Paris-Dakar Rally - Research Paper Example

Paris-Dakar Rally ABSTRACT With time contemporary motorsports are gaining more and more popularity. Whether racing or just for fun, the demand for motorsports has significantly raised in the past decade. Keeping the adverse affects of the pollution caused by these motorsports, the athletes yearn for a more isolated space in order to carry out their past time without contributing to the degradation of the environment. Efforts have been made to provide a secluded area for motor sporting in landscapes such as deserts and the Dakar Rally is an example. It has been brought to light that the danger of off-road motorsports may catch on and result in rash on-road driving causing fatalities may result due to the widespread of the sport. Introduction Dakar rally which was formerly known as Paris-Dakar Rally is a motorsport rally organized by Amaury Sports Organization which came to exist is 1978. Although it is named ‘Rally’, this event is organized off road hence called ‘Rally Raid’. Having a much more difficult terrain than usual rallies, the athletes make use of off-road vehicles instead of the on-road modified vehicles. Origin This idea was originally conceived when Thierry Sabine went missing in the desert (Libyan) on his motorbike during another rally (Abidjan-Nice). Thierry returned to France after being saved, still entranced with the beauty of the landscape he had been lost in and wished to let know his allure with the world. In his fascination, Thierry sought a route that started in Europe and finished in Dakar while crossing Algiers and Agadez on the way. The motto for this inspiration was chipped in by the founder “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.” (Edwards & Harden, 2006). This plan rapidly started showing progress due to the madness factor of its creator which essentially is the key ingredient to all great notions. Hence, Dakar or Paris-Dakar Rally, a unique in itself motorsport, that never fails to add to the adventure and challenges every fiber of your existence, came into being. The Rally has now continued for around 30 years and has produced numerous sporting events and stories. History 1979: The Trocadero This first Rally took place on December 26, 1978 in du Trocadéro to be carried into Dakar making a grand total of 10,000 Kilometers worth of journey. 74 trail-blazers reached Senegalese capital while Cyril Neveu was the opening entry and made it on the honours list of the rally, on a Yamaha 500XT. 1981: Adventures The Paris-Dakar Rally was an instant his with the public instigating a sense of minimalistic adventure where one could see Hondas and Yamaha’s all cobbled in the garage together (Edwards & Harden, 2006). There were also seen Rolls- Royce Thierry de Montcorgé's and the Jacky Ickx who happened to be the F1 driver of Citroen CX, alongside Claude Brasseur. 1983: The Tenere As fascinating as it was to be rallying in Tenere desert, the contestants found themselves equally as terrified regarding the eminent sandstorms which could result in the drivers losing control over their vehicles. Another factor was the elephantine nature of the desert, where once lost, it could take days to find your way. 1986: The black year The founder of Dakar Rally Thierry Sabine, radio technician Jean-Paul Le Fur, journalist Nathaly Odent along with French singer Daniel Balavoine,and pilot François Xavier-Bagnoud were in a helicopter accident and did not make it. (Boorman & Uhlig, 2006) Their ashes were scattered, and the race went on but no one really got into the spirit of it, it was a black year. 1988: Peugeot Returns The defender of the last year Peugeot, who had made a debut full of success was to defend the title this year, with over 600 other vehicles enrolled, starting from Versailles. The ultimate shock was when Ari Vatanen’s 405 Turbo 16 went missing with which he was to lead the rally at Bamako, when it was found it had been too late. Nevertheless, with the help of Juha Kunkunnen he emerged triumphant. 1991: Peterhansel Era The Stephane Peterhansel era was marked by a blue bandana young motorcyclist who had first been spotted in the rally 3 years ago riding his Yamaha to triumph. Meanwhile in the four wheelers Finn Ari Vatanen triumph which happened to be his fourth title and made a record which is yet to be broken. 1992: Into the South The task for this year’s rally was to cross continent of Africa, going from the northern part to southernmost tip. Named The Paris-Cape rally, it consisted of 22 stages that required passing through 10 different countries stretching over a vast area of 12,427 kilometers. (Organisation, 2014) The victor was Hubert Auriol who was also the one driver to be victorious in both bike and car category. 1995: Viva Espana A change was witnessed, this rally was held not in France but instead was hosted in Grenada, Spain. Once again, Huber Auriol and Stephane Peterhansel faced off where Pererhansel was successful in claiming his third victory. 2000: The Buggy in Cairo Marking the new century, Dakar decided to opt for a different route with its finish with the Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt in Gizeh Pyramids. The unusual thing about this year was that that the victor was Jean-Louis Schelesser, being victorious on a buggy (the only person to do so), with the bike category being retained by Richard Sainct. 2001: Miss Dakar A first female stage winner, Jutta Kleinschmidt was witnessed in 1998 in a nuggy and carried on to become the first victorious female in the whole event with her Mitsubishi. 2005: A blue bike at the summit Cyril Despres the motorcyclist decided to dedicate his victory to his mates who had lost their lives during the Pharaoh’s rally, Richard Sainct, and Fabrizio Meoni. The victors’ two teammates had paid with their lives along with Juan-Manuel Perez in a fall to death. 2007: Peterhansel’s Journey to 9 This year at Lisbon with a total of 85 trucks, 181 teams with cars, 231 bikes and 14 car squads. Stephane Peterhansel claimed his 9th victory at Dakar making him a man of all seasons. Peterhansel bagged a total of six triumphs on bike and three on fourwheelers. (Organisation, 2014) 2008: Security Measures As a security measure the 2008 rally was cancelled following the murders of citizens, who had French origins, and potential terrorist attack threats that were directly to be posed on the rally. Hence, on the evening of when the rally had to start, the cancellation of the event was announced by Etienne Lavigne. Even though the cancellation was protested by the contenders, the merit of the call was proven following a terrorist attack a few weeks later in Louakchott. The Vehicles Trucks The trucks were introduced to the Dakkar Rally in 1989 and those participating were of class T4 which were previously a separate brand. These trucks are made up of machinery that weighs 3,500 Kg and more. These trucks are divided into: Series Production Trucks (T4.1), Modified trucks (T4.2) and T4.3 group previously known as T5. While Kamaz has dominated the truck category he has had fairly close rivals such as Iveco, MAN and Tatra, having succeeded in 1990s. Cars In the car category all vehicles must weigh less than 3,500 kg, anything more than this value happens to fall into the truck category. The cars are further subdivided into: T1 (Improved cross country vehicles), T2 (Cross country series production Vehicles) and T3 (light vehicles) and the fourth category being ‘open’. Among the most successful cars in the rally are Mini; Mitsubishi is said to be the most successful manufacturer since Citroen, Peugeot, Porsche and Volkswagen, having all tasted success in the past. Among other four wheelers are the buggies by SMG and Damen Jafferies. Quads Quads are a spinoff of motorbikes which came into being after 2009. Quads are designated three subgroups: 3.1 two wheelers with a single cylinder engine and max capacity of 750cc, 3.2 four-wheelers with max engine capacity of 900cc. Yamaha are the unbeatables of the rally. Bikes In 2014 it was imposed that all bikes in the rally must be 450cc with either single or twin cylindrical engines, divided into two groups: 1 Elite, and 2 Non-Elite. The divisions are further subdivided into: 2.1 Super Production, 2.2 Marathon. Social Issues Concerning Dakar Rally All though the Dakar rally provides entertainment to hundreds, there are quite a few social issues that surround it. For years this rally has been carried out in different places with different hosts and in 2014 it passed through Bolivia. It has been brought to light that not all people are too happy about the rally, no matter how much it means to the contenders and the fans. It has been reported that “Chile's Council of National Monuments evaluated 283 historical sites, and deemed 44.5% had been affected by the 2011 race.” (Watts, 2014). The rally has been challenged in the courts by Chilean Government which was denied due to lack of evidence. However, the guardian reports to have confirmed the damage to protected sites, burial ground geoglyphs etc. Other than the court appeal, conservational parties and archeologists have time and again tried to get the rally blocked as per right of ‘uncontaminated environment’; however, they have yet met no success. (Watts, 2014). There have been numerous protests against the rally which have been subsided by the Chilean sports minister stressing that the Dakar Rally is the only sport with excessive protective measures. Many promises have been made by the organizers to help conserve the environment by marking historical sites and measures like installing fences but the difficulty of keeping track of every car prevails. The protests against Dakar rally are not new; they have been a part of the whole process since 1978 in Africa when several damages and fatal road accidents were reported. Evidence in form of pictures of racers causing damage to the sites has been provided to the Chilean government by conservationists but they are not deemed ‘sufficient evidence’. Conclusion Although the Dakar Rally may be a source of enjoyment to many, it is however allegedly involved in the destruction and degradation of our environment. Though asking to stop it all together might not be the best or most practical idea, the promises made by its organizers, of trying to do damage control as far as possible must be materialized. The loss and damage of lives and historical lands marks every year with such regularity will inevitably end up causing irreplaceable damage and will infuriate the citizens of the respective host countries. Motorsports although must continue, need to be made safer and more environment friendly. References Boorman, C., & Uhlig, R. (2006). Race to Dakar (1st ed.). London: Time Warner Books. Edwards, J., & Harden, S. (2006). Chasing Dakar (1st ed.). Springfield, VA: Goodway Graphics. Lines, P., Latino, F., & Reiche, A. (2014). Peru Investigating Instances Of Looting And Other Activities Threatening Nazca Lines. Fox News Latino. Retrieved 28 July 2014, from http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2014/07/25/peru-investigating-instances-looting-and-other-activities-threatening-nazca/ Nauright, J., & Parrish, C. (2012). Sports around the world (1st ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. Organisation, A. (2014). Official website of the Dakar rally raid. Dakar.com. Retrieved 28 July 2014, from http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html Watts, J. (2014). Chile's Dakar Rally criticised by greens, archaeologists and indigenous groups. the Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/chile-dakar-rally-protests-archaeologists-indigenous-groups-environmentalists Read More