· Outright victory for Argentina’s Terranova; South Racing’s Lopez retires on SS4
South Racing enjoyed a successful campaign at the five-stage Desafio Ruta 40, the first hurdle of the Dakar Series 2015 in Argentina. The team entered four cars in the gruelling South American event and three teams reached the finish in third, fifth and eighth overall.
Czech driver Peter Jerie and his French navigator Laurent Lichtleuchter topped the team’s finishers with a fine third overall in their Toyota Hilux.
The Chilean duo of Daniel Mas Valdes and Antonio Hasbun were classified fifth in their DMAS Competicion Ford Ranger and Spaniard Fernando Alvarez and his Argentinean navigator Luciano Genonni were eighth in the Conarpesa/Iprisco-backed Toyota Hilux.
Argentina’s Nazarano Lopez and his Uruguayan co-driver Sergio Lafuente crewed the fourth Oil Combustibles/C5N Toyota Hilux and were running well inside the top 10 until they retired after an accident on the fourth 220.84km stage between Tinogasta and Chilecito.
South Racing was founded in 2013. Based near Frankfurt in Germany, the young, customer-driven team also has workshops in Portugal and has extensive experience of the Dakar Rally and rallying in South America.
“This was a difficult and demanding rally and I am delighted that three of our four cars made it to the finish well inside the top 10, with Peter Jerie finishing on the podium,” said South Racing’s director Scott Abraham. “This terrain is typical of that we will see on the Dakar Rally in Argentina and provided our whole team with great experience in demanding conditions. It was great preparation, not only for the race crews, but also our technical and logistic teams who did a great job during the entire event.”
Organised by Mas Eventos with the full support of the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) that runs the gruelling Dakar Rally in January, the event started in Catamarca and finished in Villa Unión and included terrain that will be included in three special stages of the 2016 Dakar Rally.
The event takes its name from Argentina’s National Road No. 40, the longest and most spectacular in Argentina. It runs for 5,200km from Cabo Virgenes in the province of Santa Cruz all the way to La Quiaca and passes through 11 provinces and the Patagonia, Cuyo and North regions.
The opening leg featured a loop stage around Catamarca, before the event headed towards Tinogasta, and on to the finish in Villa Unión via Chilecito. The 2,825km route also crossed the notorious sand dunes at Fiambalá and featured 1,540 competitive kilometres.
2015 Desafio Ruta 40 – final positions:
1. Orlando Terranova (ARG)/Bernard Graue (ARG) Mini All4 Racing 21hr 08min 31sec
2. Lucio Alvarez (ARG)/Sebastien Halpern (ARG) Mini All4 Racing 21hr 36min 00sec
3. Peter Jerie (CZE)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Toyota Hilux 23hr 56min 03sec
4. Juan Manuel Silva (ARG)/Tomisl Glavic (HRV) Prototipo Colcar 24hr 23min 41sec
5. Daniel Mas Valdes (CHI)/Antonio Hasbun (CHI) Ford Ranger 26hr 17min 27sec
6. Martin Conrado (ARG)/Carlos Dante (ARG) Toyota Hilux 31hr 42min 52sec
7. Alejandro Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Merlo (ARG) Toyota SW4 32hr 08min 42sec
8. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Luciano Genonni (ARG) Toyota Hilux 36hr 17min 23sec
