Dakar 2021 'Classic' race

[Mick W]

Dakar organisers have set up a 'classic' category (running parallel to the pro race) this year. Will be good to see some older motors taking up the challenge! Starts Jan 3....
5 of the 26 classic entries are Toyota
Image from 1993 race.

 

[Rodger]

Always watch the Dakar and we get reasonable coverage here in Spain, so I'm hoping that they will devote time to the classics. From what I've read so far, eligible vehicles must be competing vehicles from years gone by.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[Higgy]

Me too, Looking forward to what ever they have organised.. Still love watching the old 90's Stephane Peterhansel Days..... Top Bloke

 

[Bob]

Toyota have not been huge players in Dakar, although they have had good success in the production class, which tells a story in itself. Mitsubishi dominated with the race prepped machines for years, but since it left Africa, things haven't been the same

 

[Bob]

A diesel 90 among the 80 series entries.. while a full on build, seems to have most of the standard engine components looking at his Facebook pics

Linky

 

[qbartx]

Dakar was done for me when it left Africa, lost the spirit along with many teams that were there for the competition not cameras and advertising.
In T1 you can do just about anything with the car but with T2 options are very limited. General rule always was "if it looks genuine it is genuine" so we used to cut arms apart on the seam, reinforce inside and weld back together, also weld another plate to ball joint mounts so it was stronger but looks the same, funny business Even though scrutineering at big rallies is very strict many people try to cheat, especially with restrictors which are proper ball ache. If you get pricks doing it they even measure snorkel/air intake so you wouldn't have any ram air inductions.
America is out of reach to go and watch but if there would be more people up to it we could make a little trip to go see and follow Silk way rally?
To admit i've stopped even following an wathing it i didn't even know that it went to saudi arabia lol

 

[Mick W]

Russia/China/Mongolia? That would be a cool trip!

 

[Grimbo]

I'm in agreement but would include most "motor sport" .
I used to compete in Club Stage Rally events and spent all week living in/out of cars during the RAC Rally ... but hardly watch rallying on telly now.
All the cars look and sound the same and while no doubt being spectacularly fast they lack excitement and drama ....standing feet away from a Grp B Quattro or a 6R4 as it screams up a stage was/is an earth moving experience.... witness the popularity of the classic rally series where BDA engined Mk 2 Escorts and the like compete and those with massively deep pockets still get the old Grp B and A cars out ... they sound fantastic , look spectacular and while slower than the current WRC cars are much better to watch .
I ran a Manta , RWD Mk 4 Escort and TR7 V8 and as you say beating the scrutineer or interpreting the blue book was all part of the fun

Who remembers Dickie Davis and The World of Sport and the Rallycross series using either Grp B cars or specials or BDG etc engined Starlets etc .....proper racing ....

Hopefully Dakar will continue with the Trucks.... for me the best and most special of all the vehicles ..... 7 Tons , 1000 hp and 4WD is never going to be boring

 

[qbartx]

I don't work for any rally teams anymore so miss the life a bit but still get an odd phone call if i would like to go to africa for a few weeks do classic car safari rally etc. Obviously my answer is always yes I don't really enjoy watching it on telly but standing next to flying past hummer or any other baja type t1 scares the shit out of me even though i'm used to it lol Don't mind being in drivers seat on test runs though Last time i've been in Kenya there was few British teams, mostly porsches serviced by Tuthills but few escorts and couple of datsuns too

 

[Rodger]

This classic class was originally posted as being for ex-competing vehicles but reading the entry list that's not quite true, so don't expect to see a 959 Porsche but there is a 911 or the Renault 20 4wd but there is a Renault truck and so on. IMO the most realistic entries are the LCs - one of which has been a support vehicle several times. May be, if this class catches on, we will see more authentic vehicles from the past.

Restrictions allowing, we are going to try to get to the Andalucia Rally in 2021 which has the big teams involved and is a qualifier for the Dakar.

Agreed, the sounds of the Group B cars are unbeatable.

Regards,

Rodger

 

[qbartx]

I know our MAN service truck is ex dakar comp truck that would qualify but i didn't hear anything from them. This thing pulls low loader trailer with unimog and couple of T's like it was nothing. I would be up for going to that Andalucia rally, never heard about it, will do some research.

 

[Shayne]

I used to wonder what was so special about the Tour de France pushbike thing until my general view of sport "the richest team wins" crept up on me while it was on tv in an empty pub , the best man wins i guess .

 

[Bob]

100% agree on the rally feelings Grimbo.. there's a rally series run here still which uses Novas, Escorts, corollas,Sunny hatches, and even a couple of Darion D9s.. It runs the backroads around where I live, including my own. Nothing like the rasp of a car on the absolute limit on country lanes. WRC was fun in the Celica GT4 days, even the Imprezas at least looked like their road - going counterparts, even if they were very different underneath

 

[Bob]

Just for you Grimbo - from the front garden last year - we had a bbq with friends.. beer + bbq + rally = good

 

[Grimbo]

100% agree on the rally feelings Grimbo.. there's a rally series run here still which uses Novas, Escorts, corollas,Sunny hatches, and even a couple of Darion D9s.. It runs the backroads around where I live, including my own. Nothing like the rasp of a car on the absolute limit on country lanes. WRC was fun in the Celica GT4 days, even the Imprezas at least looked like their road - going counterparts, even if they were very different underneath

I remember being in the forests on the RAC and you could hear a Quattro coming for miles with the bangs and crackles then suddenly this monster would appear...... side ways, spitting flame , steam coming off the brakes and in the blink of an eye be gone down the stage..... next car would be a 6R4 again the anticipation as you could hear it miles away . I also may have rather fancied Michele Mouton ;-)

Even on club events you would hear a BDA engined Escort coming with big stabs of power keeping the tail out .... or the Manta's that would emit a low growl as they came out a corner until it got on cam and the twin 48's started to suck air and then fly....
My Manta is the only car I wish I had kept..... we did tarmac events and it was so quick on tarmac and so stable on yumps compared to the shorter Mk 4 Escort RWD

Feel a visit to Ireland coming on when we can .... the craik ....quick cars driven by quick drivers and on roads in your back yard ..... shame on UK government that they never allowed closed road events .... we used to have to fight to get cars through noise control in England then go to an event in Belgium and they would complain the car was too quiet...take the silencer off and drive with "bang bang" (anti lag ) on the road and want you to do doughnuts in the cobbled town square on parade night and all the locals would be sitting in their gardens watching at 03.00 drinking beer ..... the UK has always had an anti motorsport approach and many UK venues are closed by NIMBY's who moved in knowing it was a motorsport venue .

 

[Grimbo]

I used to wonder what was so special about the Tour de France pushbike thing until my general view of sport "the richest team wins" crept up on me while it was on tv in an empty pub , the best man wins i guess .

I reckon richest team wins holds good for any level sport ....the best cyclist in the world couldn't win the tour without a massive team around them....
We did tarmac stage events where guys had ex works cars and mega budgets ....we had self prepared cars serviced by mate or each other and our battles were for a class win.... or get into the top 10 maybe .

However it was noticeable the big money guys would pull out an event if they didn't look like getting top 5 places and were often sitting in their van looking grumpy while we were racing mates , would take a bit off our car so a competitor could finish an event or lend them spares help fix their car in service , spend most of the time laughing or taking the pi~~ out of each other.... in short we had fun ... that's what it was about....anything else was a bonus...we certainly had more fun than most of the guys who were desperate to win.... I think in many ways we were the winners and have a group of friends and stories that will always outlast the few trophy's I have

 

[chapel gate]

#googles Michele Mouton...#

 

[Gav missin]

One of the reasons I quit racing bangers. 3k race engines new tyres and weight balancing cars and me in a £20 Volvo. I'd flog the tyres if they were any good and put on baldys. Never changed an engine to race a car, and never raced the same banger twice. Some are spending weeks building bangers now welding changing engines and diffs for different tracks. Then when you drive into them they kick off. When it stopped being fun I stopped. Needless to say I never won a single race apart from one demo derby.

 

[Rodger]

They split the Spanish National Road Rally Championship into regions here and we've been lucky enough to have a couple of rounds starting in our town over the past few years. Not only do they have the modern stuff but they also have a 'classic' class so we get to hear and see Porsches, Triumph TR7 V8, Escort BDAs, Quattros and Renault Alpines (the proper ones!). Scrutineering in the town square, Parc ferme in the village hall that is open to spectators and all the teams are friendly and chatty. Bear in mind that down here in the mountains Armco is for sissies so much of the course has big drops if you get it wrong!

Regards,

Rodger

 

[mettisse]

I reckon richest team wins holds good for any level sport ....the best cyclist in the world couldn't win the tour without a massive team around them....
We did tarmac stage events where guys had ex works cars and mega budgets ....we had self prepared cars serviced by mate or each other and our battles were for a class win.... or get into the top 10 maybe .

However it was noticeable the big money guys would pull out an event if they didn't look like getting top 5 places and were often sitting in their van looking grumpy while we were racing mates , would take a bit off our car so a competitor could finish an event or lend them spares help fix their car in service , spend most of the time laughing or taking the pi~~ out of each other.... in short we had fun ... that's what it was about....anything else was a bonus...we certainly had more fun than most of the guys who were desperate to win.... I think in many ways we were the winners and have a group of friends and stories that will always outlast the few trophy's I have

100% Agree, As a youngster i rode motorcycle Trials, i was useless but had fun in exactly the same way and with all the usual suspects . do you know what? I still do have fun, however, my lovely wife has the “ competitive spirit “ the “ have to win” mentality, its no crime, but i much prefer where I am, its not a cop out either, its about the feeling of achieving a personal best. The question is ... if I had £loadsa would i become a member of the “have to win brigade”?
nah, Im happy where I am , in the loser brigade
But was happy to compete ( not now , old age is not a crime just an inconvenience)