Dakar 2020: Trucks, Dust & Dunes traps

Red-Lined Nissans overcome desert race odds

South African team Red-Lined Motoring Adventures’ pair of locally developed and run Nissan Navara racers enjoyed a most challenging but ultimately fruitful run around the Saudi Arabian Desert oasis of Wadi Al Dawasir on Monday. Both South African TreasuryOne duo Hennie de Klerk and Johann Smalberger and Dubai-based British Sabertooth pair Thomas Bell and Patrick McMurran struggled with extreme dust as they overtook the racing trucks, and both had to dig their way out of the dune sand later on, but both also ended the day climbing further up the finishing order.

Bell and McMurran ended up 34th on the day to move up a place to 39th overall. “It was hell early on,” Thomas Bell confirmed. “We found ourselves amongst the trucks and they are so difficult to catch and pass, so it was quite frustrating, but then we enjoyed a good patch. “It was also tough in the dunes later on in the stage and we had to dig ourselves out once or twice, but for the rest, it was a good day, the car ran well and we climbed another place in spite of the challenges."

De Klerk and Smalberger meanwhile came home 31st as they moved two more places up the leaderboard to 31st overall, complaining about the same challenges, although de Klerk managed to fight off the trio of leading Kamaz trucks early on. “We have a top speed advantage, but those trucks have far more suspension travel so they can push much harder in the rough,” Hennie reported’ “So you won't believe how hard it is to pass a 140km/h truck with a 180km/h bakkie! “We made good time after that to climb up to 21st but lost most of it stuck in the sand later on, but still a decent day overall." 

“Both of our Red-Lined Nissans had true adventures in the Arabian Desert today,” team boss Terence Marsh concluded. “It is not easy to deal with those trucks and the dust but the guys pulled it off and we found three places overall between them. “There is however no time to rest — tomorrow is another major challenge and Wednesday is the first day of the marathon stage with no servicing overnight before two more hard days racing to the finish in Qiddiyah on Friday. “We cannot forget that Dakar can still very well bite, so best of luck to the guys into the final third of the race…"

Source Red-Lined Motoring Adventures