2018 DAKAR RALLY
SOUTH RACING CAN-AM TEAM
Leg 8: Uyuni – Tupiza
Special stage: 498km; Liaison sections: 87km
For immediate release
Sunday, January 14th 2018
SOUTH RACING CAN-AMS CLAIM 1-2-3 FINISH ON
SECOND HALF OF MARATHON STAGE INTO TUPIZA
● Varela and Uribe maintain first and second overall after Marathon stage
UYUNI (BOLIVIA): The South Racing Can-Am Team’s Reinaldo Varela and Gustavo Gugelmin claimed yet another victory on the second half of the Marathon stage between Uyuni and Tupiza in Bolivia and continue to lead the SxS category by a comfortable 1hr 34min 31sec. Their success on the day topped a first ever 1-2-3 finish for the Can-Am brand on a stage of the Dakar.
The crew of the first of the South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3s stayed clear of trouble to finish the special in just over seven and a half hours. Juan Carlos Uribe and Javier Uribe Godoy completed the tricky and varied special, which offered kilometres of bumpy tracks, camel grass, standing water and canyons, in second position, 18min 55sec behind Varela. The Peruvians maintained second overall in their Can-Am that runs with additional support from Can-Am Perú, Alsol, Friopacking and Chiawel Agro.
The Argentine duo of Leonel Larrauri and Fernando Imperatrice started the second half of the Marathon stage from eighth of the surviving nine ATVs and held a virtual second position behind Patrice Garrouste at PC1 in their Can-Am. They lost time soon afterwards and then recovered to reach the stage finish in third place to consolidate eighth in the overall standings.
Nine of the 10 SxS category runners remained in the race after Spaniard José Nicholas Gonzalez failed to take the start of the Marathon stage.
Today and tomorrow
The route of the longest stage of the rally passed close to the notorious Uyuni salt flats en route to the night halt in Tupiza and the rendez-vous with the service crews and the rest of the Dakar caravan.
Tomorrow, the ninth stage was scheduled to cross the border into northern Argentina where teams will spend the night in the city of Salta. A twisty short special of 242km was originally planned in Bolivia, coupled with 513km of liaison, and the special would have stopped at the frontier between the two countries.
But race officials opted to cancel the ninth stage in advance before the race crossed the frontier into Argentina. An adverse weather forecast had led to the risk of thunderstorms, flooding and severe disruption.
What they said:
Scott Abraham, Managing Director, South Racing Can-Am Team
“This was a dominant day for Can-Am and the Maverick X3. After more than 900km of a race stage, through the toughest terrain and weather conditions that Bolivia could throw at them, it’s a nice way to end the Marathon day with a 1-2-3 finish.
“Reinaldo did a stellar job, once again, and Juan Carlos and Leo came through on the stage and kept up the consistency. We still have a huge amount of kilometres and big challenges to go in this race. But I think all of us are looking forward to the slightly warmer temperatures in Argentina, once we get passed Salta. Some of the stages still to come are suited to the SxS vehicles.
“I guess the cancellation of the stage tomorrow is part of the Dakar. For us, perhaps, it is a little bit better. I am not complaining about it. These are open vehicles and wet and muddy conditions put a lot of strain on the pilots. But we will face anything that the Dakar can throw at us.”
2018 Dakar Rally – SS8 result (SxS category @00.45hrs CET):
1. Reinaldo Varela (BRA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) South Racing Can-Am 7hrs 30min 18sec
2. Juan-Carlos Uribe (PER)/Javier Uribe Godoy (PER) Can-Am 7hrs 49min 13sec
3. Leonel Larrauri (ARG)/Fernando Imperatrice (ARG) South Racing Can-Am 8hrs 18min 27sec
4. Patrice Garrouste (FRA)/Steven Griener (FRA) Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo 8hrs 19min 00sec
5. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Polaris RZR 1000 XP 9hrs 14min 41sec
6. Anibal Aliaga (PER)/Juan Pedro Cilloniz (PER) Polaris RZR 1000 XP 9hrs 16min 49sec
7. Jose Luis Pena Campo (ESP)/Rafael Tornabell (ESP) Polaris RZR 1000 9hrs 25min 47sec
8. Camelia Liparoti (ITA)/Angelo Montico (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000 R 9hrs 34min 14sec
9. Jose Jorge De Barros Sawaya (BRA)/Marcelo Duarte Haseyama (BRA) Polaris 9hrs 40min 10sec
2018 Dakar Rally – positions after SS8 (SxS category @00.45hrs CET):
1. Reinaldo Varela (BRA)/Gustavo Gugelmin (BRA) South Racing Can-Am 40hrs 15min 31sec
2. Juan-Carlos Uribe (PER)/Javier Uribe Godoy (PER) Can-Am 41hrs 50min 02sec
3. Patrice Garrouste (FRA)/Steven Griener (FRA) Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo 42hrs 47min 58sec
4. Anibal Aliaga (PER)/Juan Pedro Cilloniz (PER) Polaris RZR 1000 XP 47hrs 40min 39sec
5. Claude Fournier (FRA)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Polaris RZR 1000 XP 47hrs 54min 54sec
6. Jose Luis Pena Campo (ESP)/Rafael Tornabell (ESP) Polaris RZR 1000 48hrs 26min 21sec
7. Camelia Liparoti (ITA)/Angelo Montico (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000 R 58hrs 51min 05sec
8. Leonel Larrauri (ARG)/Fernando Imperatrice (ARG) South Racing Can-Am 87hrs 29min 14sec
9. Jose Jorge De Barros Sawaya (BRA)/Marcelo Duarte Haseyama (BRA) Polaris 118hrs 01min 46sec
Ends
For further information: contact Scott Abraham, South Racing, Email: Scott.Abraham@southracing.com, Tel: + 49 172 6662880.
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