Off Road racing king and NASCAR driver Robby Gordon has been racing anything on wheels since he was knee-high to a desert tortoise.
This past weekend he podiumed with a THIRD PLACE Overall finish at the 2009 Dakar Rally. It was the highest placing tow-wheel-drive vehicle in the competition and the best Dakar finish to date.
The 14-stage rally crossed the continent of South America, beginning and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Considered one of the hardest Dakar races ever, the course over mountians, sand dunes, and rocks in the middle continent, then along the coast of Chili from Valparaiso to Atacama before returning into Argentina. The original route was 9,574 km (5,949 miles) long but the rally was shortened along the way due to poor weather conditions.
Gordon's Hummer H3 Monster Energy vehicle raced on Toyo Open Country M/T-R 37X13.50R17 tires. Gordon's #309 Hummer ran head-to-head in the sand dunes with the 4WD Volkswagen Touaregs which ultimately won the event over-all. During Stage 13 of the race, Gordon momentarily led until a small rock lodged in the throttle linkage which needed to be repaired costing valuable time.
The Third Place finish at the 2009 Dakar Rally was a major accomplishment for Gordon and his Monster Energy Drink Toyo Tire H3 Hummer.
Congratulations, Robby Gordon!!!