Sunday Special – Dakar Rally, South America

Growing up I sometimes watched car racing with my dad. He particularly enjoyed Formula 1 racing but sometimes watched NASCAR. Although I do not fully understand it all it was a time for him to tell me a little bit of what he knew about these races he occasionally watched. Of course, when you watch racing you hear about some other races as well. That is where I heard about the The Dakar Rally (formerly the Paris-Dakar Rally), which as its name implies ran from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal. This race began in 1978 and participants drove tough off-road routes through Africa until late 2000s due to security reasons in Mauritania. Now the race (or more accurately Rally Raid) is held in South America. Open to both professionals and amateur drivers it sees participants careening the at times insane route in cars, trucks, motorcycles and quads. Although I have never watched it in its entirety I do catch it now and again. I think these drivers are all crazy yet admire their adventurous streak.

Photo Attribution: MAINDRU PHOTO via Wikimedia Commons