Maxxis Dakar Team completes stage 1 on a positive note

Tim Coronel and Jurgen van den Goorbergh

Photo by: willyweyens.com

Sebastian Husseini showed his capabilities and scored a second place at the first short stage of the rally around Pisco.

His team mate Kees Koolen also had a good run and finished 5th.

Both buggies experienced some issues whilst driving the liaison with the fuel supply but both managed to finished the stage.

Kornelis Offringa and Rob van Pelt smoothly drove their Unimog to the finish of the stage.

Both Maxxis Dakar Team quads in top 5

The quads had the honors to open the day and passed the starting podium in Lima early in the morning. Cheered on by the fans they started the 250 kms long liaison to the first stage of Dakar 2013 in the area of Pisco.

The 13 kms long stage was considered to be just a formality but was of great importance as the results would determine the starting positions for Sundays stage.

Sebastian Husseini showed a strong performance and grabbed a fantastic second place. The potential and speed of the Maxxis Dakar Team quad was also shown by Kees Koolen by scoring a 5th place.

Problems for the Buggies

Around noon it was time for Tim Coronel and Jurgen van den Goorbergh to drive over the starting stage. Both riders were impressed by the the huge crowd and excited they started their 250 kms long liaison.

Shortly after the start Coronel’s buggy came to a halt. Soon he managed to continue but the buggy kept stalling and would not run smoothly. Van den Goorbergh too experienced problems on the liaison and arrived too late at the start of the special.

The problem turned out to be linked to the fuel supply. Coronel and Van den Goorbergh both finished the stage but both lost a lot of time.

After the finish Jurgen van den Goorbergh ‘s time was corrected. Due to the chaos at the start all drivers that had started too late had those minutes corrected and deducted.

Van den Goorbergh ‘s stage time resulted therefore in a 43rd position. Tim Coronel had not waited at the start to solve the fuel supply problem and started the special in his allocated minute, had the same issues during the stage and was clocked 142nd.

Offringa en van Pelt smooth ride to the finish

Kornelis Offringa and Rob van Pelt were the last Maxxis Dakar team members to start the stage.

After a problem free liaison the squad arrived at the start of the special and after a bit of delay the trucks started their first stage of Dakar 2013. Offringa and Van Pelt took no risks and finished a provisional 46th position.