Montreal, Canada - Despite starting 122nd out of 145 entries at the 2014 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally on Sunday morning, the ALDO Racing team, led by Canadians David Bensadoun, who was at the wheel of the team's Toyota Tacoma Overdrive, and co-driver Patrick Beaulé, finished the first of the four-day NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally in 10th place overall, and first in its Rally All Wheel Drive (RAWD) Class.

 

Communications and Internet connections being what they are in the Mexican peninsula of Baja-California, Sunday's results were only available on Monday morning and the news from Bahia de Los Angeles for ALDO Racing were nothing short of amazing. For Day 2, the team had an early start at 9:13 a.m. (Central time) from 14th place on the grid. It was quite a jump for the Canadian rally team.

 

"We are pumped," said codriver Patrick Beaulé in a rushed interview on Monday morning just 10 minutes prior to leaving their bivouac on their way to the starting grid. "Tenth overall, after starting near the end of the pack on Day 1 is a great result for our first time out with the Toyota Tacoma Overdrive. We are also leading the RAWD Class, 30 minutes ahead on the second place vehicle. David's driving style is totally changed. He is way more confident of the handling and the way the car reacts under throttle loads. It raises his race aggressivity."

 

The NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally
The 2014 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally is a 2,110-kilometre rally-raid event of the National Off Road Racing Association (NORRA). The ALDO Racing Toyota Tacoma Overdrive is entered in the Rally All Wheel Drive class (RAWD) for the four-day event with nightly bivouac stops. The Baja California rallies are well known for attracting off-normed unlimited and open class desert warriors, while the RAWD class is probably the only FIA-approved type vehicles.

 

In Day 2 of the Mexican 1000, competitors will run two transit stages for a total of 145.8 kilometres as well as two rally-raid specials totalling 500.5 kilometres. The ALDO Racing Team started Monday morning in Bahia de Los Angeles, Mexico and will reach their destination in Loreto after 646 kilometres of travel.

 

Rally-Raid Route - Day 2
Bahia de Los Angeles to Vizcaino: 218.9-kilometre special stage
Vizcaino to San Ignacio: liaison of 83.7-kilometre transit stage
San Ignacio to El Rosarito: 281.6-kilometre special stage
El Rosarito to Loreto for the second bivouac stop of the rally: 62.1-kilometre transit stage

 

Transit Total: 145.8 kilometres
Special Total: 500.5 kilometres
Day 2 Total: 646.3 kilometres

 

A press release will be issued following the second day of the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally (http://www.norra.com/). Follow ALDO Racing on Facebook at: ALDO Racing, or Twitter at @aldoracingdakar. Watch the latest video of ALDO Racing in the Sonoran Desert at: http://vimeo.com/94809657

 

 

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Twitter: @aldoracingdakar