Unfortunate circumstances plagued Team Hummer this afternoon in the dune sections of Stage 3. The team had first thought that the these set of dunes would be a good stage for the Hummers but due to a smaller restrictor cutting the horsepower down, the Hummers couldn’t carry the momentum needed to get through the heavy sand that was featured during Stage 3. Robby Gordon said his Hummer won’t run the dunes in 2nd gear and for that reason he got stuck and lost valuable time to the leaders. Robby Gordon talked about his performance during Stage 3, “I feel we are at a major disadvantage when it comes to restrictors. My top speed is about 165mph and the Volkswagens’ are going 190mph. Plus my Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Hummer needs to carry extra weight because of the fuel mileage we get. The sand dunes in this stage needed the car to have forward momentum to get through them. I would run up and try to come down and get stuck. For tomorrow we’ll move on and drive again.”
Robby Gordon would end up in 12th place in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Hummer for the stage and now 1 hour and 4 minutes down to the overall leader in 9th place. Stage 4 is set from Fiambala to Copiapo, a liaison for 394 kilometers and a special that will be 203 kilometers. Another 32 kilometer liaison back to the bivouac in total distance of 629 kilometers. The first car is set to leave the bivouac at 6:05 am with the special starting at 12:05 pm local time.(RGM), for more info, past news, TV and internet coverage info, see my #7 Team News and Links page.(1-5-2010)
