streaky Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I was in the Rally office today renewing my license and everyone was talking about the cancellation. Some poor sods have forked out over 100 grand to do the Dakar and all they'll get back is there entry fee! There is a Baja event in Saudi next month that some of the lads here were planning to do. After recent events they'll probably think twice now. Just last month the final deciding round of the Middle East Rally Champianship was cancelled because of sabotage on the track. It makes you wonder which is more dangerous...the actual racing or just being there! It turns out that speed isn't the only thing that kills these days in International Motorsport. Drew Bowler had forked out a small fortune of the new 'Nemisis' Support truck...hopefully it will get used somewhere else but the Dakar was supposed to showcase the new car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollythelw Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 getting there Ian but still not Utopia when the cars are banging through a dust bowl villiage I must have missed the huge injection of cash that race itself must bring to the "guy on the street", stoning cars and bikes is a regular game for the kids - I guess it must just be small tokens of love for those nice guys that build them a new school/hospital etc IMO it was a mistake to cancel the race - sh*t happens, its a risk you take especially when racing. now every fella with an AK and a pipe bomb will be playing up because they know it works find the baddies, cut their heads off and bury the bodies in a pig skin - no virgins for you in heaven Mr badboy. forgot....... its not politically correct to fight fire with fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streaky Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Agree with most of what you say Dolly but the FIA's number one concern is the safety of the compeditors...period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Or imagine VW spending 20mil for nothing. They wont be doing that in a hurry again. I am a bit puzzled with their fears for safety. every year at least on or two competitors get killed and worse, some local children are run over. they seem to shrug their shoulders over that but they are really the victims. I would imagine many of the entrants spend many months of each year and tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars preparing for the Dakar, and to be told the event is cancelled when they are virtually on the start line must be heart breaking as well as financially ruining for the smaller outfits.Bill. Oh, Bloody Al Quaeda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollythelw Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I can dig that streaky but racing isnt a warm and fluffy past time, if the competitors are aware of the risks and decide to procede... then as adults - its their choice. good point Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 They could have at least run round europe a few times not England of course our police would never tolerate people having fund and driving fast on a leason or struggling back to the pits with a busted truck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I can dig that streaky but racing isnt a warm and fluffy past time, if the competitors are aware of the risks and decide to procede... then as adults - its their choice.good point Daan I agree it is a bit strange given the previous safety record. Also, if there was a specific threat (like blowing up fuel drops) then surely some beefed up security could have been organised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 What about the possibility of someone taking it into his head to mortar the bivouac? Or stopping and killing riders lost and coming back late? Or any number of other concerted and organized methods of attacking the rally. We are not talking about bandits taking pot-shots at competitors here but organized terrorist activity. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D9OSV Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Most of the people i have spoken to that would/will race in Africa seem to be looking at it like this......... Any event that they might enter is smaller than the Dakar and in itself will probabley have little if any media attention, and then only in offraod publications. The chances of meeting/being targeted by ANY Mildly miffed of bloke/terrorist with a gun is slim, and if your moving, even less......... So it seems that the general feeling is go for it........... Or at least until somebody else gets shot up ? Jim Ps: "find the baddies, cut their heads off and bury the bodies in a pig skin - no virgins for you in heaven Mr badboy" Sounds like the closet thing to a plan i've heard in ages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Ps: "find the baddies, cut their heads off and bury the bodies in a pig skin - no virgins for you in heaven Mr badboy" addition: "and the only female you'll find when you get there pal, is Vicky Pollard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush doctor Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 We done that last week though, see here. Yeh but then Wobbly Cobbly got involved and it all became important. On a more serious note I wonder what would happen if that was the world cup or olympics that was threatened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streaky Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I can dig that streaky but racing isnt a warm and fluffy past time, if the competitors are aware of the risks and decide to procede... then as adults - its their choice.good point Daan Just to add to this. I was driving the course closing car on the UAE International rally in December which was cancelled by the FIA because of sabotage on the course. I asked the representative pretty much the same question and his response wwas that he didn't want the FIA exposed to liable in the event of a non-motosport related accident. They are responsible for everything and have to cover thier backs for every eventuality. Drivers can prepare their cars for protection against roll overs, fires etc but it's another kettle of fish to protect a driver from a bullet or incendury device on the track! I know that a few families who lost kids through accidents etc on previous events were compensated beyond their wildest dreams for their loss. There are heaps more raid type events at this time of year. Not all are races. Regards. S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyalbers Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 find the baddies, cut their heads off and bury the bodies in a pig skin - no virgins for you in heaven Mr badboy.forgot....... its not politically correct to fight fire with fire. Politically correct? Hmm.. Ever seen obsession? (http://www.obsessionthemovie.com) A quote from the film: We are drowning in our own political correctness.. And from Klutae's "we are sinners": Our greatest enemy is our own inaction. So forget all about correctness here, it's a matter of who's the strongest. /tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Seems as though other people are all to aware of the benefits, financial and other, that a 'Dakar' event brings. http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/More_Sp...248246,00.html# Boys will still be able to play with their toys, the manufacturers will get their Marketing opportunities, and the Arab leaders will keep their own people in the dustbowl of poverty, which is what the Leaders want. Everybody succeeds, except the poor, and how many guns do they have? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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