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Paris-Dakar Rally Once Again Battle of the Fittest

Mitsubishi Takes Top Honours Sweeping 1st and 2nd Overall

So where did this madness begin? Funny enough it started back in 1979 after racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided that it would be a good location for a regular rally. The Paris-Dakar has become the ultimate off-road challenge ever since.

After seventeen stages and over 6,936 miles the 2004 Paris-Dakar has come to an end. Four hundred vehicles, 195 motorcycles, 142 cars, and 63 trucks, started from Paris, France on January 1. Seventeen days later 163 vehicles, 65 bikes, 60 cars and 38 trucks arrived in Dakar, Senegal. Less then one hour separated first and second place in every category.

Mitsubishi Pajero EVO

After eighteen gruelling days through snow, mud and sand the 2004 Paris-Dakar is in the history books. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

driver Stephane Peterhansel has become just the second person to win the Dakar Rally in two separate classes. His win of the overall car class was with a time of 53h 47m 37s, a 49m 24s lead over second place. He began competing in the Dakar in 1988, winning the motorbike category six times for Yamaha between 1991 and 1998. Last year Peterhansel was poised for his first four-wheel victory, only to break down on the final

Mitsubishi Pajero EVO Driver St?phane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret have won the 2004 Dakar with a time of 53 hours, 47 minutes, and 37 seconds. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

stage of the Dakar, which gave his Mitsubishi team mate Hiroshi Masuoka his second straight win.

This year, after getting out to an early lead after two stages, the Peterhansel team, that included co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret, maintained a sizeable, although not comfortable lead on the rest of the pack. "We took the leadership quite quickly and that allowed us not to take too many risks after. We all know that on a Dakar each stage can mean a problem." And that problem

Peterhansels teammate Hiroshi Masuoka took second place overall, giving Mitsubishi the one-two win. (Photo: Mitsubishi Motors North America)

was a tense moment on stage 15 when a wrong turn in the sand dunes allowed the rest of the pack to cut into Peterhansels lead.

"Its a great relief and a lot of happiness that I share with my co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret. On a bike youre alone but this time we built the win together. My last victory on a bike was 6 years ago and after what happened last year, it wasnt easy for me to win this year," commented an exhausted but overjoyed Peterhansel.

Rounding out the top three in the car class was Peterhansels Mitsubishi teammate, and two time four-wheel class winner, Hiroshi

I knew it was going to be tough but I never expected anything like this," commented World Rally Champion and first time Dakar challenger Colin McRae. (Photo: Nissan North America)

Masuoka with a time of 54h 37m 01s, and Jean-Louis Schlesser with a time of 56h 48m 10s in his custom Ford powered buggy. After the race, Schlesser tipped his hat to the one-two finish of Mitsubishi, "On a personal behalf, I couldnt expect better than third place. The Mitsubishi cars are untouchable."

One new entry into the car class this year that American motorsport fans should be familiar with is World Rally Champion Colin McRae. Deciding to sit out the 2004 WRC season and take part in the Dakar driving for Nissan, even the rally veteran McRae was surprised at the overall challenge of the race. "I knew it was going to be tough but I never expected anything like this," the Briton told

After seventeen days totaling over 55 hours of driving, only twelve and half minutes separated first place Nani Roma from his second place competitor in the motorcycle class. (Photo: naniroma.com)

a British newspaper last week. "The name of the game is survival," he added. Nissan team boss Gilles Martineau has already stated that he would like to have McRae back on the team for next years race.

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