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Chile move for Dakar Rally?

By Matt Brogan |

Earlier this week we bought you news of the Dakar Rally’s cancellation. Upon hearing the news head of Chile’s Tourist Service, Oscar Santelices has offered the Atacama Desert as a possible replacement.

dakar02.jpg

The desert already hosts the annual Patagonia Atacama Rally and would seem ideal for hosting the race with the possible exception of having a catchy name.

Other countries being considered include Australia, Russia, and China but as for this year’s event, it’s officially over. There’s no chance of re-location either as all competitors have been fully refunded – guess we’ll have to wait til next year.

We’d like to hear your thoughts. Would you like to see a Paris-Dakar style rally in Australia? If so, what route should it take?


 
  • http://www.caradvice.com.au Matt

    I’d love to see it here – imagine how much of a plus it would be for Australia on SO many levels. Tourism, rally development, and so on..

    As for a route, what about Ayres Rock to Broome? The A to B Rally?

  • http://www.vee-eight.super-forum.net fordman6

    Adelaide to Broome = more distance….

  • matt

    Yeah good call Fordman!

  • http://www.caradvice.com.au/ alborz

    It would be great here, heck even the normal leg of the rally would be great here, the WRC isn’t even coming here this year is it?

  • Lcat

    would be absolutely brilliant to have it or something similar here – CA ring charley boorman & get him & his special mate interested!

  • Duck

    DAKAR RALLY IN AUSTRALIA!

  • Oz.

    I haven’t been there, but I want to go there. It’s the Cooper Peady – Lake Eyre area in SA. Would that be good for the Dakar Rally?

  • Watto_Cobra

    Alborz, yeah no WRC round here this year, they’re trying to work something out for next year I think.

    Dakar here would be awesome. We have 12- and 24-hour dirt bike enduros in the outback, and they are great events.

  • Glen

    Yep would be awesome, how about just a cross country say Sydney to Perth via Darwin and back. I think that would take up 3 weeks of hard & tough rallying. And the Biker’s would be racing for the Andy Coldecott Trophey

  • Reckless1

    There have been many rallies in AU – London Sydney, Redex trials, Outback challenge and more.

    Anything P-D can throw at the competitors can be found here in AU.

    Cost of sea crossing would be a deterrent over using Russia, but Chile would face the same hurdle.

  • joe 45

    i think a good dakar, in australia. would be from brisbane to port headland , good one from east to west , straigh threw the desserts.

  • No Name

    You’d have to get some of the local redneck to shoot at them to make it feel like the old Dakar race. (Joking)

  • Steve

    Redneck? No no no, this is Australia, not USA. :p

    If they move it here they’d have te drop the name, since Dakar is a place.

  • Mauro

    The problem with Australia, China and Russia is time.

    When the race is taking place, all America and Europe is sleeping. From Chile the race can be transmitted live to a wider audience.

    After all, the race is about business. Tv rights, etc.