's Stephane Peterhansel in a four-wheel-drive, diesel Mini from
Overall leader after nine completed stages (stage six on January 6 was cancelled because of bad weather) and nearly 3 000 km of high-speed racing through the toughest of terrains is France's Stéphane Peterhansel in a turbo-diesel, four-wheel-drive Mini
The sedan comes in front- and all-wheel drive versions and employs new MacPherson-front and multilink-rear suspensions. It also gets a new electric power-steering system. A key Fusion competitor is the Honda Accord and that too is about to undergo a
“Then we had a second puncture and had to stop again; both of the buggies passed us, but we're not too concerned - there's still a long way to go. “Today's stage suited the four-wheel drive Class T cars. The scenery as we near the Andes Mountains is
Leading the rally at the halfway stage is the French pair of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean Paul Cottret in a four-wheel-drive Mini, who enjoy an 11-minute lead over team-mates Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland and Jean-Marc Fortin of Belgium.
