2018 DAKAR RALLY
SOUTH RACING CAN-AM TEAM
Leg 7: La Paz – Uyuni
Special stage: 268km; Liaison sections: 666km
For immediate release
Saturday, January 13th 2018
STUNNING STAGE WIN ENABLES SOUTH RACING CAN-AM’S
VARELA TO EXTEND HIS SxS CATEGORY LEAD IN DAKAR RALLY
● Peruvian driver Uribe maintains second place with third fastest time
● Leonel Larrauri forced to wait for T4 assistance after damaging Maverick X3’s CVT
UYUNI (BOLIVIA): South Racing Can-Am Team’s Reinaldo Varela was in a class of his own and extended his overall lead in the SxS category of the Dakar Rally on the first half of the high-altitude Marathon stage between La Paz and Uyuni in Bolivia.
The Brazilian and his navigator Gustavo Gugelmin carded another fastest time of 6hrs 49min 31sec to lead the Peruvian duo of Juan Carlos Uribe and Javier Uribe Godoy by 1hr 15min 36sec. Both teams are running South Racing-built Can-Am Maverick X3s on the event for the first time. Uribe has additional support from Can-Am Perú, Alsol, Friopacking and Chiawel Agro and finished third on the day’s stage behind Frenchman Patrice Garrouste.
The Argentine duo of Leonel Larrauri and Fernando Imperatrice started the second week of the Dakar in eighth place in the overall rankings, once the first week’s times had been finalised, and Larrauri started the day’s special from fourth on the road.
The Dakar rookie was running as high as third through the checkpoint, WP3, before stopping with a damaged CVT (continuously variable transmission). He was forced to wait for the T4 support truck and was hopeful of making it into Uyuni late on Saturday evening once repairs had been made.
Heavy rain and thick mud made on-stage conditions extremely hazardous and a number of the leading front-runners in the car category lost time as a result. Several of the competitors in the SxS section were also badly delayed on what turned out to be another daunting day in tricky conditions on the Dakar.
Today and tomorrow
The first part of the Marathon stage took place across the high Bolivian plateau from La Paz to Uyuni, a regular stop on recent Dakar rallies. In a route of 727km, competitors tackled a special stage of 425km.
The day began with a liaison section at altitude from the rest day, via the towns of Patacamaya, Caracollo and Oruro, to the start of the special, before a short liaison guided teams into the Marathon night halt. The entire high-speed stage took place at over 3,700 metres above sea level with several tracks reaching in excess of 3,900 metres after the third passage control.
The second section of the Marathon stage will run from Uyuni to Tupiza and includes the longest special stage of the entire rally – 498km. The timed test includes stretches of high-altitude sand dunes and starts to the northeast of Uyuni and climbs as high as 4,800 metres above sea level before the fifth passage control.
What they said:
Scott Abraham, Managing Director, South Racing Can-Am Team
“It was another strong stage for Reinaldo and Gustavo. They did a great job on the first part of the Marathon stage. But there are still 400 long kilometres to go and, as we have seen, anything can happen. The goal is to bring the car home tomorrow. Unfortunately, Leo had an issue with the CVT and was waiting for the T4.”
2018 Dakar Rally – SS7 result (SxS category @01.30hrs CET):
1. Reinaldo Varela (BRA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) South Racing Can-Am 6hrs 49min 31sec
2. Patrice Garrouste (FRA)/Steven Griener (FRA) Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo 7hrs 21min 03sec
3. Juan-Carlos Uribe (PER)/Javier Uribe Godoy (PER) Can-Am 7hrs 45min 00sec
TBA. Leonel Larrauri (ARG)/Fernando Imperatrice (ARG) South Racing Can-Am
2018 Dakar Rally – positions after SS7 (SxS category @01.30hrs CET):
1. Reinaldo Varela (BRA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) South Racing Can-Am 32hrs 45min 13sec
2. Juan-Carlos Uribe (PER)/Javier Uribe Godoy (PER) Can-Am 34hrs 00min 49sec
3. Patrice Garrouste (FRA)/Steven Griener (FRA) Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo 34hrs 28min 58sec
TBA. Leonel Larrauri (ARG)/Fernando Imperatrice (ARG) South Racing Can-Am
Ends
For further information: contact Scott Abraham, South Racing, Email: Scott.Abraham@southracing.com, Tel: + 49 172 6662880.
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