San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina – Persevering to overcome a poor finish in Stage 2 due to mechanical issues, the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER was back on unfamiliar terrain. In the 2010 edition of the Dakar Rally, Stage 3 took the competitors from La Rioja to Fiambala, however, this year the route has moved further east as they make their way to Chile. Beginning the day in San Miguel de Tucuman, this special stage has been split into two parts, totaling 226km or 165 miles.
Robby Gordon and navigator, Kellon Walch, made up valuable time in Stage 3 of the Dakar Rally. Starting the day in 21st position overall, Gordon finished the stage in 15th, putting the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires team 17th overall, 1 hour 32 minutes and:42 seconds behind leader, Carlos Sainz. Even as Gordon improved his position in the rally, he was not pleased with the performance of the HUMMER. “We keep putting ourselves behind the eight ball. We passed a bunch of cars early in the special, but then realized we had lost a transmission pump”, Gordon commented. The HUMMER ran hot all day which prevented Gordon from racing the special at the vehicle’s full potential. Frustrated with the performance, Gordon says, “Today’s special would have been good for the HUMMER had we not had a mechanical issue. The route had some very technical, rough stuff in the beginning, and it would have been good for us.”
Day 5 – Stage 4 commences from San Salvador de Jujuy ending in Calama. The Dakar leaves Argentina temporarily to cross the Andes mountain range via the Paso de Jama pass. The Stage 4 special is 207km or 128 miles.
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