For the Dakar followers...

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2013/us/stage-2/rankings/overall-cars.html#ancre

After stage 2

Giniel is about 7 and a half minutes off the pace.

Team mate Duncan Vos came in a brilliant 10th last year in his first Dakar. Planning to do better this year, currently lying 12th.

Al Attayah and Sainz have combined forces this year and ceveloped their own specially built buggy. They are the same type of drivers, both extremely fast paced.

Let's see if Peterhansel and Giniel's reliability can keep up with them this year.

Surprise team last year GWM came in top ten for first timers are lying 9th at the moment. so for anyone thinking of buying a Chinese manufactured GWM.... Should not be a luxury vehicle but there is nothing wrong with their reliability, It's top notch.

My applogies again for the Threads and posts, had alot of issues trying to copy the Standings in. Just use the link.

Took a look on GWM site. Prices are good and specs are astonishing! Provided they are reliable they would  be good buys.

It seems they are Beeno. I have spoken two one or two people that have bought one's and they seem happy. Performances like these for the constructor can only inprove their name in the reliability stakes. as currently they are far more affordable options that the overpriced Japanese buys.

Dakar is more of an idea these days. It is a registered Trademark. So they kept with the name, It just moved location due to safety issues in Mali. Now financially just a better move to have it in South America.

South America seems to be a Rally Raid paradise as they also have another one that covers most of the continent from north to south, forgotten it's name.

For the Bike guys:

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2013/us/stage-2/rankings/overall-bikes.html#ancre

South African Darryl Curtis doing well in only his second Dakar. currently lying 7th overall.

Cars:

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2013/us/stage-3/rankings/overall-cars.html

Seems there was a shakeup yesterday!!!

Al Attayah storming through, the man from Qatar is Fast! bloody fast. finnished the day's stage in first place with a time of 2 hours and 30 minutes. one minutes in front of second placed Robbie Gordon Storming in his Hummer.

Gniel finnished the stage in 15th place, and Duncan in 48th place. Seems the South Africans are falling off the pace here.

The Qatari's storm through the desert puts him in second overall now with Peterhansel seems taking the lead off Sainz who has dropped down to 10th overall.

Gniel is now 5th overall and Duncan Vos has dropped off to 25th overall.

Bike:

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2013/us/stage-3/rankings/overall-bikes.html#ancre

Cyril Depres has taken the lead back, seems he will dominate the bikes again.

Darryll Curtis of South Africa lying 12th.

"Dakar is more of an idea these days. It is a registered Trademark."

Really? And there's silly old me thinking Dakar was the capital city of Senegal on the west coast of Africa! So it's actually just some vague concept that has been registered as a trademark? Oh well, you live and learn!

Nice one chilli. You could have specified which one you refered to if you were going the sarcastic route.

Gniel's consistancy is starting to pay off. This makes him a very good raid driver. He can go on doing the same thing for days. Not the fastest guy around but bloody reliable.

He has moved up into Third overall 33 minutes off the pace.

Peterhansel is still in overall lead and his consistency is also helping as he came in the tp 3 in the last stage so just managed to wield off the speedster.

All Attayah, The speedster, took the second stage in a row. He is catching up to peterhansel and lying second overall.

Duncan Vos the other South African seems to have fallen out. I couldn't find him on the standings lists.

Robbie Gordon had a big Accident and went over a dune landing his Hummer on its roof. Currently lying in 43rd place. His pace through the desert in the pwerfull hummer might help him catch up but technically I think he is out of contention, sad as he has always been a top contender in the past few years.

Carlos Sainz, Alattayahs team mate and original leader is lying back down in 25th spot. He is fast and could catch the leaders to make a top ten potentially but as a contender for top spot, I believe he is mostly out as well, then again this is the Dakar and anything can happen.

On the Bikes:

Riaan van Niekerk came in 11th in the stage yesterday moving his overall spot up significatly to 19th.

Darryl Curtis did not do as well as Riaan in yesterdays stage and came in 21st. moving his overall spot down to 13th

This makes 2 south Africans in the bike section in the top 20.

Results - Stage 5 - Arequipa > Arica

Bike:
1. CASTEU (FRA)
2. PAIN (FRA) - 00:01:09
3. PEDRERO (ESP) - 00:02:58

4. BOTTURI (ITA) - 00:03:25

Overall after Stage 5:

Auto:
1. PETERHANSEL (FRA)
2. AL-ATTYAH (QAT) - 00:09:54
3. DE VILLIERS (ZAF) - 00:33:50

4. FARIA (PRT) - 00:013:34

15. CURTIS (ZAF) - 00:29:15

17. VAN NIEKERK (ZAF) - 00:31:21

50. WALDSCHMIDT (NAM) - 02:52:28

90. CUMMINGS (ZAF) - 04:43:27

PS: Beeno, the GWM is lying 11th and still going strong........

Just noticed this moring South Africa also has a competitor in the QUADS!!

a van Biljon guy currently lying 4th overall and catching up.

Gniel lost about 15 minutes in the dunes yesterday as the Toyota got stuck.

OVERALL

Bike:
1. PAIN (FRA)
2. DESPRES (FRA) - 00:02:22
3. CASTEAU(FRA) - 00:04:48

16. VAN NIEKERK (ZAF) - 00:35:22

19. CURTIS (ZAF) - 00:45:30

52. WALDSCHMIDT (NAM) - 03:48:49

78. CUMMINGS (ZAF) - 05:25:14

Quad:
1. PATRONELLI (ARG)
2. CASALE (CHL) - 01:11:56
3. SONIK (POL) - 01:48:00

4.VAN BILJON (ZAF) - 02:02:14

Car:
1.PETERHANSEL (FRA)
2. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) - 00:01:18
3.DE VILLIERS (ZAF) - 00:32:31 

STAGE 6

Bike:
... 1. LOPEZ (CHL)
2. FARIA (PRT) - 00:02:34
3. DESPRES (FRA) - 00:03:48

Quad:
1. CASALE (CHL)
2. PATRONELLI (ARG) - 00:06:36
3. VAN BILJON (ZAF) - 00:14:14

Car:
1. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT)
2. PETERHANSEL (FRA) - 00:08:36
3. GORDON (USA) - 00:13:52

OVERALL

Bike:

1. CASTEAU (FRA)

2. DESPRES (FRA) - 00:09:26

3. FARIA (FRA) - 00:11:16

15. VAN NIEKERK (ZAF) - 00:43:13

19. CURTIS (ZAF) - 01:09:36

50. WALDSCHMIDT (NAM) - 04:14:22

65. CUMMINGS (ZAF) - 05:35:15

Quad:

1. PATRONELLI (ARG)

2. CASALE (CHL) - 01:23:55

3.VAN BILJON (ZAF) - 02:00:29

Car:

1.PETERHANSEL (FRA)

2. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) - 00:03:14

3.DE VILLIERS (ZAF) - 00:44:03

STAGE 8

Bike:

1. BARREDA BORT (ESP)

2. CAMBELL (USA) - 00:07:04

3. JAKES (SVK) - 00:07:57

Quad:

1. VAN BILJON (ZAF)

2. PATRONELLI (ARG) - 00:01:49

3. PALMA (CHL) - 00:02:36

Car:

1.CHICHERIT (FRA)

2. TERRANOVA (ARG) - 00:04:02

3. GORDON (USA) - 00:05:17

va Biljon in the Quads is in the pack chasing the lead.

de Villiers is losing time in the cars but still lying in 3rd overall Novitsky only minutes behind him. The lead chase is between Al Attiya and Peterhansel.

Our Bikers not doing bad but It seems the new SA Dakar Hero is Sarel van Biljon, the man is pushing it.

PS: Beeno --- The GWM is still in the race, currently lying 10th. very good, only the buggies/smg's, Mini, Toyota and BMW are ahead of it.

All Attiya is out !!!!!!!!! Not sure if he had withdrawn or just waaaay back on the grid as I can't find him in the withdrawal list nor on the competitor list. However he lost alot of time in the last stage and definitely out of contention for top spot now.

He made crucial error and is out of the race.

Peterhansel now so far in front he leads second placed De Villiers by more than 40 minutes. The only way that he will not win this is if he makes a crucial mistake. He can cruise to the finnish now as it's highly unlikely that Gniel will make up the 40 minutes in the last few stages.

This is the Dakar----anything can happen.

PS th GWM now lying 6th overall, I am really impressed with the reliability of this thing.

Cars : Peterhansel, De Villiers Novitskiy

In the Bike Faria took the Lead.

Faris, Depres, Lopez

Our guys from Southern Africa are lying:

14: van Niekerk

17 Curtis

51 Waldschmidt (Nam)

60. Cummings

van Biljon is out! so our only competitor in the Quads is out no use checking those anymore :)