Steve with the eighth Chilean miner out of the hole!
The miners around the hummer.
Dakar 2011 Hummer 327
The Hummer Steve will be navigating in
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thank you all!
Hello Everyone!
I just got off the phone with Steve. They are packing up and getting ready to leave for Buenos Aires tonight. It is a sad situation, but there is nothing they can do about it now, and it seems like the team is just trying to make the best out of it. They have about a 2,000k drive back to Buenos Aires, but I think this drive will be a lot smoother than what the ASO had originally planned for them, which is good for Steve's tailbone.
Steve said he is in a lot of pain, but American racer Sue Mead gave him some painkillers earlier that are helping him out. He felt like he also was really dehydrated yesterday, so that made him feel even worse. Since they are going up to 190 kph at some points, it is taking so much focus and energy to just concentrate on what is happening that it drains you even if you are in perfect health. So needless to say, yesterday's stage was really rough on him.
Steve said he really wants to thank everyone for all of the support they have given them throughout this experience. This rally is not only physically demanding, but also emotionally, so knowing you have people behind you really makes a difference. He is looking forward to being able to share his stories when he gets home with you all. He hopes that everyone that is still in the rally stays safe and rides smart throughout the remaining stages. We are all going to be cheering the competitors on this weekend at the finish in Buenos Aires!
Thanks for reading!
Alison
I just got off the phone with Steve. They are packing up and getting ready to leave for Buenos Aires tonight. It is a sad situation, but there is nothing they can do about it now, and it seems like the team is just trying to make the best out of it. They have about a 2,000k drive back to Buenos Aires, but I think this drive will be a lot smoother than what the ASO had originally planned for them, which is good for Steve's tailbone.
Steve said he is in a lot of pain, but American racer Sue Mead gave him some painkillers earlier that are helping him out. He felt like he also was really dehydrated yesterday, so that made him feel even worse. Since they are going up to 190 kph at some points, it is taking so much focus and energy to just concentrate on what is happening that it drains you even if you are in perfect health. So needless to say, yesterday's stage was really rough on him.
Steve said he really wants to thank everyone for all of the support they have given them throughout this experience. This rally is not only physically demanding, but also emotionally, so knowing you have people behind you really makes a difference. He is looking forward to being able to share his stories when he gets home with you all. He hopes that everyone that is still in the rally stays safe and rides smart throughout the remaining stages. We are all going to be cheering the competitors on this weekend at the finish in Buenos Aires!
Thanks for reading!
Alison
Update!
Of course right after I push submit on the last post Steve texts me! He said the Hummer is back together! He is going to try to call me before they leave. Today's stage is a loop that goes through all of the stuff they went through yesterday, which is not exciting. However, I heard that after today stages start to get better, so fingers, toes, eyes, and whatever else, are all crossed for easier stages in the upcoming days!
What I know as of now....
I received a text from Steve at about 9am my time this morning, which is 5am his time. He said that they were running ninth yesterday, until they flipped the hummer end over end. He said his tailbone and back are hurting pretty bad. His tailbone is possibly broken as of now. This is terrible for an off-road racer. Sitting in one position for eight or more hours is uncomfortable for anyone, doing that while flying through the rough desert is even worse, and going through that situation with a broken tailbone is painful to even think about. However, it is great to know that both members of 327 are safe after flipping their vehicle. While they were stuck in the dunes for six hours in the middle of the night, he said there were at least four other cars stuck just within his line of vision. Supposedly 80% of cars were still stuck in the dunes by nightfall.
They got towed into the bivouac by a French team, which they were very greatful for. One of the great things about the Dakar rally is that people are always willing to help out a man in need. There was a lot of, I'll dig you out, then you dig me out, going on in the dunes yesterday, and I'm sure that's how the majority of cars were able to finish.
On Planet Robby it was mentioned that 327 got into the bivouac at 230 in the morning there time. I'm not sure if this is true or not. It was possibly later based on the text I received. When they came into the bivouac, they had no clutch, and fuel issues. It looks like the mechanics had a busy night. Steve said when they got in they had to fight to get a start time today with the ASO, and ended up receiving one. I think the only thing standing between them and the start now is the condition of the Hummer. I tried to call Steve a little while ago, but got no answer. No cars have started today's stage as of now, so it is too early to tell if they are going to be running or not. Even if Steve misses his start time, he has until an hour after the last car leaves the start line to start, so that might buy them a little extra time. I am thinking positive about the situation! Hopefully Steve was able to visit the doctor to get some pain medicine for his tailbone and back to help him stay comfortable throughout the stage. If I hear anything I will let you all know!
Thanks for reading!
Alison
They got towed into the bivouac by a French team, which they were very greatful for. One of the great things about the Dakar rally is that people are always willing to help out a man in need. There was a lot of, I'll dig you out, then you dig me out, going on in the dunes yesterday, and I'm sure that's how the majority of cars were able to finish.
On Planet Robby it was mentioned that 327 got into the bivouac at 230 in the morning there time. I'm not sure if this is true or not. It was possibly later based on the text I received. When they came into the bivouac, they had no clutch, and fuel issues. It looks like the mechanics had a busy night. Steve said when they got in they had to fight to get a start time today with the ASO, and ended up receiving one. I think the only thing standing between them and the start now is the condition of the Hummer. I tried to call Steve a little while ago, but got no answer. No cars have started today's stage as of now, so it is too early to tell if they are going to be running or not. Even if Steve misses his start time, he has until an hour after the last car leaves the start line to start, so that might buy them a little extra time. I am thinking positive about the situation! Hopefully Steve was able to visit the doctor to get some pain medicine for his tailbone and back to help him stay comfortable throughout the stage. If I hear anything I will let you all know!
Thanks for reading!
Alison
Monday, January 10, 2011
Best stage yet!
Hello Everyone!
Here is how dakar.com described today's stage:
"Road section, 268 km
Here is how dakar.com described today's stage:
"Road section, 268 km
Special, 508 km
The three different phases of the day are likely to give rise to difficulties that will have a knock on effect. The utmost care is therefore recommended for handling the subtleties of navigation at the start of the special stage. In the immense open spaces of Chile, the competitors will have to “jump” from valley to valley: landmarks are rare and it is easy to get confused. Making up any time lost will be a dangerous task on the old mine tracks in the middle of the day’s route. Most importantly, a long sandy zone is located at the end of the stage. It will require a very clear head, so it is better to tackle it by day-light rather than with headlights on."
Reading this can make any person a little nervous. There is nothing inviting about that description. However, I was very pleased to come home from work today and see that 327 was in 9th place through WP4! They held strong through the following Wps, hovering around 10th place, then had a little set back at WP8 and checked in in 15th place. (Not bad at all seeing as how 15th still would have been their best of any other day!) The end of the day was supposed to have a lot of sand, which they have experienced trouble with in earlier stages. Whether it be getting stuck in the dunes, or loosing alternators, the sand has not been 327's friend throughout the rally.
Currently I am waiting to watch them go through WP12, but it is not looking too good so far. A Planet Robby member just announced that of the 84 cars that started today, 62 of them are stuck in the dunes. Supposedly the last 20k of dunes throughout this stage are the worst. If I hear anything from Steve tonight, I will update the blog. Thanks for reading!
Alison
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Video from one of the locals...
Here is a little clip of Steve trying to help them get out of the sand....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1FU4SFniZE&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1FU4SFniZE&feature=player_embedded
Stage 6, Rest Day, Stage 7
Hello All!
I know it has taken a couple days since a new blog, but it has been a busy few days at the rally as well! In the last 3 days, I've spoken to Steve for all of 5 minutes on the rest day so my information is limited.
Stage 6:
Steve said that stage 6 was a really rough day, full of silt! He spent 3 hours digging the hummer out of the sand, the alternator blew, and some other random parts were completely filled with silt. He said they were lucky that they even made it back to the bivouac! He had told me at the end of stage 6 that he had been pretty worried about it, and now he's officially looking forward to the rest day.
Rest Day:
I called steve while on my way to work saturday morning, knowing that may be my only time to catch him! It was 11 am or so his time, and he said that after all the silt, the hummer was being completely torn apart and being rebuilt. Other than that, he was anxious to get started on his road book for day 7, but the ASO wouldn't release them until 2 pm.
Stage 7:
All I got from steve today was one text message a few sentences long.. Apparently today was not a good day either, a lot of sand and silt. Steve said they got stuck in the dunes twice, and he got to officially test his HANS brace device, now his neck and head are not feeling so hot. He also stated they damaged a front clip and the mechanics are working on replacing it tonight. I saw the stage 7 video summary of the car class... it looks like a few cars flipped and many more are out after today.
Tomorrow brings a 700+ km day.... lets all send positive energy toward the 327!!
Video from stage 7!
SPEED energy setup on rest day
The Hummer in pieces on rest day
I know it has taken a couple days since a new blog, but it has been a busy few days at the rally as well! In the last 3 days, I've spoken to Steve for all of 5 minutes on the rest day so my information is limited.
Stage 6:
Steve said that stage 6 was a really rough day, full of silt! He spent 3 hours digging the hummer out of the sand, the alternator blew, and some other random parts were completely filled with silt. He said they were lucky that they even made it back to the bivouac! He had told me at the end of stage 6 that he had been pretty worried about it, and now he's officially looking forward to the rest day.
Rest Day:
I called steve while on my way to work saturday morning, knowing that may be my only time to catch him! It was 11 am or so his time, and he said that after all the silt, the hummer was being completely torn apart and being rebuilt. Other than that, he was anxious to get started on his road book for day 7, but the ASO wouldn't release them until 2 pm.
Stage 7:
All I got from steve today was one text message a few sentences long.. Apparently today was not a good day either, a lot of sand and silt. Steve said they got stuck in the dunes twice, and he got to officially test his HANS brace device, now his neck and head are not feeling so hot. He also stated they damaged a front clip and the mechanics are working on replacing it tonight. I saw the stage 7 video summary of the car class... it looks like a few cars flipped and many more are out after today.
Tomorrow brings a 700+ km day.... lets all send positive energy toward the 327!!
Video from stage 7!
SPEED energy setup on rest day
The Hummer in pieces on rest day
Friday, January 7, 2011
Stage 6!
Hello everyone!
Just a quick note, as I have not talked to Steve yet, and don't know if I will be able to tonight. Hummer 327 has been doing great today! It was supposed to be one of the toughest stages of the rally, and it has probably been their best! They started this morning in 46th position, and as of WP11 they are in 20th! There have not been many time drops, except for WP8, which rumor has it was due to mechanical issues, but that is not official. Tomorrow is the rest day for the rally. All of the members of the team really need this day, and hopefully it will actually be restful! They all need this day to recover from the past week. Today marks the one week point from when LaRoza's begin to arrive in Buenos Aires, and we are all very excited! Every other Dakar we have been able to be near Steve and give him a lot of support. It is just not the same from the other side of the world.
I am going to be in Paris this weekend, so this might be my last post until Monday, which I am really sad about! I really look forward to writing these every night. My sister, Stephanie, is going to try to keep up the blogs, but it might be difficult for her to do this because of her work schedule and the time difference. Just remember to keep an eye on all of the sites, and you should be kept fairly up to date for these next couple of days. If I hear from Steve tonight, I will post about how his day went, if not have a great weekend!
Alison
Just a quick note, as I have not talked to Steve yet, and don't know if I will be able to tonight. Hummer 327 has been doing great today! It was supposed to be one of the toughest stages of the rally, and it has probably been their best! They started this morning in 46th position, and as of WP11 they are in 20th! There have not been many time drops, except for WP8, which rumor has it was due to mechanical issues, but that is not official. Tomorrow is the rest day for the rally. All of the members of the team really need this day, and hopefully it will actually be restful! They all need this day to recover from the past week. Today marks the one week point from when LaRoza's begin to arrive in Buenos Aires, and we are all very excited! Every other Dakar we have been able to be near Steve and give him a lot of support. It is just not the same from the other side of the world.
I am going to be in Paris this weekend, so this might be my last post until Monday, which I am really sad about! I really look forward to writing these every night. My sister, Stephanie, is going to try to keep up the blogs, but it might be difficult for her to do this because of her work schedule and the time difference. Just remember to keep an eye on all of the sites, and you should be kept fairly up to date for these next couple of days. If I hear from Steve tonight, I will post about how his day went, if not have a great weekend!
Alison
Today's stage...
Here is a description for today's stage from dakar.com. It looks like it is going to be another long day. I'm sure the guys are excited for tomorrow's rest day!
"456 km of special are on the menu for the 6th stage which will take the competitors to Arica, the town nearest to the Peruvian border which will host the rest day on Saturday.The participants should exercise caution, however, because this special will again contain a plethora of difficulties, starting with sand for the first 50 kilometres. But this will only be the start of the struggles, with also off-track sections in salt flats to be negotiated and a finish amongst the ‘fesh-fesh’.These pitfalls to be avoided should again ensure a superb battle in all the categories, especially in the bike race, where Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM) should take advantage of a starting position further back in the pack to put in a strong performance.His countryman Stephane Peterhansel (BMW) will find himself in the opposite situation in the car race, since he will be opening the way on another day in which navigation will feature heavily. It could be a godsend for the man from Vésoul, who is perfectly at ease in this exercise and who will attempt to claw back more time form the Volkswagen armada, in order to have the psychological advantage before the rest day."
Hummer 327 will start at about 6am pst. Check out the link for the new tracking website on yesterday's blog to track them!
"456 km of special are on the menu for the 6th stage which will take the competitors to Arica, the town nearest to the Peruvian border which will host the rest day on Saturday.The participants should exercise caution, however, because this special will again contain a plethora of difficulties, starting with sand for the first 50 kilometres. But this will only be the start of the struggles, with also off-track sections in salt flats to be negotiated and a finish amongst the ‘fesh-fesh’.These pitfalls to be avoided should again ensure a superb battle in all the categories, especially in the bike race, where Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM) should take advantage of a starting position further back in the pack to put in a strong performance.His countryman Stephane Peterhansel (BMW) will find himself in the opposite situation in the car race, since he will be opening the way on another day in which navigation will feature heavily. It could be a godsend for the man from Vésoul, who is perfectly at ease in this exercise and who will attempt to claw back more time form the Volkswagen armada, in order to have the psychological advantage before the rest day."
Hummer 327 will start at about 6am pst. Check out the link for the new tracking website on yesterday's blog to track them!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Steve's Update
Scratch that, I just got a text from Steve.
He said that they just finished, and had a really tough day. They lost their serpentine belt at kilometer 40, lost an alternator at kilometer 279, and Steve dug the Hummer out of the sand for about three hours. These delays put them behind a lot of big trucks, making the rest of the stage even harder. The fact that there was just a text sent shows how long of a day this was on Steve. Hopefully the bivouac will be quiet tonight and he can get some good rest for tomorrow's stage. Saturday will be the rest day, which is going to be much needed. Here is a video of the Steve from today's stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjhhFJVd3ds&feature=player_embedded
Talk to you all tomorrow!
Alison
He said that they just finished, and had a really tough day. They lost their serpentine belt at kilometer 40, lost an alternator at kilometer 279, and Steve dug the Hummer out of the sand for about three hours. These delays put them behind a lot of big trucks, making the rest of the stage even harder. The fact that there was just a text sent shows how long of a day this was on Steve. Hopefully the bivouac will be quiet tonight and he can get some good rest for tomorrow's stage. Saturday will be the rest day, which is going to be much needed. Here is a video of the Steve from today's stage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjhhFJVd3ds&feature=player_embedded
Talk to you all tomorrow!
Alison
Stage 5...
Today's stage:
Today's stage was 423 kilometers full of tough terrain. There were only 39 kilometers of liaison, making most of the day's journey timed. The start began with rocks and bad tracks, making it impossible to pass through at high speeds. They went over 100 kilometers of complete uphill, descending into a 32% slope of deep sand.
I found a new (and super easy) website for tracking the rally, which became very useful today as most of planetrobby.com was quiet. Check out this link for tomorrow. It (hopefully) will open up with Steve's hummer already set to track. The top ten are automatically shown, and then you can add your other favorites as well. It is updated every couple of minutes, like the Dakar website tracker. You can change between Live Timing, Live Positions, and Stage Results at the top of the page.
http://dakar.visser.it/index.php?stage=5&type=A&page=live&refresh=1&country=usa&track=327
There were 14 WPs today. 327 started in 24th position through the first WP, and hovered around there until they got to WP11, where they dropped to 65th. Between WP 10 and 11 there was a lot of ground to cover, that had elevation changes. Eliseo passed the message along to one of the members of planet robby that they suffered from a lot of mechanical problems and their alternator belt was cut. These things were probably the cause of their delays.
The Dakar website just posted that Steve is in for the day at 47th! We just need to keep finishing stages, and everything else will work itself out. If I hear from Steve within the next hour I will post a blog tonight, otherwise I will update tomorrow on my lunch break. Thanks for reading!
No new news...
Steve said that he was going to call me back with new information last night, but I did not hear from him, so there is not going to be a part two post of yesterday's stage. I don't think I will be on planet robby chat tonight, but I will post on here if I hear any updates. Thank you again for all of your support, the Hummer team needs it right now.
Alison
Alison
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Update:
Robby Gordon's 303 Hummer is through WP 3. We do not know what this means though. Since he missed the start time, he is automatically disqualified. He may be trying to complete the stage in order to petition the DQ, but no one truly knows what his plans are. Check planetrobby.com for updates!
Another rough day for the Hummer team...
The day went downhill before it had even started. There's nothing worse than watching a vehicle miss their start time, and that was the case for Robby Gordon's 303 Hummer this morning. The minutes ticked by with no news on why the Hummer did not start. At first, we were all hoping that maybe it was something wrong with their tracking device, but after watching Steve's 327 Hummer go through their first WP (in 25th position) and still no 303, Planet Robby broke out in panic.
Rumors started circulating about what was happening with 303. Someone said it was a blown engine, while others were talking about issues with suspension. Reading some of the comments at this point were starting to upset me, because they started talking about why 327 would leave 303 behind. One of the reasons why my dad is so loved in the off-road industry is because of his great sportsmanship. He has given up races to sit with someone in the desert for hours to make sure they are safe and help is coming. Knowing this, I was sure that if there was something 327 could have done for 303, Steve would have made it happened.
A couple hours ago Steve called me. The first words out of his mouth were "Where's Robby". He knew he wasn't at the finish with them, and did not know that he had passed him. When Steve got to the finish, someone had mentioned to him that Robby was a gas station working on the Hummer. I instantly heard worry in his voice. I told him that Robby had not even made it to the start, and that he was having problems with his bearings (the new rumor at the time, which I am pretty sure was the real problem). Steve said that he never saw Robby before the start, and that if they passed 303 they had no knowledge of it. He was really disappointed because he said that if they would have known of these issues they might have been able to use the parts they had on their Hummer to fix it and get 303 back on the road. That is the Steve we all know and love!
I did not get much info out of him during that first phone call, because I could tell his mind was elsewhere. He said that they had a great day, and were passing a lot of vehicles. The had one issue where they overshot a 90 degree turn, and I think that cost him some time. (I was bummed to hear this, because I was told, by sources that will remain unnamed, that the minutes lost were because they hit a llama. I asked Steve what happened with the llama, which thanks to a satellite phone full of static, created a lot of confusion on both sides of the conversation. In the end, even though there were tons of llamas on the course, no llamas were injured by Hummer 327. I guess PETA won't be visiting the rally today.)
The 327 Hummer ran great during this stage! They had no mechanical issues, and were able to make up for lost time. Steve said the Hummer ran smooth and fast through the mountains, sand, and fast roads. Both teammates were very happy with it's performance.
Steve is supposed to be calling me later tonight with some more updates, but with everything that is happening he might not be able to. If I hear from him I will inform you all of the new updates. Here's to a better day tomorrow! Thanks for reading and your support!
Rumors started circulating about what was happening with 303. Someone said it was a blown engine, while others were talking about issues with suspension. Reading some of the comments at this point were starting to upset me, because they started talking about why 327 would leave 303 behind. One of the reasons why my dad is so loved in the off-road industry is because of his great sportsmanship. He has given up races to sit with someone in the desert for hours to make sure they are safe and help is coming. Knowing this, I was sure that if there was something 327 could have done for 303, Steve would have made it happened.
A couple hours ago Steve called me. The first words out of his mouth were "Where's Robby". He knew he wasn't at the finish with them, and did not know that he had passed him. When Steve got to the finish, someone had mentioned to him that Robby was a gas station working on the Hummer. I instantly heard worry in his voice. I told him that Robby had not even made it to the start, and that he was having problems with his bearings (the new rumor at the time, which I am pretty sure was the real problem). Steve said that he never saw Robby before the start, and that if they passed 303 they had no knowledge of it. He was really disappointed because he said that if they would have known of these issues they might have been able to use the parts they had on their Hummer to fix it and get 303 back on the road. That is the Steve we all know and love!
I did not get much info out of him during that first phone call, because I could tell his mind was elsewhere. He said that they had a great day, and were passing a lot of vehicles. The had one issue where they overshot a 90 degree turn, and I think that cost him some time. (I was bummed to hear this, because I was told, by sources that will remain unnamed, that the minutes lost were because they hit a llama. I asked Steve what happened with the llama, which thanks to a satellite phone full of static, created a lot of confusion on both sides of the conversation. In the end, even though there were tons of llamas on the course, no llamas were injured by Hummer 327. I guess PETA won't be visiting the rally today.)
The 327 Hummer ran great during this stage! They had no mechanical issues, and were able to make up for lost time. Steve said the Hummer ran smooth and fast through the mountains, sand, and fast roads. Both teammates were very happy with it's performance.
Steve is supposed to be calling me later tonight with some more updates, but with everything that is happening he might not be able to. If I hear from him I will inform you all of the new updates. Here's to a better day tomorrow! Thanks for reading and your support!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Stage Three Update!
Hello again!
I just got off the phone with Steve! They have made it through another stage and made up some lost time from yesterday! If my calculations serve me correctly (which this tracking thing can be confusing at times, so there is a chance they don't), Hummer 327 started in 79th place today and finished in 63rd overall. This is great progress!
Steve seemed a little surprised to hear this news. He said that they had a few delays which he thought would have cost them more time than it did. Before going through WP1, the Hummer got stuck in a sand trap, but was able to get out rather quickly. The beginning of the stage continued to be a little difficult, but they were able to make up good time during the second half. 327 ran smoothly until they reached the paved section before going through WP10, where they experienced some issues with the wheel inflation system again. Steve thought it was a flat, so he jumped out and changed the right rear tire. A few kilometers later they experienced the same thing. He realized that it was a flat, but caused because they were loosing air through the inflation system. He put on another good tire in hopes that he was able to fix the problem. Throughout the rest of the stage they had to be a little more cautious, because they were unsure of how much air they were going to be able to maintain in that rear tire. The team is working on fixing that tonight.
Other than that, Steve was once again happy with the Hummer's performance. He said that he really felt like it ran well in the second half of the stage, especially in the mountains. They were able to really fly through that section. He expects that tomorrow is going to be the day the conditions start really changing in favor of the Hummer. They are going to be entering Chile experiencing a lot of fast roads, with a little bit of sand and mountains in the middle.
Steve continued to be at ease with his navigation skills today, encountering no problems. He said it is always somewhat of a challenge, but nothing that he is unable to do. The Hummer's fast times are consistently showing us this throughout the day. While we were speaking he was working on his road book for tomorrow's course. After he finishes that, he will grab some dinner, set up his tent, and call it a night! We hung up to the sound of the Hummer roaring in the background! The crew is already hard at work for the night!
Looking forward to sharing 327's progress with you all tomorrow!
Alison
Also, I might have mentioned this earlier, but if you are having issues tracking on the dakar website, check out the live chat on planetrobby.com. Somehow the guys on there are always up to date with both Hummers, and are always willing to catch you up! Thanks for all the help planet robby friends! :)
I just got off the phone with Steve! They have made it through another stage and made up some lost time from yesterday! If my calculations serve me correctly (which this tracking thing can be confusing at times, so there is a chance they don't), Hummer 327 started in 79th place today and finished in 63rd overall. This is great progress!
Steve seemed a little surprised to hear this news. He said that they had a few delays which he thought would have cost them more time than it did. Before going through WP1, the Hummer got stuck in a sand trap, but was able to get out rather quickly. The beginning of the stage continued to be a little difficult, but they were able to make up good time during the second half. 327 ran smoothly until they reached the paved section before going through WP10, where they experienced some issues with the wheel inflation system again. Steve thought it was a flat, so he jumped out and changed the right rear tire. A few kilometers later they experienced the same thing. He realized that it was a flat, but caused because they were loosing air through the inflation system. He put on another good tire in hopes that he was able to fix the problem. Throughout the rest of the stage they had to be a little more cautious, because they were unsure of how much air they were going to be able to maintain in that rear tire. The team is working on fixing that tonight.
Other than that, Steve was once again happy with the Hummer's performance. He said that he really felt like it ran well in the second half of the stage, especially in the mountains. They were able to really fly through that section. He expects that tomorrow is going to be the day the conditions start really changing in favor of the Hummer. They are going to be entering Chile experiencing a lot of fast roads, with a little bit of sand and mountains in the middle.
Steve continued to be at ease with his navigation skills today, encountering no problems. He said it is always somewhat of a challenge, but nothing that he is unable to do. The Hummer's fast times are consistently showing us this throughout the day. While we were speaking he was working on his road book for tomorrow's course. After he finishes that, he will grab some dinner, set up his tent, and call it a night! We hung up to the sound of the Hummer roaring in the background! The crew is already hard at work for the night!
Looking forward to sharing 327's progress with you all tomorrow!
Alison
Also, I might have mentioned this earlier, but if you are having issues tracking on the dakar website, check out the live chat on planetrobby.com. Somehow the guys on there are always up to date with both Hummers, and are always willing to catch you up! Thanks for all the help planet robby friends! :)
Waiting to hear from Steve...
so I'll post new pics I found!
Steve has finished today's stage, and is heading to the bivouac. It should take them about another hour to get there, so a blog should be posted shortly! (as long as the internet cooperates!)
Steve is the one behind Eliseo (the guy in the blue firesuit).
Steve has finished today's stage, and is heading to the bivouac. It should take them about another hour to get there, so a blog should be posted shortly! (as long as the internet cooperates!)
Stage Two Updates...
Hello Everyone!
Sorry it took so long to post this! Steve called me at about 1230am (his time) this morning with updates about how the stage went, but I couldn't post because the internet went out where I am staying.
Right away I could tell that he seemed tired from a long day, which is expected after knowing all they went through today. Steve said that at about kilometer 30 they had issues with their rear wheel. He doesn't know what happened, just all of the sudden they dropped and the rear end of the Hummer was on the ground. Luckily his crew chief had done a quick "just in case" run through with Steve before the race started, and one of the things he briefly touched on was the Hummer's wheels and their inflation system. Steve isn't a professional mechanic, but with a little trial and error he was able to put the wheel back together on his own. He said that because he had never worked with these wheels before and there were so many steps to figure out and go through, it took longer than he would have liked. In the end, the most important thing is that he was able to get the Hummer up and running again, because in the Dakar Rally, simply continuing to finish stages can get you ahead of most other competitors.
Once they were back in the race Hummer 327 made amazing time! Steve strongly believed that if there were no issues in the beginning they would have been able to top ten. Their times were great from our online perspective, but Steve said that they would have been able to do even better if they hadn't spent the whole day trying to pass big trucks. The Hummer ran through the rest of the stage amazing. They had no issues and were very pleased with it's performance. They finished the day around 11pm, grabbed something to eat, took a hot shower, and started on the road books for today's stage.
When I talked to him this morning, he thought that they would be starting today's stage at the end of the pack. However, the ASO has ruled reclassification for both Hummers. Instead of starting in the 47th (#303) and 129th (#327) postions, they will be starting the third stage in the 21st and 23rd position. This is a great advantage for both Hummers. When I had asked Steve how he felt about today's stage, he said he was just worried about how much time they would spend trying to pass people, and how much time that would cost them. I am sure the whole team is estatic to hear this ruling!
The Hummers are going to be playing catch up for the next few days. The important thing to remember about the Dakar is anything can happen! There are still plenty of days of racing to do to make up for lost time!
That is all for now! Talk to you all later today!
Alison
Sorry it took so long to post this! Steve called me at about 1230am (his time) this morning with updates about how the stage went, but I couldn't post because the internet went out where I am staying.
Right away I could tell that he seemed tired from a long day, which is expected after knowing all they went through today. Steve said that at about kilometer 30 they had issues with their rear wheel. He doesn't know what happened, just all of the sudden they dropped and the rear end of the Hummer was on the ground. Luckily his crew chief had done a quick "just in case" run through with Steve before the race started, and one of the things he briefly touched on was the Hummer's wheels and their inflation system. Steve isn't a professional mechanic, but with a little trial and error he was able to put the wheel back together on his own. He said that because he had never worked with these wheels before and there were so many steps to figure out and go through, it took longer than he would have liked. In the end, the most important thing is that he was able to get the Hummer up and running again, because in the Dakar Rally, simply continuing to finish stages can get you ahead of most other competitors.
Once they were back in the race Hummer 327 made amazing time! Steve strongly believed that if there were no issues in the beginning they would have been able to top ten. Their times were great from our online perspective, but Steve said that they would have been able to do even better if they hadn't spent the whole day trying to pass big trucks. The Hummer ran through the rest of the stage amazing. They had no issues and were very pleased with it's performance. They finished the day around 11pm, grabbed something to eat, took a hot shower, and started on the road books for today's stage.
When I talked to him this morning, he thought that they would be starting today's stage at the end of the pack. However, the ASO has ruled reclassification for both Hummers. Instead of starting in the 47th (#303) and 129th (#327) postions, they will be starting the third stage in the 21st and 23rd position. This is a great advantage for both Hummers. When I had asked Steve how he felt about today's stage, he said he was just worried about how much time they would spend trying to pass people, and how much time that would cost them. I am sure the whole team is estatic to hear this ruling!
The Hummers are going to be playing catch up for the next few days. The important thing to remember about the Dakar is anything can happen! There are still plenty of days of racing to do to make up for lost time!
That is all for now! Talk to you all later today!
Alison
Monday, January 3, 2011
Still waiting...
Here is a new video I found from planet robby...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5Gw-7CuOho&feature=player_embedded
Hummer 327 finished 129th today. We still have almost two weeks of racing to do, so there is plenty of time to make up for the difficulties both of the Speed Hummers encountered today! Don't forget about the power of positive thought! My favorite thing to tell my dad :)
I'm still waiting for the phone call, but I'm realizing Steve might not have time to talk tonight, since they are still completing the liason. Hopefully I'll hear from them soon, if not, I will report back to you all tomorrow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5Gw-7CuOho&feature=player_embedded
Hummer 327 finished 129th today. We still have almost two weeks of racing to do, so there is plenty of time to make up for the difficulties both of the Speed Hummers encountered today! Don't forget about the power of positive thought! My favorite thing to tell my dad :)
I'm still waiting for the phone call, but I'm realizing Steve might not have time to talk tonight, since they are still completing the liason. Hopefully I'll hear from them soon, if not, I will report back to you all tomorrow!
The locals love Robby!
Here is a video of the locals (and their Fiat) helping Robby and Kellon out...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xge6ba_dakar-2011-day-2-les-soucis-de-robby-gordon_auto
as my buddy from planetrobby.com said, that Fiat needs a Speed logo on it!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xge6ba_dakar-2011-day-2-les-soucis-de-robby-gordon_auto
as my buddy from planetrobby.com said, that Fiat needs a Speed logo on it!
What if...
Here is what it would look like if there would not have been tire issues...
Time behind leader would have been:
wp2 -03:54
wp3 -06:23
wp4 -08:17
which would have put them at 16th place for the stage.
The boys are working hard now that they are back in action! There times are getting better and better at each WP! They are currently through WP4. Keep checking in!
Time behind leader would have been:
wp2 -03:54
wp3 -06:23
wp4 -08:17
which would have put them at 16th place for the stage.
The boys are working hard now that they are back in action! There times are getting better and better at each WP! They are currently through WP4. Keep checking in!
Tough start to stage two for Hummer team...
Hello All!
Just thought I would get you all up to speed with how the day is going...
This is how the day looks:
I don't know much about how Robby's hummer did throughout the day, but heard there were some hiccups during the stage for Hummer 303. He lost about 35 minutes last I heard. (My internet is very touchy, so looking up info has become trickier than it should be!)
Steve and Eliseo are sadly having worse luck on this stage. My friends at planetrobby.com have helped catch me up from the hours I missed while at work. Apparently Hummer 327 broke a wheel at the beginning of the day, costing them a lot of time to fix. I'm not sure what exactly went wrong, but they are about 3 hours and 54 minutes behind going through WP3. All of the issues happened before WP1, so hopefully throughout the rest of the day they will continue to make up time.
I can't always get tracking to work, it might be because my internet is not very strong, but check out www.dakar.com to track Steve. Click on "Live, Follow your Favorites" in the top right of the page, and then you can click on each WP to see Steve and Eliseo's time. At about 1115pst they are through WP3. Hope this all helps! Also, the live chat on planetrobby.com has a lot of dedicated fans keeping you updated, which has been very helpful for me!
It is probably going to be a late night for Steve, but if I get the chance to talk to him tonight (I will stay up until I hear from him!) I will post a blog. Check back later!
Thanks for all of your support!
Alison
Just thought I would get you all up to speed with how the day is going...
This is how the day looks:
I don't know much about how Robby's hummer did throughout the day, but heard there were some hiccups during the stage for Hummer 303. He lost about 35 minutes last I heard. (My internet is very touchy, so looking up info has become trickier than it should be!)
Steve and Eliseo are sadly having worse luck on this stage. My friends at planetrobby.com have helped catch me up from the hours I missed while at work. Apparently Hummer 327 broke a wheel at the beginning of the day, costing them a lot of time to fix. I'm not sure what exactly went wrong, but they are about 3 hours and 54 minutes behind going through WP3. All of the issues happened before WP1, so hopefully throughout the rest of the day they will continue to make up time.
I can't always get tracking to work, it might be because my internet is not very strong, but check out www.dakar.com to track Steve. Click on "Live, Follow your Favorites" in the top right of the page, and then you can click on each WP to see Steve and Eliseo's time. At about 1115pst they are through WP3. Hope this all helps! Also, the live chat on planetrobby.com has a lot of dedicated fans keeping you updated, which has been very helpful for me!
It is probably going to be a late night for Steve, but if I get the chance to talk to him tonight (I will stay up until I hear from him!) I will post a blog. Check back later!
Thanks for all of your support!
Alison
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Stage One Complete!!
Hello Everyone!
I just got off the phone with Steve. They have finished Stage 1 in 29th place! This is great for the 327 hummer! With both Steve and Eliseo being new to the hummer, they are happy with this start to the rally. Steve said there were a couple difficulties they had during the special that cost them about four minutes to smooth out. Without those delays they would have done a little better, but there is nothing they can do about it now so they are both staying positive.
Steve said the hummer ran excellent! There was no need to push it. This was basically their first time driving it off road, and the suspension was great. Steve mentioned that in his opinion, this should have been the most difficult stage for the hummers, because it was slow conditions with a lot of mud that was hard on the two wheel drive, but when they got to the low lands the hummer was flying! The fans were still out in full force today! Steve said they were all through the mountains and out by the rivers. When you see fans you know there is going to be an interesting section ahead, because they always want the action shots!
Steve had a great time navigating and experienced no problems... this comes is no surprise to those of us who know him as Magellan! Right now Steve is working on his road book for tomorrow. He is looking forward to tomorrow's course, and is expecting a lot of fast sections where the hummer will be able to show us what it's made of! All he has on the agenda for the night is eating and sleeping so he can be in good condition for tomorrow. They should be starting at about 940 tomorrow morning, and he hopes to finish the liason around 6pm. It will be a long day for them both!
Don't forget to check out the other websites for pictures and videos!
www.planetrobby.com
www.race-dezert.com
www.versus.com
www.dakar.com (where you can also track the hummer)
Talk to you all tomorrow!
Thanks for reading!
And Happy Birthday to Robby and Kellon of Hummer #303! What a great way to celebrate!
I just got off the phone with Steve. They have finished Stage 1 in 29th place! This is great for the 327 hummer! With both Steve and Eliseo being new to the hummer, they are happy with this start to the rally. Steve said there were a couple difficulties they had during the special that cost them about four minutes to smooth out. Without those delays they would have done a little better, but there is nothing they can do about it now so they are both staying positive.
Steve said the hummer ran excellent! There was no need to push it. This was basically their first time driving it off road, and the suspension was great. Steve mentioned that in his opinion, this should have been the most difficult stage for the hummers, because it was slow conditions with a lot of mud that was hard on the two wheel drive, but when they got to the low lands the hummer was flying! The fans were still out in full force today! Steve said they were all through the mountains and out by the rivers. When you see fans you know there is going to be an interesting section ahead, because they always want the action shots!
Steve had a great time navigating and experienced no problems... this comes is no surprise to those of us who know him as Magellan! Right now Steve is working on his road book for tomorrow. He is looking forward to tomorrow's course, and is expecting a lot of fast sections where the hummer will be able to show us what it's made of! All he has on the agenda for the night is eating and sleeping so he can be in good condition for tomorrow. They should be starting at about 940 tomorrow morning, and he hopes to finish the liason around 6pm. It will be a long day for them both!
Don't forget to check out the other websites for pictures and videos!
www.planetrobby.com
www.race-dezert.com
www.versus.com
www.dakar.com (where you can also track the hummer)
Talk to you all tomorrow!
Thanks for reading!
And Happy Birthday to Robby and Kellon of Hummer #303! What a great way to celebrate!
100k in...
and there are still this many fans!
Steve got in late last night, and I just received an email from him saying he didn't have time to talk this morning because they are already headed to the special, but he will call when they are finished. Thank you for all of your supportive messages as the rally gets started! I am passing them along to Steve daily. Check back later today to see how the first timed section of the rally went for Hummer 327!
Here is today's route:
Steve got in late last night, and I just received an email from him saying he didn't have time to talk this morning because they are already headed to the special, but he will call when they are finished. Thank you for all of your supportive messages as the rally gets started! I am passing them along to Steve daily. Check back later today to see how the first timed section of the rally went for Hummer 327!
Here is today's route:
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day One!
Hello Everyone!!
Today is the start of the Dakar Rally! Robby and Kellon are off the line, but Steve and Eliseo still have not started. I haven't heard much from him today, but he did send me a couple pictures. He also said that www.race-dezert.com has been taking pictures of them, so that is a new website to check out! Also, there was a 7.0 earthquake in Northern Argentina this morning. As far as I know, it was not as severe as it sounds. It's epicenter was so deep and it was in a rural location that it didn't cause much damage. Hopefully there will not be any intense aftershocks. Here are some pictures from the start just a little but ago....
And here is from Strutineering yesterday....
Dont forget to check out www.planetrobby.com for more info!
Talk to you all soon!
Alison
Today is the start of the Dakar Rally! Robby and Kellon are off the line, but Steve and Eliseo still have not started. I haven't heard much from him today, but he did send me a couple pictures. He also said that www.race-dezert.com has been taking pictures of them, so that is a new website to check out! Also, there was a 7.0 earthquake in Northern Argentina this morning. As far as I know, it was not as severe as it sounds. It's epicenter was so deep and it was in a rural location that it didn't cause much damage. Hopefully there will not be any intense aftershocks. Here are some pictures from the start just a little but ago....
And here is from Strutineering yesterday....
Dont forget to check out www.planetrobby.com for more info!
Talk to you all soon!
Alison
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