Following official confirmation of the exclusion for a
technical rules infringement of the Hummer driven by the American Robbie
Gordon, which finished fifth, the final results of the 2012 Dakar Rally in
South America in January place all three South African built and developed
Toyota Hilux bakkies that completed the 8 000-kilometre event in the top 10.
While the remarkable third place overall of 2009 Dakar champions Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz in an Imperial Toyota Hilux was never in doubt, the sister Hilux of Argentine privateers Lucio Alvarez and Ronnie Graue moves up from sixth to fifth and the second Imperial Toyota Hilux of South Africans Duncan Vos and Rob Howie is elevated from 11th to 10th place overall.
Gordon’s exclusion was ratified by the international governing body of motorsport, the FIA, last week after he was excluded during the Dakar, but completed the event racing under appeal.
Toyota Motorsport team principal Glyn Hall comments: “We were already very happy and proud to have all three of our uniquely South African Toyota Hilux bakkies finish the toughest and longest off road race in the world at the team’s first attempt. That they are now officially classified as having completed the gruelling 15-day 8 000-kilometre race in the top 10 is great news.
“It’s also a fitting reward to a special team of South Africans that put in an almost superhuman effort over several months to prepare the vehicles for the event and then looked after them so well throughout the two weeks of competition.”
STORY BY TOYOTA
No comments:
Post a Comment