Red-Lined Motoring Adventures’ Dakar 2020 Saudi Arabia adventure delivered another epic day on Monday’s second leg to Neom and both of the team’s Nissan Navara VK56s are safely back in the bivouac after a positive, if treacherous day in the desert.
“Today proved a huge test for everyone at the Dakar with the cars, trucks and side-by side vehicles sharing the road to Neom and making the going super treacherous,” Red-Lined team boss Terence Marsh reflected. “Still, it proved a synch for both our Navaras, which are safely home and ready for more of the same tomorrow!”
The day did not start well for British duo Thomas Bell and Patrick McMurren, who learned that they had missed a day 1 waypoint in the Sabertooth Red-Lined Navara and were docked 40 minutes for the effort. “We started way further back than we’d expected to and had to deal with far more rocks, trouble and dust and pass twice as many slower cars that may otherwise have been the case,” Thomas explained.
“We kept to our slowly slowly plan, but still had to also change two wheels — one was a slow puncture. “Otherwise the car performed brilliantly and we are content with 52nd on the day and 49th overall — remember we are just two days into a two week adventure and there is so much more to come, so it’s day by day as we go — bring it on!”
Despite all the challenges, Monday proved a very good day for Hennie de Klerk and Johann Smalberger in the TreasuryOne Red-Lined Navara.“We always knew that today was going to be super-tough and damn, did it prove just so!” de Klerk admitted. “It was terribly dusty all the way and the leading trucks simply wrecked the tracks, so it was great to be able to make up 25 positions from 58th to 33rd in spite of all the challenges today.
“Much of that has to do with Johann’s on-point navigation as much as it was up to our TreasuryOne Red-Lined Nissan Navara VK56’s ability to take the punch, whatever we threw at it, but we made it through. “Tomorrow sees a 427km loop around Neom and we do not expect it to get much easier — we once again run together with the trucks and side-by-sides, but we are more than ready to fight another Dakar day — can’t wait!”
Fonte:http://www.motorsportmedia.co.za/