TEAM DAKAR USA TEAM Announces Support Team led by Navigator Andy Grider, SCORE Desert Racing Champion Tom Geviss, RGM Co-Driver Greg Till, RGM Veteran Roger Willis, SCORE Class 10 Veteran Will Higman and many others

SCORE Baja 1000 Winner - Robby Gordon, Leads American Desert Racers to Conquer Africa in 8,708 Kilometer Race

Orange, California (December 15, 2006) - For months, fans and off road racers alike have speculated as to who made the final list for Robby Gordon's TEAM DAKAR USA team. After experiencing the difficult challenges of the 2006 Dakar Rally, TEAM DAKAR USA went in search of the most talented industry professionals in off road racing.

Seeking out dedicated team members who can commit to months of weekends and late nights is not an easy task in itself, let alone those same team members will be racing in Africa for nearly thirty days. It's not your average desert racer who can take off to Africa for nearly a month.

Navigating in the right seat of the H3 Race Hummer is Dakar Rally Motorcycle Veteran - Andy Grider. Recently, Grider had the opportunity to join Gordon in the first half of the SCORE Baja 1000, which Gordon captured victory. Grider's tremendous experience navigating in his three Dakar Rally adventures while racing a motorcycle provides him key insight to this upcoming African journey.

The Dakar is a race, the toughest rally in the World: over two weeks of hard work and thousands of kilometers over various tracks. Each year since 1979, crews including men and women, enjoy an intense rivalry in the middle of the desert. The final result always rewards an incredible winner. Indeed, more than elsewhere, success on a Dakar comes from a synthesis between performance, determination and regularity.

Beyond the borders of victory, the real essence of a Dakar is the challenge. A competitor battles both with the others but also with himself, in a context where humility is just as important as going beyond oneself. With objectives that match their capabilities, the candidates in this adventure have in common this search for balance.

In 2007, the rally will start for the second time of its history in Portugal. The race will then head through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.

Joining Robby Gordon and TEAM DAKAR USA in their quest to capture the difficlut Dakar Rally win is the following

Race Hummer H3

ROBBY GORDON Driver
ANDY GRIDER Navigator

4x4 Mann Race Support

TOM GEVISS Driver
PAUL MISCHEL Navigator/Mechanic
WILLIAM HIGMAN Mechanic

6x6 Unimog

ROGER WILLIS Driver
GREGG TILL Navigator
NEVILLE SHARPE Mechanic

4x4 Unimog

ROBBY MASCHHAUPT Driver
DANIEL LARSON Navigator/Mechanic
JOHN TONDRO Mechanic

H1 Support

BHARAT NARAN Driver
CURT NICOLITZ Mechanic
JAMES LIN Electrical
BRYAN MATHEWS Fabricator

H1 Media

KYLE ROBBINS Driver
DWIGHT WOODBRIDGE Support
RUSS O'BLENES Support

 

 

Previous DAKAR Rally Winners:

Year Motorbike Car Truck
2006 Coma (KTM) Alphand/Picard (MIT) Tchaguine/Yakoubov/Savostine (KAM)
2005 Despres (KTM) Peterhansel/Cottret (MIT) Kabirov/Belyaev/Mokeev (KAM)
2004 Roma (KTM) Peterhansel/Cottret (MIT) Tchaguine/Yakoubov/Savostine (KAM)
2003 Sainct (KTM) Masuoka/Schulz (MIT) Tchaguine/Yakoubov/Savostine (KAM)
2002 Meoni (KTM) Masuoka/Maimon (MIT) Tchaguine/Mardeev/Savostine (KAM)
2001 Meoni (KTM) Kleinschmidt/Schulz (MIT) Loprais/Kalina (TAT)
2000 Sainct (BMW) Schlesser/Magne (SCH) Tchaguine/Yakoubov/Savostine (KAM)
1999 Sainct (BMW) Schlesser/Monnet (SCH) Loprais/Kalina/Stachura (TAT)
1998 Peterhansel (YAM) Fontenay/Picard (MIT) Loprais/Stachura/Cermak (TAT)
1997 Peterhansel (YAM) Shinozuka/Magne (MIT) Reif/Deinhofer (HIN)
1996 Orioli (YAM) Lartigue/Prin (CIT) Moskovskikh/Kouzmine (KAM)
1995 Peterhansel (YAM) Lartigue/Prin (CIT) Loprais/Kalina/Stachura (TAT)
1994 Orioli (CAG) Lartigue/Prin (CIT) Loprais/Kalina/Stachura (TAT)
1993 Peterhansel (YAM) Saby/Serieys (MIT) Perlini/Albieio/Vinante (PER)
1992 Peterhansel (YAM) Auriol/Monnet (MIT) Perlini/Albieio/Vinante (PER)
1991 Peterhansel (YAM) Vatanen/Berglund (PEU) Houssat/De Saulieu/Bottaro (FRA)
1990 Orioli (CAG) Vatanen/Berglund (PEU) Villa/Delfino/Vinante (PER)
1989 Lalay (HON) Vatanen/Berglund (PEU)
1988 Orioli (HON) Kankkunen/Piironen (PEU) Loprais/Stachura/Ingmuck (TAT)
1987 Neveu (HON) Vatanen/Giroux (PEU) De Rooy/Geusens/Van (DAF)
1986 Neveu (HON) Metge/Lemoyne (POR) Vismara/Minelli (MER)
1985 Rahier (BMW) Zaniroli/Da Silva (MIT) Capito/Capito (MER)
1984 Rahier (BMW) Metge/Lemoyne (POR) Lalleu/Durce (MER)
1983 Auriol (BMW) Ickx/Brasseur (MER) Groine/De Saulieu/Malferiol (MER)
1982 Neveu (HON) Marreau/Marreau (REN) Groine/De Saulieu/Malferiol (MER)
1981 Auriol (BMW) Metge/Giroux (RAN) Villette/gabrielle/Voillerau (ALM)
1980 Neveu (YAM) Kotulinsky/Luffelman (VW) Ataquat/Boukrif/Kaola (SON)
1979 Neveu (YAM)

Sources: www.RobbyGordon.com and www.Dakar.com