Montreal, Canada - The ALDO Racing Team Toyota Tacoma Overdrive was sixth at the finish line in Loreto, Mexico on Monday night at the end of Day 2 of the 2014 NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally, but the Canadian team was holding fourth spot on the provisional standings, all class included, and first in the Rally All Wheel Drive (RAWD) class.

 

The three vehicles leading the ALDO Racing truck are all part of the open modified class. Driving a Chevrolet 1500 truck, Jerry Herbst was the leaser with a combined time of 10 hours, 10 minutes and 8 seconds ahead of the Chenowth DR2 of Bob (Robbie?) Gordon, who was 11 and half second behind. Third place was held by the Spcon Sand Rail of Jim Smith, only 98 hundreds of a second behind Gordon. The ALDO Racing team of David Bensadoun and Patrick Beaulé was fourth with a cumulative time of 10 hours, 38 minutes and 51 seconds, only 2.59 seconds ahead of their nearest rival, Gary Williams in his unlimited Protruck Chevrolet.

 

Starting 10th on Tuesday morning, the Aldo Racing Team was holding the fort with the leaders at mid-day.

 

"On Monday, we used the same elements that helped us do so well on Sunday, plus we added a new navigation device," said codriver Patrick Beaulé. "All the navigation equipment system is new here on the Toyota Tacoma, and I am gradually mastering each element. What is really paying off right now is the fact that we acquired the Toyota. Tuesday, we are going to be in full control at all levels. Everything went well on Monday except for a punctured tire on the right front sidewall while we exited a sharp curve. The good news is that it only took three minutes to fix it and get back on the road. The other good news is that did not any lose position in the overall standings because of the incident."

 

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.

 

Rally-Raid Route - Day 3
Day 3 of the Mexican 1000 consists of two transit stages for a total of 119.4 kilometres and two rally-raid specials totalling 311.4 kilometres. The ALDO Racing Team left Loreto, Mexico in 10th place on Tuesday morning and will reach its final daily destination later tonight in La Paz after driving 430.8 kilometres.

 

Loreto to Santo Domingo: 108.6-kilometre special stage
Santo Domingo to Constitucion: 70-kilometre transit stage
Constitucion to Conquista Agraria: 202.8-kilometre special stage
Conquista Agraria to La Paz for the third bivouac stop of the rally: 49.4-kilometre transit stage
Transit Total: 119.4 kilometres
Special Total: 311.4 kilometres
Day 3 Total: 430.8 kilometres

Rally-Raid Route - Day 4
We are nearing the end as competitors face shorter distances of travel in this fourth and final day of the Mexican 1000. There will be two transit stages for a total of 64.5 kilometres and two rally-raid specials totalling 200.4 kilometres. The ALDO Racing Team should leave La Paz in the early hours on Wednesday morning and reach their final destination in San Jose del Cabo at the end of their journey.

 

La Paz to Divisaderos: 28-kilometre transit stage
Divisaderos to El Cardonal: 82.7-kilometre special stage
El Cardonal to Los Barriles: 36.5-kilometre transit stage
Los Barriles to San Jose del Cabo - END of the rally: 117.7-kilometre special stage
Transit Total: 64.5 kilometres
Special Total: 200.4 kilometres - Day 4 Total: 264.9 kilometres

 

 

A press release will be issued on Thursday following the end of the NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally (http://www.norra.com/). Follow ALDO Racing on Facebook at: ALDO Racing, or Twitter at @aldoracingdakar.