MINI with Joan “Nani” Roma wins the 2014 Dakar Rally
Autobahn Buzz for (2014 Dakar Rally)
Dakar Rally
- Joan “Nani” Roma gains the 2014 Dakar Rally
- 3 MINI ALL4 Racing cars on the podium
Munich (DE). He has done it! Joan “Nani” Roma (ES) in the yellow MINI ALL4 Racing has won the 2014 Dakar Rally. The Monster Energy X-raid Team driver completed the toughest rally around the world just 5:32 minutes ahead of his teammate Stéphane Peterhansel (FR) in the black MINI ALL4 Racing entry. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT) in the predominantly white MINI ALL4 Racing completed 3rd. The platform was strongly in hand for the MINI autos, which once more verified to be trustworthy and fast throughout the entire contest.
It was the very first victory for Nani Roma in an auto at the Dakar Rally. The Spaniard had already won on a motorbike when it was run in North Africa in 2004. “I’m so happy and delighted,” Roma said. “It was my huge objective to succeed the Dakar not only on a motorcycle but also in a car. A dream came true for me and I intend to say thanks to everyone at X-raid and MINI for their magnum opus!”.
Roma, who has been leading the general category at this year’s event for nine days, winning 2 phases in within the entire rally, continued: “The MINI ALL4 Racing is a dazzling auto and was very dependable and quick throughout the entire rally. It was enjoyable to drive! Also a big thanks to my co-driver Michel Parin, who was a fantastic navigator once more! A great result for MINI, now it’s time to celebrate!”.
The 2014 Dakar Rally was one of the toughest ever. The 9,374 km-long course started from Rosario (AR) around the Andes and the challenging Atacama desert to Valparaiso (CL) at the Pacific shore. The drivers needed to face a great deal of various climates and varied terrain, with gravel in the Andes and a great deal of incredibly fine sand in the warm Atacama desert. MINI understood all the difficulties and won 11 of the 13 phases. It was the third win straight since MINI made its debut at the Dakar Rally in 2011.
The great dependability of the MINI ALL4 Racing entries, which is based upon the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, was underlined by the reality that all l l cars that had begun in to the rally went across the finish line in Valparaiso. Seven of them finished in the top-ten, including the Monster Energy X-raid Team Orlando Terranova/Paulo Fiúza (AR/PT), who finished in 5th position, and Krzysztof Holowczyc/Konstantin Zhiltsov (PL/RU), which went across the line 6th overall.
MINI at the 2014 Dakar Rally.
A total amount of 11 MINI ALL4 Racing competed in the 2014 Dakar. All are based on the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, modified by the factory-supported X-raid Team to satisfy the higher demands of the Dakar Rally, which is today’s pinnacle of off-road motorsports. With a combo of power, integrity and effectiveness the MINI ALL4 Racing showed its competiveness right from its initial Dakar start in 2011 while also succeeding in the hearts of the supporters from the word go.
On just its second Dakar appearance, the MINI ALL4 Racing made the big breakthrough by gaining the 2012 Dakar Rally. In 2013 the MINI brand showed that its Dakar success was no flash in the pan by defending its title on its first attempt. This year, the X-raid Team and the MINI brand clinched their 3rd consecutive Dakar title when the 2014 Dakar ended in Valparaiso, Chile, on 18th January.
