ROBBY GORDON REBOUNDS AT DAKAR IN STAGE 3

January 7, 2015 by SPEED Energy

CHILICETO, Argentina (Jan. 6, 2015) – American driver Robby Gordon successfully rebounded from his mechanical failures on Monday in the 37th Dakar Rally with a solid 15th-place finish in his HST Gordini during Stage 3.

Starting 50th after a troublesome second stage, the Traxxas / Toyo Tires team was able to advance several positions before a punctured tire early in the run. After stopping for a new tire he was able to maneuver around several of the same cars he passed at the start, placing in the top 15 at the finish.

Gordon's time of 3 hours, 19 minutes and 28 seconds is impressive considering those that finished near Gordon's starting spot ended up 30 to 45 minutes behind him. Driving aggressively and overtaking 35 cars on Tuesday's 284-kilometer (176 miles) special puts him in much better company starting Wednesday's stage, during which the field moves toward the Pacific Ocean and enters Chile for the first time.

Argentina's Orlando Terranova won the stage in a time of 2 hours, 57 minutes and 28 seconds. South Africa's Giniel De Villiers followed at 2 hours, 59 minutes and 22 seconds while Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Alrajhi ran the stage in 3 hours and 20 seconds to finish third. Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar finished fifth in the stage, but maintains the overall leader of the Rally.

Only 100 cars started Stage 3, meaning that 37 teams have already fallen from the race due primarily to Tuesday's marathon stage, which took a tremendous toll on the competitors.

Wednesday's fourth stage (315 kilometers/196 miles) will take drivers from Chilecito, Argentina, to Copiapó, Chile, and at times will reach elevations of 4,800 meters (15,748 feet), which will challenge not only the drivers, but the cars as well. High altitude mixed with the summer temperatures of the southern hemisphere and the Atacama Desert provides a challenging combination. The final 40 kilometers (25 miles) takes place through the giant sand dunes and basins of Copiapó. Teams will be fortunate to have a good run and finish the entire stage in daylight.

Follow the Dakar Rally through live timing and scoring as well as live updates at planetrobby.com. NBCSN will provide daily highlights beginning Jan. 5 from 4:30 to 5 p.m. ET.

High-Res Photos from Stage 3 can be downloaded from the following link:

https://teamgordon.box.com/s/v2n8wwuzz6e0ou6thq7f

The HST Gordini is supported by SPEED Energy, Toyo Tires, Traxxas, 4 Wheel Parts, Grand Design Recreational Vehicles, Momentum by Grand Design, Magnaflow Exhaust, Eibach Springs, King Shocks, Mastercraft Safety, Embee Performance, MAC Tools, DeWALT, Freightliner Trucks, Replay XD, Impact by Mastercraft Safety, Lincoln Electric, Torchmate by Lincoln Electric, Ron Davis Racing Products, Techni Waterjet, Hella, Mechanix Wear, Saftey-Kleen, Weddle Industries, Kartek Off-Road, Team Gordon Race Wheels, Pro Am Racing Products, Anaheim Hills Auto Body.

About Copiapó, Chile

Copiapó is located in northern Chile, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of the coastal town of Calera. It is the capital city of the Copiapó Province and the Atacama Region. The town is surrounded by the Atacama Desert and receives less than one-half inch of rain annually, making it one of the driest deserts on earth. Copiapó is rich in silver and copper mining, and is unfortunately known to the world as the site of the 2010 mine collapse that trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days.

About SPEED Energy – SPEED Energy is available in four flavors: Unleaded, Fuel, Ethanol and Octane, which provides the human machine with the fuel it needs to keep up with the SPEED of life. Each drink contains a potent energy blend of B-vitamins, caffeine, taurine and ginseng. SPEED is packaged in 16 ounce cans that have a stylish black top and sexy body and are available in singles, four-packs, and cases. SPEED Energy is available in the United States in major retailers, convenience stores, grocery stores, bars and nightclubs.

For more information, please visit www.speedenergy.com or connect with SPEED Energy on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thespeedenergydrink and by following on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/SPEED_ENERGY.

About Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.– Toyo Tires manufactures and distributes a complete line of premium replacement tires for nearly every make and model including high performance cars, luxury vehicles, light trucks and SUVs as well as tires for commercial trucks.

For more information log onto www.toyotires.com and connect with the community on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ToyoTires and follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ToyoTires.

Photo credit: SPEED Energy
posted on conceptcarz.com