Patrols, Titans and Hardbodies—Oh My!

OK...so it should be "Titan" and not "Titans"...shoot me...

Regardless, I just wanted to post a number of shots from the recent Taupo 1000 race in New Zealand. Looked at as the longest and best off-road race in the Southern Hemisphere (though I think the Dakar in its South American incarnation may now grab that title) the Taupo is one of the world's true adventures. Best of all, Nissans, especially the Patrol in both its pickup and its SUV forms, are a force to be reckoned with here. Also of note is that the Titan shown here is listed as having a SUPERCHARGED 4.5 liter engine...not too many of those around I don't believe....

Trucks #830, #832 and #609 found in these pics finished 11th, 12th and 13th on the weekend out of 74 entries. The Titan (still looking for more info on this truck as Titans have never been sold in Australia or NZ and I suspect he must have imported the engine and built the truck around that or purchased one of the former CORR Pro2 Titans of Carl Renezeder), driven by Raana Horan, finished in 57th after experiencing engine problems.

Nissan Goes Sub-Versa(ve)

Nissan continues to go small. At the Tokyo Motor Show (currently underway) Nissan has revealed that the next generation of its micro-car (Nissan Micra) will be sold here in the U.S. beginning in 2011 or 2012. The initial design sketch above does not show just how small this vehicle will be as in fact it will come up some two feet shorter than a Versa. By the time it comes out a Versa will likely be prices around $15K so still expect to pay around $10K for this little runabout. As I have stated before...it appears that Nissan is pegging its entire future on small, urban, alternative fueled vehicles. Nothing that Nissan is introducing or has in concept stages is a larger sedan, van, performance vehicle or truck/SUV. They are certainly putting their eggs all in one basket.

Next Gen Micra coming to the U.S.

Rally America Adds REAL Rallycross and Announces 2010 Schedule...

While the SCCA has run its own series of "rallycross" events for local clubs of the longstanding auto organization, true "rallycross" has never been seen on a significant level in the U.S.

The closest we have seen is the annual Rally races at ESPNs X-Games with two vehicles going "head to head" against the clock but on what were essentially seperate tracks. True Rallycross is run by numerous vehicles on the same track at the same time. That track may include dirt, tarmac, banked turns, jumps, etc. Players of the original DiRT and DiRT 2 videogames will be very familiar with this style of racing as it was featured prominently therein. Full contact racing on a short-course rally track between rally style vehicles should be awesome.

2010 will showcase these new events in a three race "exibition" season with all three races taking place in NJ. Why NJ?? I have no idea other than that it is near the largest population center in the U.S.

2010 will also result in some changes to Rally America's primary series as well. I think in part driven by the addition of the Rallycross events, Rally America has downsized, by three events, the traditional series. Gone are the Ojibwe Forest Rally, Rally Colorado and the Lake Superior Performance Rally. Additionally the six remaining events will be compressed into a schedule that finishes up in mid-summer to allow time for those same competitors to prepare for the fall Rallycross events.

I think that is really the key here. Rally America has seen the big time TV draw and positive audience reaction from their X-Games coverage and want to start heading towards more TV friendly events for at least some of their season.

Which brings me to another point. Buried in the press release below is the fact that Rally America has been re-signed for the 2010 X-Games, a somewhat surprising fact given Short Course Off-Road's rise in prominance and Ricky Johnson's connection to some of the X-Games production companies.

With Ken Block going off to Europe for a large part of the year to compete in the WRC, Rally America HAD to do something big to drive interest and bring new fans and racers to the sport.

This should defiantely accomplish that...

RA Press Release:

RALLY AMERICA TO LAUNCH EUROPEAN-STYLE RALLY CROSS RACING IN 2010


While many motorsports sanctioning bodies are looking for ways to shrink and save, Rally America, Inc., the premier sanctioning body for performance rally competition in North America, is expanding and growing.

Rally America today announced three European-style rally cross events in 2010. The three events will be run as exhibition events in 2010 but there may be more on the calendar in 2011.

European-style rally cross combines disciplines from road racing, short-course off-road racing and X Games-style rally car racing. It’s the action sport of motor racing.

“We’ve experienced dramatic growth in spectator interest the past three years,” said J.B. Niday, managing director for Rally America, Inc. “We’re confident American rally spectators would like to add this wheel-to-wheel competition to their plate of national championship rallying. Our championship is among the most respected in the world. This will make it more so. It’s a logical move for the growth of rally here in the United States.”

All three Rally America events will take place in the fall of 2010 at New Jersey Motor Sports Park in Millville, NJ. The course will be a combination of pavement and gravel surfaces totaling about one mile in length. It will include jumps, un-banked turns, hills and transitions between pavement and gravel that promise to unsettle the cars and drivers. The three-minute sprint heats will see competition between six cars on the track at once. The winners advance through the day to the main event finale. It promises extreme challenges and extreme excitement for spectators and drivers alike.

The rally cross format is extremely popular in Europe. You can experience the excitement through on-demand video highlights at www.Rally-America.com.

There will be two classes of cars in Rally America’s initial year of competition. The faster, all-wheel-drive cars will resemble those used in current Rally America competition including the AWD Subarus used by four-time American rally champion Travis Pastrana and Internet gymkhana video star Ken Block. The second category of rally cross cars will be two-wheel-drive. That includes the various body styles from manufacturers such as Ford, Mitsubishi, Dodge and Honda boasting 450+ horsepower, highly modified engines and rally-style suspension.

Both categories include vehicles currently being used in the Rally America National Rally Championship. There will be one departure; rally cross is a driver-only competition. There’s no need for a co-driver to help navigate the car around the one-mile course.

“The Rally America National Championship has experienced constant growth in the past couple of years,” Niday continued. “The sport of rally cross has taken place successfully in Europe for many years and draws tens of thousands of spectators to each and every event. The excitement of wheel-to-wheel racing action for high-powered rally cars should work well here in the United States as it takes place on a closed-loop course that allows spectators to take in all the high-speed racing action from a single vantage point.”


2010 RALLY AMERICA NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP KICKS OFF IN JANUARY

In addition to European-style rally cross competition at the New Jersey Motor Sports Park in the fall of 2010, Rally America will resume its National Rally Championship series beginning with Sno*Drift, the traditional championship kick off in January 2010 and one of the only American national championship motorsports events run in real snow on real roads with real cars.


The 2010 championship, however, will be compressed to allow more spectator and media interest during the season. It ensures that every event will have greater import in the chase for the Rally America Championship. The 2010 Rally America National Rally Championship Schedule:

1. January Sno*Drift Rally Atlanta, MI
2. February Rally of the 100 Acre Wood Salem, MO
3. April Olympus Rally Olympia, WA
4. May Oregon Trail Rally Hood River, OR
5. June Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Wellsboro, PA
6. July New England Forest Rally Newry, ME

Three rally events that were on the calendar in 2009, the Ojibwe Forests Rally in Bemidji, MN, Rally Colorado in Steamboat Springs, CO, and the Lake Superior Performance Rally in Houghton, MI, will be changed to regional-level rally events and will not be included in the 2010 Rally America National Rally Championship.

“After a great deal of consideration and review of the past three seasons, we’ve decided to reduce the Rally America National Championship from nine to six events to help reduce team costs and increase competition," said Mike Hurst, the Rally America competition director. “The 2010 championship schedule will include two national-level rally events on the west coast, two on the east coast and two in the central portion of the United States. The six-event schedule will not only make it more affordable for the teams, but allow for better competition as well as allow Rally America to introduce European-style rally cross competition in the fall.”

Considered by many to be the extreme sport of auto racing, rally car racing is often described simply as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Among the marques typically represented in Rally America events are Subaru, Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford and Volkswagen.

In addition, some of North America’s top rally drivers from the Rally America National Rally Championship series will be invited to compete in ESPN’s Summer X Games competition, the leading action sports event broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. Rally America officials will once again be involved in the organizational aspect of the rally car racing segment of competition for X Games 16 which is scheduled for July 29 to August 1, 2010.

For more information regarding Rally America, Inc., the 2010 Rally America National Rally Championship or the new European-style rally cross events taking place at the New Jersey Motor Sports Park in the fall of 2010, please call (763) 553-2742 for details or visit www.rally-america.com.

Titan Powered 350Z Wins Formula D Championship...

Ahhh...So Nissan CAN still win a significant motorsport's championship in this day and age. Chris Forsberg, driver of the NOS sponsored, Titan V8 powered, 2006 350Z Coupe wrapped up the '09 Formula Drift championship at Irwindale Speedway in CA yesterday. Having won two of the seven events on the year, Forsberg came into the event with a commanding lead and needed only an average showing here to take the season title. Congrats to Forsberg, his 350Z coupe and its Titan engine...

Chris Forsberg and his 350Z take the Formula D championship...

Chris Forsberg Homepage...

240SX Pike's Peak Hillclimb...

Ashamed at myself for not coming across this story sooner. It's the story from the '09 PP Hillclimb involving the build of a 240SX and all the trials and tribulations that go along with it. A truly great read, once again proving that in racing, if anything can go wrong, it will, and probably twice as bad as you would have ever guessed. Hope to see the team back in '10 for another go at it. Well done Fatman Racing!

240SX takes on Pike's Peak Hillclimb...

Nissan Qazana: Coming to America?

It sure looks that way. At least in one form or another. First introduced at the Geneva Auto Show in early '09 the Qazana is a small crossover SUV taking design cues (per the designer) from beach buggies and motorcycles. It sure looks different. It reminds me of the Isuzu Vehicross from a few years back.

A Nissan contact of mine has indicated that after the Qazana makes its appearance at the Tokyo Auto Show in the next few weeks that it will likely be showing up at the LA Auto Show later this year. For a vehicle that many looked at as just a concept and platform to try out future products, Nissan has hinted all along that much of this vehicle (up to 85%) would make its way to a showroom product. In fact, English papers are reporting that the Qazana will begin to be produced there in the Sunderland plant in late '10 as a '11 model. Whether this is true or not I do not know. My contact did not indicate this one way or another.

What my contact did reveal was that Nissan is bringing the concept version of the Qazana around to auto shows worldwide to guage interest in each market. Given the direction some of Nissan's product has taken of late, I take this project as a stroke of genius. Though as a Chinese saying says "the first nail to stick its head up is the first to get hammered down" I applaud the designers here for not taking the safe route. I personally hope the final product incorporates even more of the beach buggie design cues and not less. Last but not least...could we be looking at the Rogue replacement that I was told a few months back that was in the works?? Would it arrive under an entirely new name or could it just be a 2nd Gen Rogue??

Not sure but I will keep updating this story and look out for its appearance at the LA Auto Show (I think...)

Nissan S.A. Leaves Off-Road Racing...

Now officially, official, Nissan S.A. has formally announced that they are shutting down their off-road racing efforts. Why? I have no idea. Nissan Japan has provided literally NO financial support to Glyn Hall and his efforts for a number of years now and yet he continued to field dominant vehicles in S.A. and around the world. The current Navara/Frontier platform is one of the best ever produced by Nissan for off-road racing. I guess that they figure they want to go out on top having crushed all comers in S.A. over the past seven years. I have been told that Glyn Hall will surface at a new manufacturer in the VERY near future to guide their efforts and that his shop (hallspeed) will continue to provide some support to the Navara's he has already built and sold to racers around the world. Who will now take up the mantle of off-road racing for Nissan?? Anyone? It would take someone with more balls than smarts thats for sure as one is not likely to receive any monetary support from corporate Nissan. Hell, you'd be lucky to get a hearty slap on the back and a "well done" at this point as Nissan appears to have little interest in promoting anything but its "green" and "electric" image...

Nissan ends off-road motorsports efforts in S.A.

Four Wheeler Magazine: Rear Steer on Project Mega Titan

The latest in Four Wheeler's series of upgrades on their Project Mega Titan. It has come a long way and they just keep adding more and more.

Four Wheeler adds rear steer to Mega Titan

I've Tried... (open letter to Nissan USA)

honestly I have...

I've tried to remain solidly behind the Nissan brand. I own an Altima and an Xterra and have had a Sentra before that.

I supported and assisted a Nissan racing team in hopes of promoting the brand's durability and performance.

I have maintained a Nissan specific blog over the past year, promoting each and every accomplishment by Nissan that I came across.

But that was as of yesterday. Today I found out that the last real bastion of Nissan's Motorsports program (Glyn Hall and the South African produced Navaras) has been killed off. Yes, there is the small effort of the GT-R race team in Europe but to what market is that intended to appeal? The jet-setting investment banker set? Not exactly the people likely to drive Nissan sales volumes higher.

With this last real motorsports effort now gone I no longer have a reason to be a Nissan fan or owner. Yes, Nissan has some great history, but that's all it has—history. And yes, Nissan still makes some great vehicles (Altima, Maxima, Frontier, 370Z and GT-R) but it continues to move more and more in a direction that is not appealing to either myself or the majority of the American car buying public. Americans do not and never have and never will want small, urban runabouts, no matter how they are propelled (gas or electric). Build a electric truck or sleek sports sedan and that will get people excited.

The Leaf?? It only looks good in comparison to the Volt because Nissan has done it at 1/2 the cost—an admirable achievement but I don't get excited about going to Wal-Mart to buy a cheaper bag of cat food either.

So, please...give me something to get excited about. Give me something to believe in. Give me an U.S. Patrol. Give me a turbo diesel Frontier or Titan. Give me back a real motorsports program—SOMEWHERE!! Otherwise, I have put my vehicle allegiance up for grabs...I can no longer support a brand that is building a better paper clip and turning its back on all motorsports and their inherent innovations.

Small Car Owners Unhappy—Shocker!!

Gee, Americans can't stand driving tiny cars built for four Euro sized people to drive on Euro sized roads. Color me shocked!! With all the huffing and puffing coming from Washington and all the money being thrown at "green" this and "hybrid" that, you'd think that we were all on board this big socialist weenie train to happyville.

Ummm...not so much. Turns out that most who ran around like a chicken with their head cut off last year when gas prices jumped and traded in their larger sedans or SUVs for a small gas sipper, aren't really happy with what they got in return. Never mind that they put themselves in years more of debt, caused more enviro-harm by creating the demand for more vehicles, or that cow flatulence is MORE of a cause of greenhouse gas production than are auto exhaust emissions...

Glad I kept my SUV and two other cars. Sorry not all Americans took a look at what the real issues were...

New Small Car Owners Unhappy...

Duncan Vos and Nissan Win Toyota Dealer 400!

Kind of amusing at this point that year after year a Nissan vehicle keeps winning the Toyota Dealer 400 in South Africa.

Already the ABSA season champion, Duncan Vos and co-driver Ralph Pitchford won yet again this weekend by an oh-so-slim margin of 24 seconds over the Toyota Hilux of Hein Lategan with another Nissan Navara (Frontier) in third and driven by Ivar Tollefsen.

This was Vos's fifth ABSA victory in '09 and he is truly the class of South Africa offroad racing. I am going to put in an inquiry with Glyn Hall (Nissan Motorsports South Africa manager) to see if Duncan is going to run in the Dakar this year as Tollefsen and numerous other S.A. built and maintained Navaras and drivers are already planning on doing so. Will update here when I find out.

Toyota Dealers 400...

WRC on HD Theater Beginning Today

Ah, finally...

Though not exactly "live" at least American audiences will get some great rally coverage beginning today. On the Discovery Channel's related HD Theater channel tonight at 8 PM Eastern begins coverage of the '09 season. First up is Rally Ireland. Watching these amazing races in full HD is a great way to end the weekend. Maybe its just me but I'd much rather watch a six plus month old Rally event in HD than whatever football game NBC is showing. Schedule for the broadcast schedule of this event to be found below and each event to follow every Sunday at 8PM Eastern.

WRC Rally Ireland broadcast schedule...

SLR Frontier: 4Sale...

Though SLR has been defunct as a company for some time now, examples of it's work are still floating around. A prime example is this Frontier. Not sure which one this is but it "may" have been one of the SEMA ones they put together a few years back. I've never seen a full front clip on a Fronty this old either. Says its from Fiberworx but I've never seen it listed on their site...

SLR Fronty for sale...

Pathfinder for Sale—$1500

Not mine but only $1,500 in CA. Flat black paint job, custom light rack. Not sure how it runs and drives however...

'87 Pathy for Sale...

Datsun: Old School Truck Build

This build was done in order to prepare an old school Datsun to run in the '09 NORRA event in Baja that has recently been cancelled due to the massive impact of hurricanes South of the border earlier this summer. This is a SUPER clean build and the truck looks incredible. Hope to see more of in in the future when it runs the rescheduled '10 NORRA race.

Old School Datsun build...

Nissan Titan Pace Truck For Sale

Not mine but here is the post and contact info:

CORR/Bully Dog pace truck

ID: 88888980 Date posted: Sept 14, 2009 Expiration date: Oct 19, 2009 For Sale Make and Model : Nissan Titan Year : 2008 Price : $32000 Description: Truck was originally built as the 2008 CORR pace truck. It was built by Bully Dog Technologies and CBI Off Road. A lot of you know the truck and know that I love it but it has served it's purpose and now must be sold so that I can build a new truck for 2010. While it has a ton of miles it has been well taken care of and 85% of the miles are highwat miles, it gets a synthetic oil change every 3500 miles and all the fluids are changed every 15,000 miles. It has a PRG mid-travel suspension with Sway Away shocks and extended front axles, springs are Eibach in the front and a Deaver pack in the rear. KMC 18' wheels with Goodyear tires (6 total)with about 10,000 miles on them. All of the tube work is powdercoated and in great shape, the front skid plate shows a bit of wear but nothing serious. The rear bumper has a tow hitch built into it. The bed cage holds 2 35' spares as well as two 5 gallon fuel cans. All of the lights are Soltek, there is one on the back of the roof rack that is operated by the cargo lamp switch. Besides and fenders are Glassworks, the truck was originally black but was painted silver, everything on the truck that is not silver is a vinyl wrap. The bed in lined with a spray in liner that is black. It has a Lowrance Baja 540 navigation system, a custom siren with PA (Like what all the desert guys use)an Icon race radio. The truck is a Pro 4X so it came with a killer Rockford Fosgate sound system but I installed a JVC head unit with TV screen, Sirius and Ipod interface, you can watch videos while driving and it is tied into an over DVD system that also has it's own DVD player (Great for the kids on long trips). The truck has a ton of custom performance stuff including the only Bully Dog PMT display in a gas truck which also has custom tuning. There is a Bully Dog injection molded intake and a custom exhaust. There is no SMOG testing in Idaho, this will not pass CA testing the way the exhuast is now. It is straight pipe from the last O2 sensor back. The pipe is all tucked up into the body and frame to prevent contact while off road, it is done really nice but not CA legal, if you live in CA you will have to intall a new exhaust!!!! I am FIRM on the price, that is what I owe the bank on the truck. I can and will deliver the truck for free to southern CA or Vegas, can deliver to the Phoenix AZ area if bought before the LOORRS race in Oct. City : Aberdeen State : ID Zip/Postal Code : 83210 Contact Information: Name: Mike Phone: 2084033147

My Video From 7-Miler Race...

Footage from the race there this last weekend in Dornsife, PA. It is located about a 1/2 hour west of Rausch Creek. 147 truck/buggie entrants, about 1,000+ people there for this event. Fireworks, more beer than any event I have ever attended (and thats saying something!) and a really good time. Definately going back next year. Article to be posted on the event soon... 7-Miler Video...

Remote Control Frontier—Full Size!!

Not sure WHY the guys at Traxxas did this, other than for the "that's cool" factor...but they took a full size, short course, racing Frontier from Casey Currie and loaded it up with a whole bunch of trick R/C components and actuating gear and turned it into a full size R/C truck that they race around the track a Crandon a couple weeks back. Notice the new '09+ Nissan grill on the Fronty too...Nicely done!!

Full Size R/C Frontier...

Nissan Frontier Makes Peterson's 4Wheel & Off-Road

This time its a Fronty from AZ that has had the Calmini SAS swap. Always good to see a Nissan getting some publicity. This one used to be 2WD but it has come a long way. Linky dinky do: Frontier in Peterson's

Baja Slovakia: Nissan Takes Second and Third

As part of the Central European Zone Baja series, Baja Slovakia (487 kms in special stages) attracted, if not some top tier names than some decent race bakkies. The sand in all the pics from this event make it look truly like a Baja event of one sort or another. I wouldn't have guessed that there was so much sand to race on in Central/Eastern Europe. Looks like I would have been wrong. Nissan had a solid showing here taking two of the three podium positions. Third place went to Jifi Pribyl and his No. 3 Nissan Kingcar (?) while second place went to Erik Korda and his No. 4 Nissan Navara. While Pribyl was 1:07 off the winner's pace, Korda finished only 16 minutes back. Event winner was Balasz Szalay and his No. 1 Opel Antara (a Saturn Vue here in the US). Balasz is a highly experienced, multiple time Dakar entrant, so ending up behind him is no shame for anyone.

Baja Slovakia...

Don't Shoot the Messenger...

But, uhhhh...I don't think that's what RJ and Mitch were looking for when it comes to ratings....

This past weekends first live TORC race on ABC garnered only a 0.4 TV rating...the lowest of any sporting event on network TV. The 0.4 rating is actually DOWN 43% from the 0.7 rating TORC got with a taped event on ABC back in June.

In June the TORC broadcast outdrew an LPGA event and a WNBA event on the same weekend as was running opposite the final round of The Memorial PGA golf tournament.

This time TORC's live Crandon broadcast was up against the third round of the Deutsche Bank PGA tournament and the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Only one sports program over the weekend had as few viewers as TORC's broadcast and that would be the taped United States Olympic Committe's Hall of Fame program—What?!?!

While being viewed in 458,000 homes is nothing to sneeze at for an off-road broadcast, remember that some 800,000+ watched the less significant, early season, taped, June event.

Given that TORC's broadcast was going up against similar, if not weaker, broadcast competition this time the decline in ratings has to be dissapointing—especially for big names like Robby Gordon who took time off from his NASCAR program and toasted his engine at the event. He likley made up for the poor finish at the TORC event with his decent finish at Atlanta and the added TV time he got because he ran double duty but these results won't have drivers from the LOORRS series jumping over one another and demanding to run in TORC events...

Reasons for the poor showing?? Labor Day weekend and many off-road enthusiasts are out camping, wheeling, riding their dirt bikes, playing at Glamis, prepping for Primm?? I'm not sure but something kept some 350,000 households that watched the TORC event in June from watching it again in September...

And before anyone gets on me for just writing this because "I want TORC to fail..." please remember that I praised TORC two months ago when they grabbed their 0.7 share and 800K household audience in their first ABC broadcast saying that it was remarkable that they had even come close to CORR's old 1-1.1 ratings in their very first show...

"College Football Countdown" 9/5 ABC 3:00-3:30pm 1.1/-

NCAA Football: (regional) 9/5 ABC 3:30-7:00pm 3.4/9

NCAA Football: Alabama-Virginia Tech—9/5 ABC 8:00pm-12:00am 4.2/9

U.S. Open: Men's, Women's Third Round—9/5 CBS 11:00am-6:00pm 1.6/4
MLB: (regional)—9/5 Fox 4:00-7:00pm n/a
USOC Hall of Fame Show (taped)—9/5 NBC 2:00-3:30pm 0.4/-
NCAA Football: Nevada-Notre Dame—9/5 NBC 3:30-7:00pm 1.3/3
Traxxas Torc Truck Series (taped)—9/6 ABC 4:00-5:00pm 0.4/-
U.S. Open: Men's, Women's Fourth Round—9/6 CBS 11:00am-6:00pm 2.1/6
Golden League Track & Field (taped)—9/6 NBC 2:00-3:00pm 0.9/2
PGA Tour: Deutsche Bank Championship: Third Round—9/6 NBC 3:00-6:00pm 1.9/5
U.S. Open: Men's, Women's Fourth Round—9/7 CBS 11:00am-12:00pm 1.7/4
U.S. Open: Men's, Women's Fourth Round—9/7 CBS 12:30-6:45pm 2.3/5
PGA Tour: Deutsche Bank Championship:Final Round—9/7 NBC 2:00-6:00pm 2.4/6

Team Dessoude Enters Five Nissans in Silk Way Rally

Still entrusted with a VERY expensive piece of machinery, Christian Lavielle is back at the wheel of a Dessoude Nissan in the Dakar Series "Silk Way" rally which runs from Russia through Kazakhstan and into Turkmenistan. The route covers 4500 KM with over 3200 KM in specials.

Lavielle, who burnt his Dessoude Nissan to the ground at the '09 Dakar, is the top non-VW driver in the event and sits 5th overall currently after three of nine total stages some 24 minutes adrift. Team Dessoude has five total Nissan rally vehicles entered in this race which is described as a great preparation for the '10 Dakar.

With the top VW teams all present and accounted for, they continue to build upon their reservoir of experience now running in their third major rally effort this year—'09 Dakar, '09 Rally Dos Sertes, and now the '09 Silk Way rally. No team will have anything approximating the VW teams collective experience come '10.

Top American driver is, no surprise, Mark Miller and his VW Toureg. Running third, ten minutes adrift of leader Al Attiyah, Miller has definately put his name in the running for "best travelled American Racer" over the past few years as he has run events on at least four of the world's seven continents...

Silk Way Rally...

Does the Dakar Need This??

Really?? Does the Dakar need another class of vehicles? Especially when they basically gave the boot to all the big motorcycle teams, do they need to bring in this ugly step-child of a class?

What you have here is the money behind the sugarcane industry in South America coming in and pushing the FIA/Dakar officials around and demanding a new class for the promotion of their product. I am not going to say I know how they did it or say that I categorically know that what I am saying is fact, but....

I can't see any other way that the FIA creates an entirely new class of race vehicles that are inherently no different than any of the regular petrol burning vehicles. The fact that they are "flex-fuel" vehicles only means that they can burn ethanol in addition to normal petrol running on one or the other or both at the same time. You would have much more of a case for another class of vehicle if an electric only vehicle came along and wanted to compete. How is a "flex-fuel" vehicle any more deserving of its own class than a diesel? I would argue that it is LESS deserving of its own class in the Dakar than a diesel. After all...a diesel can burn diesel only and not petrol, where, as I've already stated, the "flex fuel" vehicles could run on just regular petrol and not ethanol at all...

It seems clear that this is solely a way for the S.A. sugarcane industry to get some free marketing from more or less, owning its own class of vehicles in the Dakar. I hope every single one of them breaks down in the first stage and are such an embarassment that they never return.

Bottom line...Do you think this class of vehicle would have been created if the Dakar was still held in Africa or was relocated in Australia, neither of which have any interest in the sugarcane/ethanol industry?? I though not....

Press Release on the new class below...

World's Most Prominent Rally Race, Dakar Debuts New 'Ethanol' Category in 2010 with Support from Brazil's Sugarcane Industry  SAO PAULO, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in its 31-year history, the world's largest rally competition, formerly known as Paris-Dakar, will include in its 2010 edition a category in which competing vehicles will run on ethanol. The new category was introduced by the organizers at the request of Brazilian rally veteran and former Paris-Dakar winner Klever Kolberg, who will drive the first-ever flex-fuel vehicle to take part in the prestigious race next year -- a Brazilian-made 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport model equipped with flex-fuel technology, with support from the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA).     Kolberg, who finished first in the 1993 competition in the "marathon motorcycles" category, appropriately launched his 2010 renewable fuel effort at the world's largest fair dedicated to the sugar-energy industry, the annual Fenasucro, held in the town of Sertaozinho in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the heart of Brazil's sugarcane industry. After a news conference at the UNICA booth, Kolberg held a one-hour autograph-signing session next to one of his training vehicles, on exhibit during the four-day event.     "Professional sport has always been aligned with the business world and sustainability has been at the top of the agenda for quite some time. Today it is easier to get to any part of the world, and the Rally Dakar is proof of that. The question is what fuel will we use, and if we choose clean energy, the world thanks us," said Kolberg, who was also the first Brazilian ever to face the challenges of the Paris-Dakar race in 1988, when it was held mostly in Africa.     "I left behind a comfortable situation, in which my previous rally team was widely supported, to pursue this project which I believe will be extremely important for the sport and the Dakar itself, given its worldwide presence. And I'm receiving a great deal of support from competitors who want the Ethanol Category to be a success," adds Kolberg.     There is special meaning in supporting Kolberg's effort according to UNICA President, Marcos Jank. "Ethanol is already utilized by the Indy Racing League, which is one of the most important racing categories in the world, and it is being adopted by a variety of categories here in Brazil and around the world. It is certainly significant to see that trend now arriving also at the Dakar, without a doubt one of the great events of its kind in the globe," he said.     Choosing ethanol for a challenge of the Dakar Rally's magnitude also makes sense from a technical point of view, according to UNICA's technology and emissions expert, Alfred Szwarc: "A rally race demands performance, toughness and reliability from a vehicle if it is to get to the finish line and be competitive, and flex-fuel technology is certainly capable of meeting these challenges with clear advantages over gasoline or diesel, especially from a sustainability perspective."     First introduced in 2003, flex-fuel vehicles have become a resounding success in Brazil. In the first six months of 2009, flex models accounted for 93% of all new light vehicle sales. Cars equipped with flex technology run on pure ethanol, gasoline or any combination of the two. Currently, eleven automakers produced close to 70 flex-fuel models in Brazil: Citroen, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen.        ABOUT UNICA     The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) represents the top producers of sugar and ethanol in the country's South-Central region, especially the state of Sao Paulo, which accounts for about 50% of the country's sugarcane harvest and 60% of total ethanol production. UNICA develops position papers, statistics and specific research in support of Brazil's sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity sectors. In 2008, Brazil produced an estimated 565 million metric tons of sugarcane, which yielded 31.3 million tons of sugar and 25.7 billion liters (6.8 billion gallons) of ethanol.

What?? There's Going To Be A New Quest?!?!

And a new QX56 next year?? OK...I understand that killing both these models leaves both Infiniti and Nissan without a complete lineup of vehicles (would leave Nissan without a minivan and Infiniti without a large SUV), but in this economic environment would you have expected Nissan to throw money at two products that have seen massive sales declines this year? Not me, but Autoblog is reporting that a new version of each is expected to arrive in 2010. The Quest has been a quality vehicle in its current form, just a bit too quirky for the soccer-mom crowd. Will be interesting to see where they go with it.

Quest and QX56 updates...

Pickup Trucks.com Tries to Help the Titan...

by coming up with its list of the five things Nissan can do to help the Titan out NOW...before the three years it will take Nissan to design and build their own second generation Titan...

PickupTrucks.com article...