IN
THE
WIND
P52
Dakar from 1978 to 2020
T
he Dakar Rally is just around
the corner and 2020 will
see the event move from South
America to the vast desert plains
of Saudi Arabia, marking the third
new territory for the race since its
inception in 1978.
Originally called the Paris-
Dakar, the event ran from the
French capital of Paris to the
Senegal capital of Dakar in West
Africa, with the route eventually
taking in such areas as Libya,
Chad and Sudan, with the 1992
race spanning the entire conti-
nent of Africa north to south.
In 2009, following security
threats in Mauritania, the event
was moved to South America,
where it ran until this year.
The above videos were creat-
ed by the Dakar organizers and
shows just what an epic event
the Dakar has become, from the
early amateur days on two and
four wheels to the professional
race of today.
The U.S. is in the best posi-
tion it's ever been for lead-
ing into the Dakar Rally, with
Husqvarna's Andrew Short fresh
off winning the Moroccan Rally
and Honda star Ricky Brabec
desperate to make amends for
his retirement in the 2019 Dakar
while leading. CN
