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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

WIRED: Wild South American Auto Trip

The Insane 5,600-Mile Race Through South America’s Roughest Terrain

On January 4, 567 motorcycles cars, trucks, and quads set off from Buenos Aires, Argentina for a 5,600-mile race through some of the world’s roughest terrain. Over the past two weeks, they’ve driven over sand dunes and mountains, through deserts and salt flats. 
It’s the 2015 Dakar: An annual off-road endurance race that tests the driving, navigating, repair skills, and pure grit of those willing to enter. This year, that group totaled 168 motorcyclists, 131 quad riders, 144 cars (each with two drivers), and 124 trucks (each with three aboard). The race was originally held between Paris and Dakar, Senegal, but fears of terrorist attacks pushed the organizers to relocate to South America in 2009. This year’s itinerary send the racers from Buenos Aires, west across Argentina, north over the Andes and up the Chilean coast, and southeast back to where they started. 
On Saturday, the race was finished, but not everyone made it to the finish. In fact, not everyone made it out alive: Polish motorcyclist Michael Hernik died during the third stage of the race. His was the fifth death since the rally moved to South America in 2009, and the 24th since the first race, in 1979. 
Here are some of the best photos of this year’s incredible race. 

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