Dakar Rally 2010: Budapest to be starting point

[Kartman]

Bad timing for this to be announced but here it is.



BUDAPEST � Budapest will be the starting point for the famed Dakar Motor Rally in 2010, a Hungarian government official told the radio station, Inforadio, yesterday.
�We have already signed a pre-contract agreement with Dakar rally organisers. It will be great for the country,� said Istvan Ujhelyi, state secretary at the Municipal and Regional Development Ministry.
The rally would start from Heroes� Square in downtown Budapest, he said.
This year�s rally, the 30th edition of the race, will start in Lisbon on Saturday and end in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on January 20.
The Rally which lasts for sixteen days will be competed over the fifteen stage of the Rally route.

[Ferrari333SP]

Interesting. I'm all for starting starting the rally in some new location. Wonder how they will go through Africa once they get there.

[alan4s]

I had seen that yesterday. I'd be very curious to know what the planned route would be. There's much more water and land beteen Hungary and Africa than the current route from Lisbon.

Of course, given todays events, maybe the destination won't be Dakar anymore. It would be sad to not do the Sahara.

[big oly P.J]

I'm always for a location and terrain change.

[Kartman]

I was there last summer and Heroes Sq is amazing, and a very cool place to start the race from.

[PMAZ7]

How about just STARTING the rally?!?! Just kidding, it sounds like a bad situation over there right now. Budapest should be very exciting.

[Jkrell]

I spent a couple months there two summers ago and it was awesome. Racers will not be disappointed with Budapest and the Hungarian countryside.

[Icewalker]

The question then becomes .. should the race still head toward Dakar ? If not then where? IMHO if 2009 doesn't happen for the same reason then it should head east to the Gobi

[FlyHiFlyLo]

Nobody is going to sign up for 2009...

[dustyhusky]

I will be signing up for '09....

[Ferrari333SP]

There will be an event in 2009 for sure. 100% confident. Like years past, all available entries will be taken up and some people will probably be turned down. If some privateers can't do it again because of monetary issues, there will always be somebody with money taking their place. Simple as that for every rally here on out. Just listen to the interview with Toby Moody on Rallyradio.

[PackMule]

Rally RAIDio call with Charlie Rauseo, team manager for Rally PanAm. He says he spoke with the ASO office this morning, and the race will be held in South America for 2009.


Take a listen:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/rallyraidio/CharlieConfirmSA.mp3


Enjoy!


Nate