Race2recovery Forced To Retire Two Race Vehicles From 2014 Dakar Challenge

San Rafael, Argentina, 7 January 2014. Race2Recovery, the group of severely injured soldiers who made history as the first disabled rally team to enter, and complete, the Dakar rally in 2013 has been forced to retire two race vehicles from its 2014 Dakar challenge.

The team had entered two race cars and a T4 truck, to support the race cars, into the 2014 Dakar and had begun the race on Sunday 5 January, progressing well in the early stage.  However, on Stage 2, Monday 6 January, the race car of Ben Gott and Phillip Gillespie suffered failure forcing them to withdraw.  In addition, the race car of Tony Harris and Quin Evans rolled end‑to‑end as it was progressing down a large sand dune.  The vehicle landed on its wheels and made it through to the end of the stage but, on inspection by the team mechanics, it was found to have suffered damage to the roll cage which meant it had to be withdrawn for safety reasons.

In the spirit of the Dakar, the team's T4 truck has stopped to help a stranded team on Stage 2 and will then make its way back to the bivouac with the aim of continuing to progress in this year's race.   The truck's crew includes one of the team's injured servicemen, amputee Daniel Whittingham.

Speaking from the team's bivouac in San Rafael, Argentina, driver and team founder Tony Harris said: "We're clearly very disappointed that we've had to retire two race vehicles.  Our preparations had gone very well but this year's experience just goes to show why they call the Dakar the toughest race in the world.  As a team, we'll now focus on the T4 truck and put all our efforts in trying to keep this vehicle in the Dakar.  We want to stay in the race as long as possible and we're proud that our efforts continue to raise the profile of military charities including Tedworth House, Help For Heroes and Blesma.  We'd like to thank everyone who has supported our Dakar challenge so far."

Race2Recovery has raised over £250,000 for Tedworth House Personnel Recovery Centre and Help for Heroes and, this year, is also raising awareness of military charity Blesma.  Land Rover, the team's lead sponsor, has confirmed that it will support the team's entry into the new Defender Challenge by Bowler rally series that will launch in the UK in Spring 2014.  Race2Recovery can use this competition to gain further experience ahead of future Dakar challenges as well as using it as an ideal platform to train up new recruits.

People wishing to find out more about Race2Recovery should visit www.race2recovery.com and www.uk.media.landrover.com

‑ENDS‑

CONTACTS

PR CONTACT:  Jim Williams, Fast Track   jim.williams@fasttrackagency.com  07814 068349
LAND ROVER PR CONTACT:  Kim Palmer  kpalmer@landrover.com  07795 666 169

IMAGE CAPTION

IMAGE 1:  A Race2Recovery vehicles competes in the 2014 Dakar rally www.race2recovery.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

2014 Race2Recovery Team:

2014 Race2Recovery Team:

About Land Rover

Land Rover is the lead sponsor for Race2Recovery.  Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true breadth of capability across the model range. Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors. Land Rover products are currently sold in approximately 180 global markets.

About the Dakar Rally:

The Dakar, an incomparable human adventure whose history has been built in the finest deserts of the planet, is amongst the major sporting challenges of our era. Both a race and a test of navigational skills, it involves not only the leading riders and drivers of the rally raid discipline, but also amateur competitors, who often take part to make their dream come true or to rise to a challenge, behind the handlebars or steering wheel of their bike, quad, car or truck. Fifty nationalities come together each year for this mixture of competition and solidarity whose television coverage is seen by a billion viewers in 190 countries.

The Dakar Rally (or simply 'The Dakar', formerly known as 'The Paris‑Dakar') is an annual Dakar Series rally raid off‑road race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race originated in 1978, a year after racer Thierry Sabine got lost in the desert and decided that it would be a good location for a regular rally event. Originally, the rally was from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. However, due to politics and other factors, the course, including origin and destination, has varied over the years. After cancellation of the rally in 2008, the 2009 Dakar Rally was run in South America (Argentina and Chile) ‑ the first time the race took place outside of Europe and Africa. It has stayed in South America since 2009. The race is open to amateur and professional entries with amateurs typically making up about 80% of participants.

Despite its name it is an off‑road endurance race, called a rally‑raid rather than a conventional rally ‑ the terrain the competitors traverse is much tougher and the vehicles used by teams and individuals are true off‑road vehicles rather than the modified on‑road vehicles used in rallies. The majority of the competitive special sections are off‑road, crossing dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks among others.

The Dakar 2014 course, which stretches over 9000km of the world's toughest terrain, begins in Rosario, Argentina on 5th January, with the course winding north through Argentina, into Bolivia and finishing in Valparaiso, Chile on 18 January.

www.dakar.com

About the Defender Challenge

The Defender Challenge by Bowler is a one‑make rally series operated by Bowler Motorsport designed to act as a feeder series to the annual Dakar rally and other global rally competitions.

Continuing the strategic partnership announced in 2012 between Land Rover and Bowler Motorsport, the Defender Challenge will see competition‑prepared Land Rover Defenders being used in a one‑make, seven round, rally series taking place across the UK. The series will be regulated by the MSA (Motor Sports Association) and each Defender Challenge car will be FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) compliant enabling competitors to compete internationally.

The Defender Challenge will provide both experienced competitors, and those with no prior competition experience, a platform to gain the experience required to compete in world‑class rally events. For those with no or little experience, the series will offer a complete solution for gaining a licence, training and development and ultimately, competition experience.