P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Toyota’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia) surged up the Dakar Rally overall virtual ranking on Sunday’s first half of the mammoth 947km 48-hour chrono stage. They are now f…
Toyota’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia) made significant progress in the Dakar Rally virtual ranking during Sunday’s first half of the 947km 48-hour chrono stage, currently holding first and second place, just 1m19s apart. Meanwhile, Mattias Ekstrom moved up to third place with his Ford Raptor. However, the day saw setbacks for some top contenders, Carlos Sainz flipped over in his Ford Raptor, falling nearly 50 minutes behind by the end of the day, and a defective fan slowed down Sebastien Loeb’s Dacia, costing him half an hour.
In a surprising turn, rookie Toby Price and his Overdrive Toyota are only 16m20s behind the stage leaders, showcasing an impressive performance. Giniel de Villiers and Guillaume De Mévius also had a successful day, covering over 600km. American interest was high as Brock Heger and Polaris teammate Xavier de Soultrait dominated the SSV class, while notable figures like Jeremías Gonzalez Ferioli, “Chaleco” López, and Sebastian Guayasamín faced challenges along the way.
With strong performances from Daniel Sanders, Ricky Brabec, and Ross Branch in the bike category, the competition remains fierce. Nicolas Cavigliasso is positioned well to potentially win the 48-hour chrono stage in the Challenger class, with Corbin Leaverton staying in contention alongside Gonçalo Guerreiro.
