The Dakar 2009 Race Report (Stage 13, January 16)

Steady driving to maintain our positions.

La Rioja to Cordoba
Connection 485 km, SS 220 km, Connection 47 km, Total: 753 km

The course on the 16th was from La Rioja to Cordoba. Tomorrow the Dakar 2009 will reach its final destination in Buenos Aires. In today’s course, originally scheduled to be a 545-km SS, as the last long SS in the final phase, the start was shifted to CP4, at the 324 km point, due to adverse road conditions created by the recent rain. So the SS distance was shortened to about 220 km. No more sand surfaces -- mainly hard mud pistes. As in the high-speed stage full of twists and turns used for the WRC Argentina Rally, it was a slippery and risky course for camions. The two Hino 500 Series vehicles of Hino Team Sugawara, safely recovered from the powertrain trouble they suffered on two consecutive days, drove a steady race through the SS. Car 2 came in 21st in the SS Camion division overall, and Car 1 finished in 34th place. These results positioned Car 2 in 2nd place among vehicles with an engine displacement of less than 10 liters. Both vehicles made steady progress toward finishing the rally. Cordoba, where the last bivouac in the rally was set up, is the state capital of Cordoba, and the second largest city in Argentina. The seven Hino mechanics are awaiting the vehicles at the bivouac set up on the site of a military flying school. They will promptly start conducting thorough inspections and servicing.

Yasushi Nakamura (Mechanic)
“As the vehicles will be kept in Parc-Fermes tomorrow, after our arrival, today’s service point will be the last. We will do our very best for a complete servicing, so that the vehicles can arrive at Buenos Aires without any trouble.”
 

Mechanics discussing the final servicing.