Team Hummer celebrated New Year’s Eve by completing scrutineering. Teams from all over the world gathered at the Buneos Aires convention center to get race vehicles, support and assistance trucks along with press cars inspected for the 2010 Dakar Rally. It was a sight to be seen as Team Hummer gathered their flight of vehicles and paraded down to the convention center. With Robby Gordon in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Hummer leading the way, the crowd cheered and awed as he led the team through the streets of Buenos Aires. Upon arrival at scrutineering , other teams and competitors in the Dakar Rally were amazed by Team Hummer’s Freightliner support trucks. This was the first time that the public have seen them up close and personal. The support trucks are significantly longer and lower than the standard chase or support truck. They feature 4 doors on a Freightliner cab with hydraulic steps, leather seats, King off-road shocks and air suspension. With the massive support trucks and Hummer H3s parked outside of the convention center, fans and competitors alike all stopped to take pictures. Scrutineering can be a long process as teams have to go through checklists with the organization. Team Hummer was the final team to go through inspection and by the end of the day every vehicle had made it through with no issues. This was the first step to lead Team Hummer on the road to a Dakar Rally victory.(RGM)
AND Thousands gathered at the Obelisk in the center of the Argentine capital to watch the symbolic start of the Dakar Rally, a 215-mile drive to the city of Colon on Friday. The real racing on the 5,600-mile journey across Argentina and Chile begins on Saturday for more than 350 cars, motorbikes, quads and trucks, with the finish set for Jan. 16 back in Buenos Aires. The rally was moved to South America in 2009 because of safety concerns and the possibility of a terrorist attack in Africa. Organizers said Friday that 362 vehicles passed scrutineering — 134 cars, 151 motorbikes, 25 quads and 52 trucks. However, the field was reduced by one after the bike of Argentina’s Javier Pizzolito caught fire.(AP/ESPN), for more info, coverage info, see my #7 Team News and Links page.(1-2-2010)
