Culture|Garage

Just a couple days ago the Central Europe Rally has been announced which is taking place instead of the Dakar Rally 2008 that has been canceled to run in Saharan Africa this year.

The president of the Dakar Rally organizing body Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), Patrice Clerc, has confirmed that next year’s race will take place in South America. And there is no date mentioned when the Dakar Rally will be returning to Africa.

The Dakar Rally 2009 will take place in Argentina and Chile, running a 9,000km route starting and arriving in Buenos Aires in January next year.

The Central Europe Rally is the first new series of events that the ASO planned on adding to the Dakar Rally and will be joining the Dakar Rally in the racing calendar starting in 2009.

Press Release

The Dakar rally will take place in Argentina. Etienne Lavigne, director of the historical race, announced that the 2009 edition will take place in Argentina and Chile on a 9000 kilometres route starting and arriving in Buenos Aires. ‘Competitors for Dakar 2008 will be able to register from 15 May to the Argenitna-Chile Dakar 2009, fees will be the same as lastr year,’ said Lavigne. ‘To start again in a new continent is great news,’ said Dominica Serieys, director of Mitsubishi Motorsport. ‘It was necessary to have a break in Africa because of the geopolitical situation.’

The organisers will present tomorrow the details of the race, which is scheduled between 3 and 18 January 2009. According to rumours, the pilots will leave from Buenos Aires toward southern Argentina and Patagonia, then Chile followed by the Atacama desert, and finally Buenos Aires again. In total there should be 9-10 legs in Argentina and 5 in Chile.

Source: AGI.it

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