Team X-raid / Drivers / Co-Drivers 5. Race-Cars 39. Map / Daily Stages / Notes 43. Partners 75

Transcription

1 MEDIA BOOK

2 Team X-raid / Drivers / Co-Drivers 5 Race-Cars 39 Map / Daily Stages / Notes 43 Partners 75

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5 DRIVERS

6 Team X-raid Back in 2002, Sven Quandt founded the X-raid GmbH in Trebur near Frankfurt/Main. The goal: to enhance a production vehicle and turn it into a high-performance racing car that had got what it took to successfully compete in rally raids. The team quickly demonstrated its potential: in May 2002, the X-raid BMW X5 CC was tested for the very first time and just a few months later, in summer, it celebrated its maiden victory courtesy of Belgian Gregoire de Mevius who won the Baja Germany. And the next major success followed before long: the BMW X5CC became the first BMW to win the diesel category of the Dakar, the most gruelling cross-country rally in the world. Then, in 2004, Khalifa al Mutaiwei gave X-raid the overall win in the FIA Cross Country World Cup. Two years later, in 2006, X-raid developed a new racing car, based on the BMW X3: the BMW X3 CC. And just as its predecessor, the X3 CC quickly proved to be competitive. In 2008, Qatar s Nasser Al-Attiyah won both the FIA Cross Country World Cup and the FIA Cup for Cross Country Bajas, at the wheel of the vehicle designed and entered by the Trebur based team. In addition, Filipe Campos secured the 2008 Portuguese Championship with an X3 CC. In 2009, both the Portuguese Championship once again courtesy of Filipe Campos and the World Cup title were defended, with French cross-country ace Guerlain Chicherit following the footsteps of Nasser Al-Attiyah as World Cup winner. In the 2010 and 2011 editions of the Dakar Rally, Stéphane Peterhansel finished fourth in the overall ranking while Russian Leonid Novitskiy and his German co-driver Andreas Schulz gave X-raid the fourth consecutive overall win in the Cross Country World Cup, in Today, the company employs staff and drivers from all over the world, for instance from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Germany. In late 2010, this international team made for a minor sensation: with just a few weeks to go to the start of the 2011 Dakar, X-raid caused a true stir by launching the MINI All4Racing. Within just 90 days, the Trebur based squad had designed a competitive Dakar contender based on the MINI Countryman. The first win of the MINI All4 Racing was secured by French pairing Stéphane Peterhansel / Jean-Paul Cottret in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge held in April, And now, X-raid is going to contest the 2012 Dakar rally with five MINI All4 Racing vehicles and the BMW X3 cc rally cars, representing the biggest Dakar appearance in the team s history. 5

7 DOB: 8/6/1965 Vesoul, France Career Highlights: Bike - Winner of the Dakar 4th place Rally Dakar 1st place Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge first victory MINI All4 Racing 2nd place Silk Way Rally 1st place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 1st place Baja Spain 4th place Rally Dakar 1st place Shamrock - Rally of Morocco 2nd place Baja Spain 2nd place Central Europe Rally 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Baja Spain 1st place UAE Desert Challenge 4th place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Tunisia 2nd place UAE Desert Challenge 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Dakar 1991,1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 Stéphane Peterhansel is the most successful driver in the history of the Dakar Rally. He won the event s motorbike ranking six times to switch to four wheels in 1999 and continue his streak of success. Together with his compatriot Jean-Paul Cottret, Peterhansel celebrated three overall wins in the Dakar, and in the 2010 and 2011 editions of the legendary event, held in South America, he finished fourth in the overall ranking with Team X-raid. The Frenchman also prevailed in numerous FIA World Cup rounds, hast got two World Enduro Championship titles under his belt and competed in the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Race Of Champions. He made his first appearance as Team X-raid driver in the 2009 Baja Spain. 6

8 DOB: 6/19/1963 Gien, France Career Highlights: th place Rally Dakar 1st place Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge first victory MINI All4 Racing 2nd place Silk Way Rally 1st place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 1st place Baja Spain 4th place Rally Dakar 1st place Shamrock - Rally of Morocco 2nd place Baja Spain 2nd place Central Europe Rally 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Baja Spain 1st place UAE Desert Challenge 4th place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Tunisia 2nd place UAE Desert Challenge 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Dakar 8

9 DOB: 6/4/1962 Olsztyn, Poland Career Highlights: st place Baja Poland 1st place Silk Way Rally 5th place Rally Dakar BMW X3CC 1st place FIA International Cup for Cross-Country Baja 3rd place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 1st place Italian Baja 3rd place Baja Spain Rally Dakar 5th place Rally Dakar 6th place Rally Poland (WRC series) 2nd place FIA World Cup for cross-country rallies Rally Dakar Rally Dakar First Rally Dakar participation 5th place Rally of Sweden PCWRC Polish Rally Champion European Rally Champion Polish Rally Champion 2nd place European Rally Champion Polish Rally Champion In 2011, Krzysztof Holowczyc contested his first Dakar as Team X-raid driver. The former FIA European Rally Champion has been Poland s cross-country top star in recent years and will be teamed up with his regular co-driver, Belgian Jean-Marc Fortin, in a PKN Orlen backed BMW X3 CC. He has achieved several solid stage results in recent Dakar Rallies and often has been one of the best independent drivers challenging the works teams. Holowczyc is a well-known celebrity in his native country and often appears TV shows and commercials. From December 2007 to July 2009, he was a member of the European Parliament. There, he worked in the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the Committee on International Trade as well as the delegation for relations with Belarus. He is also well-known for his engagement for road safety in Poland. Holowczyc took part in the nation-wide social campaign Drunken drivers are carrying the death. 10

10 DOB: 7/4/1968 Huy, Belgium Career Highlights: st place Baja Poland 1st place Silk Way Rally 5th place Rally Dakar BMW X3CC 3rd place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 5th place Rally Dakar 3rd place UAE Desert Challenge 5th place Rally dos Sertoes 4th place Rally Tunisia 12

11 DOB: 2/17/1972 Folgueroles, Spain Career Highlights: Bike rd place OiLibya Rally of Tunisia Rally Dakar Rally Dakar 10th place Rally Dakar 1st place Baja Spain 13th place Rally Dakar 3rd place Rally Dakar First participation Rally Dakar car-category, 6th place 1st place Baja Spain 1st place Rally Dakar First participation Rally Dakar Winner European Enduro Championship Nani Roma contested the 2010 and 2011 editions of the Dakar for Team X-raid. Following a one-year stint for Nissan, Roma returned to the Trebur based team for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Roma started his Dakar career on a motorbike and won the motorbike competition of the legendary desert event back in In the following year, he switched to four wheels and joined Mitsubishi. In 2012, he is going to contest the Dakar with his co-driver Michel Périn. 14

12 DOB: 1/19/1957 Saint-Mihiel, France Career Highlights: rd place OiLibya Rally of Tunisia Rally Dakar MINI All4 Racing 5th place OiLibya Rally of Tunisia Rally Dakar 1st place Baja Spain Rally Dakar 1st place Central Europe Rally 1st place FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies 9th place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Transiberico 2nd place UAE Desert Challenge 11th place Rally Dakar 10th place UAE Desert Challenge 1st place FIA World Cup Cross Country Rallies 1st place FIA World Cup Cross Country Rallies 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place FIA World Cup Cross Country Rallies 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place FIA World Cup Cross Country Rallies 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place FIA World Cup Cross Country Rallies 16

13 DOB: 7/20/1972 Lisbon, Portugal Career Highlights: th place Baja Portalegre 500 7th place Rally Dakar 7th place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 14th place Dakar 76th place Dakar 7th place Rally Transibérico 26th place Central Europe Rally 2nd place of the Solo category Rally Dakar / 70th overall Winner of the Solo category Rally Dakar / 44th overall 5th place T1 Petrol category Rally Dakar / 70th overall Winner of the Quads World Cup 2nd place Baja Vodafone 1000 / T1 Auto category Winner Por Las Pampas Rally / Quad First Portuguese Pilot to finish the Dakar Rally riding a Quad 6th place Paris-Dakar Rally / Quad Winner U.A.E. Desert Challenge Rally / Quad Ricardo Leal Dos Santos contested the Dakar Rally on a quad before switching to cars. In the 2010 Dakar he finished 14th in the overall ranking, thus being the best of the independent drivers and in the Rally of Morocco he finished seventh for Team X-raid. He is one of the most promising of the latest cross-country driver generation and back in 2003, he was the first Portuguese to have contested and finished the Dakar on a quad. In 2005, Dos Santos won the Quad World Cup and in the following year, he secured the win in the solo category of the Lisbon Dakar Rally. The highlights of his Dakar career to date were racing an old Pajero with no assistance and contesting it twice without a co-driver. 18

14 DOB: 4/19/1975 Mafra, Portugal Career Highlights: th place Baja Portalegre 500 7th place Rally Dakar 7th place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 14th place Dakar 45th place Dakar Vice-champion of the Off-road National Championship (T2) Winner of the Rally Dakar T1.1 Amateur Diesel group 3rd place Casinos do Algarve Rally 3rd place Baja Terras d El Rei 2nd place Ciudad Linares Rally Off-road National Champion (T1) 20

15 DOB: 7/1/1968 Cheliabinsk, Russia Career Highlights: st place FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Rally Dakar st place FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies 2nd place OiLibya Rally of Morocco 2nd place Baja Spain 1st place Rally TT Vodafone Estoril-Portimão-Marrakech 3rd place OiLibya Rally of Tunisia 1st place Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 11th place Rally Dakar nd place Shamrock Rally of Morocco 8th place Rally Dakar nd place Baja Hungary 4th place Baja Spain Leonid Novitskiy is the leading Russian Cross-Country ace and clinched the 2010 and 2011 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. The Russian contested the 2009 Dakar Rally for Team X-raid to finish eight in the overall ranking and later in the year he came runner-up in the Rally of Morocco after returning to the sport following a high-speed accident in the 2009 Libya Tunisia Rally. Novitskiy and Schulz have been a regular pairing since the 2009 Rally of Morocco. 22

16 DOB: 3/3/1955 Munich, Germany Career Highlights: st place FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Rally Dakar 1st place FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies 11th place Rally Dakar 2nd place Shamrock Rally of Morocco 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Dakar with Jutta Kleinschmidt 24

17 DOB: 7/28/1958 St. Petersburg, Russia Career Highlights: th place Silk Way Rally Rally Dakar 7th place Silk Way Rally (1st place T1.1) 2nd place Russian Rally-raid championship Rally Dakar Rally Dakar 1st place FIA Inter Cup for Cross-country rally (co-driver) Alexander Mironenko made his first appearance for Team X-raid in the 2011 Silk Way Rally. The Russian has got many years of rally experience under his belt inter alia due to several Dakar appearances. In 2010, he finished seventh in the overall ranking of the Silk Way Rally. 26

18 DOB: 5/22/1968 Saint Petersburg, Russia Career Highlights: th place Silk Way Rally Rally Dakar th place overall Silk Way Rally 1st T1.1-category 2nd place Russian Rally-raid championship Rally Dakar 2009 Rally Dakar 28

19 DOB: 7/11/1963 Santiago, Chile Career Highlights: rd Place Rally OiLibya Morocco 6th place OiLibya Rally Tunisia Rally Dakar 2010 Rally OiLibya Morocco Boris Garafulic is one Team X-raid s new signings. The Chilean made his debut for the German squad in the Rally OiLibya Tunisia. Garafulic is going to make his second Dakar appearance in the 2012 edition of the legendary event. By entering the world of motorsport, he followed the footsteps of his father, Boris Garafulic one of the most famous Chilean racing drivers who was particularly successful in road racing events. 30

20 DOB: 3/19/1955 Nancy, France Career Highlights: rd Place Rally OiLibya Morocco 4th place Central Europe Rally 1st place Rally Transiberico 3rd place PAX Rally 2nd place Rally Dakar 1st place Por las Pampas 1st place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally Patagonia-Atacama 1st place UAE Desert Challenge 3rd place Rally Transiberico 2nd place Rally Dakar 1st place Rally of Tunisia 1st Baja 500 Portalegre 2nd place Rally Dakar 2nd place Rally Dakar 1st place Baja Italy 4th place Rally Dakar 2nd place UAE Desert Challenge 3rd place Baja Italy 32

21 DOB: 10/15/1952 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Career Highlights: th place Rally Dakar th place Rally Dakar th place Rally Dakar th place Dubai Desert Challenge th place Dubai Desert Challenge th place Dubai Desert Challenge Stephan Schott is the co-founder and CEO of German company KS Tools and joined Team X-Raid together with his co-driver, Holm Schmidt in The German has been a regular competitor in cross-country rallying events for several years, now. In 2011, he contested his third Dakar Rally and finished 20th in the overall ranking. 34

22 DOB: 8/10/1965 Markranstädt, Germany Career Highlights: th place Rally Dakar th place Rally Dakar th place Rally Dakar th place Dubai Desert Challenge th place Dubai Desert Challenge th place Dubai Desert Challenge 36

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26 MINI All4 Racing BMW X3CC 40 Engine RS 08 Fuel Diesel Performance 315 hp / 4000 rpm Torque Approx. 700 Nm / 1900 rpm Displacement 2993cc Restrictor diameter 38 mm Topspeed 181 km/h Transmission Gearbox Clutch Differentials Breaks Measure and weight Length Width Height Wheelbase Track width Empty weight Fuel capacity Body Chassis Sadev 6 speed shift AP Racing Xtrac Diff AP Disc brakes (320 mm x 32 mm) Ventilated front / ventilated and water-cooled rear 4333 mm 1998 mm 1966 mm 2906 mm 1736 mm 1900kg app. 420l Heggemann Autosport Tyres BF Goodrich Size 245/80 R 16 Engine Performance Torque Displacement Restrictor Transmission Gearbox Clutch Differentials Breaks Measure and weight Length Width Height Wheelbase Track width Empty weight Fuel capacity Body Chassis BMW-Diesel engine, 6 cylinder, 3-liter variable Twinturbo Approx. 315 PS 700Nm 1900 U/min 3000cc diameter 38 mm 6-gear, sequential (Sadev) AP Racing Clutch X-trac AP Disc brakes (320 mm x 32 mm) Ventilated front / ventilated and water-cooled rear 4650mm 2000mm 1850mm 2906mm 1736mm 1900kg Ca.420l Tyres BF Goodrich Size 245/80 R 16 Space frame chassis (Heggemann) Carbon-kevlar-body (Faster)

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28 STAGES

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30 SOUTH AMERICA

31 Stéphane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret dakar.com 302 Driver Krzysztof Holowczyc Co-Driver Jean-Marc Fortin dakar.com 304 Driver Nani Roma Co-Driver Michel Périn dakar.com 305 Driver Ricardo Leal Dos Santos Co-Driver Paulo Fiúza dakar.com 309 Driver Leonid Novitskiy Co-Driver Andreas Schulz dakar.com 312 Driver Alexander Mironenko Co-Driver Sergey Lebedev dakar.com 322 Driver Boris Garafulic Co-Driver Gilles Picard dakar.com 325 Driver Stephan Schott Co-Driver Holm Schmidt dakar.com 327 Driver Co-Driver

32 STAGE 1: Sunday, 1 January 2012 Mar Del Plata - Santa Rosa de la Pampa Liaison: 796 km Special Stage: 60 km Total: 856 km SMALL DUNES BUT NO SUNBATHING The seaside resort of Mar del Plata brings to mind lazing around, especially after the competitors have mingled with the crowd during the public presentation ceremony on 31st December. For the short warm- up special stage, they will nevertheless be allowed to pass by the seafront, where the small dunes to be crossed will represent the first hurdle. In this simple exercise, the fastest time will establish a first winner and determine each competitor s position in the rankings. After this challenge, there will be a long liaison section to be covered to Santa Rosa de la Pampa. 46

33 STAGE 2: Monday, 2 January 2012 Santa Rosa de la Pampa - San Rafael Liaison: 486 km Special Stage: 290 km Total: 776 km THE GREY DUNES OF NIHUIL The competitors will have an early start and a long way to go to join the start of the special stage. But the pace that the drivers will have to keep up on the first very fast part of the route will immediately ensure that they remain extremely focused. After the big, fast bends negotiated on firm ground, the entrance in a backdrop of dunes will significantly slow down their progress. In Nihuil, the grey-coloured sand bears witness to the intense volcanic activity which occurred in the region several thousand years ago. 48

34 STAGE 3: Tuesday, 3 January 2012 San Rafael - San Juan Liaison: 293 km Special Stage: 208 km Total: 501 km THE ANDES, REMINISCENT OF THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS The Andes Cordillera, ever-present throughout the 2012 Dakar, is very demanding for the drivers. The crossing of rivers and the many holes and stones that the drivers will have to avoid during the day s special stage, will make the terrain particularly gruelling. The sturdiness of the engines will be put to the test if the drivers do not remain attentive. But the altitude and the reliefs provide both magnificent landscapes, with every shade of red possible, and small acrobatic challenges, such as a steep climb that the motorcyclists will definitely have to finish in first gear. 50

35 STAGE 4: Wednesday, 4 January 2012 San Juan - Chilecito Liaison: 388 km Special Stage: 326 km Total: 714 km BEWARE OF BEING OVER CONFIDENT The most experienced drivers will be able to enjoy counting the dried-up rivers that they will cross during the day. They will also have time to admire the spectacular canyons of the Province of Rioja, but it is in their best interest to remain extremely vigilant. Nobody will be able to keep up a steady pace during the special stage. Whether it be the navigational subtleties at the end of the route or the small hurdles to overcome, there will be many occasions to lose time here. It is likely that once the rally has reached Chilecito, one or two of the competitors will have already been eliminated from the battle for the title! 52

36 STAGE 5: Thursday, 5 January 2012 Chilecito - Fiambalá Liaison: 246 km Special Stage: 177 km Total: 423 km EACH CATEGORY HAS ITS OWN FIAMBALÁ Up until now, no-one has remained impervious to the white dunes of Fiambalá, where dozens of motorcyclists were bogged down in the sand during their first visit there and which also dashed the hopes of Carlos Sainz twice, in 2009 and in This year, the course has been split in two to offer optimal driving comfort for all the vehicles. For the motorcyclists, the setbacks will be more likely to result from navigational mistakes rather than from overcoming difficulties on the terrain. They should also experience some thrills when they drive along a narrow track on the mountain side, before they tackle the areas of dunes. The course reserved for cars and trucks is completely different and will take the drivers further in the sand dunes. 54

37 STAGE 6: Friday, 6 January 2012 Fiambalá - Copiapó Liaison: 394 km Special Stage: 247 km Total: 641 km YOUR PAPERS, PLEASE The southern summer has several surprises in store, including negative temperatures which may have to be endured by the motorcyclists who will tackle the long climb to Paso San Francisco in the middle of the night, where they will cross the border at an altitude of more than 4,700 metres. Once the race has arrived in Chile, the special stage will initially be decided on a hard terrain, in the harsh aridity of the Atacama Desert. The drivers will no longer be concerned about controlling their maximum speed when they confront the dunes of Copiapó, which will be featured four times on the route. Skilful driving will be the only solution here to avoid competitors from being bogged down at the bottom of a giant sand basin for a long time. Some of them will not be able to avoid this. 56

38 STAGE 7: Saturday, 7 January 2012 Copiapó - Copiapó Liaison: 154 km Special Stage: 444 km Total: 598 km AN ABUNDANCE OF DUNES The loop will be the biggest challenge of the week, although the beginning of the special stage, which will travel along tracks in the middle of the hills and cacti, might appear easy. But afterwards, the strain of the kilometres covered since Mar del Plata will begin to take their toll, exactly at the time when a great number of dunes will follow one after another. The last string of dunes to be crossed, so near and yet so far from the finish, may well resemble a bivouac which has been transported to the middle of the desert. Thankfully for the latecomers who pitch their tents, the regulations allow vehicles to be presented until 6 pm on the rest day. 58

39 STAGE 8: Monday, 9 January 2012 Copiapó - Antofagasta Liaison: 209 km Special Stage: 477 km Total: 686 km THE RACE SETS OFF AGAIN At this stage of the competition, the number of contenders for the title will be reduced to a small handful in each category. But despite the significant number of kilometres to be covered, this first stage after the rest day should not be relied on to create decisive gaps. The rally s longest special stage will be used to allow the competitors to get back into the pace of the competition. On the stone-covered tracks which will lead to Antofagasta, the pace will be rather intense, but this will not prevent the drivers from catching sight of some magnificent views. 60

40 STAGE 9: Tuesday, 10 January 2012 Antofagasta - Iquique Total: 566km Liaison: 9 km Special Stage: 557 km Total: 566 km WATCH OUT, THRILLS GUARANTEED! A two-part stage will keep the competitors busy who continue the climb to the north of the continent, between oceans and mountains. Two sections separated by a neutralization are on the agenda with varied features and landscapes. At the beginning of the day, the competitors will pass through canyons, drive on clean tracks and sink in the fesh fesh! The second special stage will call upon the drivers and co-drivers navigational talents, who will have to make a decision based on the very limited landmarks, while remaining focused on the WPM. To reward them for this intensive endeavour, they will drive down the steep descent to Iquique, already featured on the 2010 Dakar route, to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. 62

41 STAGE 10: Wednesday, 11 January 2012 Iquique - Arica Liaison: 317 km Special Stage: 377 km Total: 694 km SURFING SESSIONS The drivers will be overcome with even more intense sensations early in the morning. It is precisely at the beginning of the special stage that they will be deeply moved by a spectacular view, combining sand and waves, which continues for several kilometres. The theme will remain constant, since the most experienced experts will be able to surf on the dunes which stretch out for around a hundred kilometres. On the other hand, the difficult fesh-fesh area that will have to be tackled at the end of the special stage will bring everyone back to the tough reality of the long-distance rally. 64

42 STAGE 11: Thursday, 12 January 2012 Arica - Arequipa Liaison: 120 km Special Stage: 478 km Total: 598 km THE MOTORCYCLISTS CLUB APPROACH For the Dakar s first day in their country, the Peruvians will be entitled to two special stages and additional kilometres for the motorcyclists. After a day spent switching between off-piste sections and areas interspersed with rivers, they will benefit from a moment of camaraderie: a specific bivouac will be set up for them before they continue exploring Peru. The concept, which had not been tried out again since the camp of Foum Zguid in Morocco during the 2007 Dakar, will also create a major obstacle which will affect the management of the race. The assistance vehicles will not be authorized in the maintenance area, where only the motorcyclists and quad riders will be able to help each other. 66

43 STAGE 12: Friday, 13 January 2012 Arequipa - Nazca Liaison: 440 km Special Stage: 246 km Total: 686 km THE DRAGON OF NAZCA Only a flight over the region can allow the Nazca Lines, mysterious motifs created in the ground more than 2,000 years ago, to be admired! The route of the special stage creates another line on the map of Peru which looks like a sand dragon. Although the areas of dunes are evenly spread out, the competitors will definitely remember one of them, which made a deep impression on the reconnaissance team. The dunes follow one after another continuously for almost twenty kilometres, transporting the drivers to a new dimension. As the sand will remain firm in this string of dunes, it will help the drivers to cross them without too much difficulty. But the most skilled dune-crossers will nevertheless be able to create a surprise, in particular three days before the final finish. Those who remember how to perform the Mauritanian swerve can save some precious minutes. 68

44 STAGE 13: Saturday, 14 January 2012 Nazca - Pisco Liaison: 76 km Special Stage: 276 km Total: 352 km PACIFIC ATMOSPHERE The dunes are majestic in this part of the country. They will ensure suspense to the very end about who will be the winners and how they will be placed on podium. At the same time, the drivers who are less in a hurry must take nothing for granted even if they are beginning to think about the relief of reaching the finish. They will also have to negotiate a significant number of strings of dunes, avoid confusing valleys which appear to be similar but are in fact different, and fight off the inevitable fatigue after the thousands of kilometres covered. Here every one of the competitors will remember what extreme endurance means here. 70

45 STAGE 14: Sunday, 15 January 2012 Pisco - Lima Liaison: 254 km Special Stage: 29 km Total: 283 km TIME TO CELEBRATE During the short special stage which will establish definitively the competitors final rankings, the tracks and the small dunes should be enjoyed but not overlooked. The time issues are now insignificant and the pleasure of finishing the race will gain the upper hand. The heroes of the 2012 edition will be able to count on a celebration in the heart of the capital that is on a par with their emotions. Those who have successfully survived the adventure will realize all of the difficult moments that they have endured along the way. The challenge has come to end, but the sights, sensations and the souvenir of an exceptional life experience will remain. 72

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47 PARTNERS

48 MINI Motorsport BMW Motoren GmbH The ground was broken for BMW s Steyr Plant in Upper Austria in Engine production then started in 1982, and today more than half of all BMW engines are built in Steyr. The Steyr Plant builds four- and six-cylinder diesel engines as well as six-cylinder petrol power units shipped to BMW Group car production plants worldwide. Widely lauded and the winners of many prizes, these BMW power units acknowledged by experts as the benchmark for the most advanced engine technology are the guarantee for that Sheer Driving Pleasure so typical of all BMW s. MAGNA Steyr MAGNA STEYR is the leading global, brand-independent engineering and manufacturing of components and systems, and innovations on the road to the automotive future. 75

49 Monster Energy Drink America s No. 1 by-volume sales energy drink, Monster Energy supports the scene. Be it the Dakar Rally, F1 auto racing, Supercross MotoGP & MXGP, concert tours, rock festivals, skateboards, freestyle snowmobiles, X Games, Dew Tour, off-road truck racing, Rallycross, gymkhana, skate, MTB, trails, boardercross, karts, pit bikes, drift, insane distance jumping, crawling, wake, snow, surf, ski name it Monster s athletes and bands are rockin the world. Delta Q Delta Q is a sub-brand of the Portuguese quality coffee brand Delta Cafés. The Delta Q Concept allows consumers to enjoy their favourite espresso experience in their own homes, with the Delta Q design machines. With large scale distribution channels, it allows the democratization of the act of drinking top quality coffee at home. Constant innovations are made to respond to the market needs, and Red Q, a capsule of the finest Rooibos Tea, is a perfect example of just that. Vision Advisors Vision Advisors provides global investment advisory services to its clients. Within these services we highlight our models for asset allocation, risk measurement, risk management and portfolio evaluation. SunHunters KS Tools For 18 years KS Tools as a modern tool supplier has continuously provided everyday s solutions and innovative tools for the consistently changing requirements in out hightech daily life. The impressive quality, the excellent engineering for comfort and control, as well as the competitive pricing, are very much appreciated by numerous users all over the world. RECARO RECARO stands for the lightest, safest and most comfortable motorsport seats due to more than 40 years of racing experience. This edge is the first choice of winners: factory and private teams, pro drivers and amateurs as well as all major sports car manufacturers. 76

50 KÄRCHER Kärcher, a family-owned enterprise, is the world s leading provider of cleaning technology. With pressure washers, vacuums and steam cleaners, home and garden pumps, sweepers and floor scrubbers, vehicle washes, cleaning agents, dry ice blasters, drinking and waste water treatment plants, and water dispensers, it offers a range of innovative problem solutions. These include coordinated products, cleaning agents and accessories, along with advice and service. Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG employs over 8,500 people in 75 companies in 50 countries. More than 50,000 service centres in all countries ensure continuous and comprehensive supplies to customers all over the world. Innovation is the company s principal growth factor. Around 85% of its products have been in existence for five years or less. More than 600 engineers and technicians are engaged in designing new problem solutions at the cleaning equipment manufacturer s development centres. Alpinestars Alpinestars is the premier technical apparel and footwear company in motorsport today and equips champion athletes in every major racing series including F1, MotoGP and the Le Mans 24H. SANDTLER Since more than 50 years Sandtler grew to be a major German supplier around the motorsport business. Racewear, safety devices as well as technical equipment and high quality street-tuning products are the main components of a yearly published special catalogue with emphasis on motorsport. Reiger Racing Thanks to the continues drive to innovate and improve is Reiger Suspension a benchmark in high-grade auto- and motorsport suspension. Several Rally, Rallye-Raid and Motocross world titles where made possible by their exclusive suspension parts. 78

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53 X-raid GmbH Adam-Opel-Str. 4, Trebur, Germany Thomas Quandt Stefanie Szlapka s.szlapka@x-raid.de