X-RAID TEAM NEWS
For immediate release
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
MONSTER ENERGY X-RAID TEAM COMPLETES
FIRST TEST WITH MINI ALL4 RACING IN FRANCE
· All-new MINI All4 Racing runs for 300km in first trouble-free test at Le Creusot
TREBUR (Germany): The Monster Energy X-raid Team have completed a successful two-day test session with the new MINI All4 Racing at Le Creusot in France.
Driver Guerlain Chicherit and co-driver Michel Périn carried out the successful test on Monday, December 13th and Tuesday, December 14th, near Le Creusot, in the Saône-et-Loire department of the Burgundy region of France, south west of Dijon.
"After the short roll-out last Friday in Trebur, I was very excited to drive the car on the test track for the first time and was really content with everything,” enthused Chicherit, who finished fifth in the Dakar with the X-raid team in 2010. “The handling is excellent, the engine is very responsive and it is well balanced over jumps because of the improved centre of gravity.
“The view out of the car is much better than we were led to believe when the car was being built. Visibility is good and there is no disadvantage compared to the BMW X3CC.”
X-raid team director Sven Quandt was also pleased with the results of the first test session. “Altogether everything was optimistic and I am very happy that the car is finished and ready for the Dakar in such a short time. We carried out around 300km on the test track. The whole team is now looking forward to the world debut of the MINI in the Dakar Rally in January.”
The MINI All4 Racing will now be sent to South America by airfreight and Chicherit and Périn will give it its competitive debut on the 2011 Dakar Rally, starting on New Year’s Day in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Chicherit has been driving for the X-raid team since the 2006 Dakar Rally. In 2009, the former Extreme Skiing World Champion (1992, 2002, 2006 and 2007) won the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup for the first time and this marked the third victory of its kind for the X-raid team.
Co-driver Périn is one of the most experienced of all the Cross-Country co-drivers and was a three-time winner of the Dakar Rally with Frenchman Pierre Lartigue in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Technical specifications – MINI All4 Racing
Maximum power output 315 hp
Torque approx. 700Nm
Displacement 3,000cc
Length/width/height (mm) 4377/1994/1996
Fuel capacity approx. 420 litres
Ends
Further information and photos are available at www.x-raid.de or contact Stefanie Marquard/Thomas Quandt at X-raid GmbH, Tel: + 49 (0) 6147 204670, E-mail: s.marquard@x-raid.de and t.quandt@x-raid.de.