Robby Gordon 2013

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Some Dude

My view from the Dakar end ceremony!

Awesome!!! You lucky bastard!!!

Originally Posted by cross-country

Wasn't the co- the owner of the vehicle?

No, he was the owner of pirate4x4 at that time and crazy enough to get in a car with Robby.

[Yellow Pig]

Originally Posted by larryboy

I've been thinking Dodge Durango ever since they started making it again. Robby has the Dodge connection from NASCAR. I know he likes the power of the Chevy V8, but the Dodge NASCAR engine makes plenty of power too.


Maybe he could start a trend of using defunct brand names and run a Willys Overland?

Oh....I meant the stinger bar, not the car itself.

The stinger bar might have kept Robby rubber side down in the dunes.

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Yellow Pig

Oh....I meant the stinger bar, not the car itself.

Oh, I gotchya now...I doubt it, that was a pretty hard hit.


I think I got it wrong...Parker 425 is next for Robby, then KOH.

[VxZeroKnots]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Awesome!!! You lucky bastard!!!




No, he was the owner of pirate4x4 at that time and crazy enough to get in a car with Robby.

Pretty sure Lance was somewhat desensitized after co-joing for pistol pete a few times

Still, not a ride I'd sign up for without some thought.

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally Posted by larryboy

Doesn't Robby have more stage wins than Miller ever thought about having?

That doesn't really get one to the top step at Dakar though, presuming that's the intent. Check out first place overall Cyril Despres' stage record for 2013. Only one stage win (#9), two second place (#10 & 13), and three thirds (#3, 6, & 11). Included in the mix are an 11th, a 12th, two 14th, a 17th, and a 34th place stage positions.

Winning a stage is an incredible accomplishment but, as CD demonstrated, it is the accumulated day after day after day after day timing (not position) that wins the rally.

I really hope we get to watch Robby again in future Dakars. The wide mix of personalities and divergent strategies resulting from buggies vs. 4Xs in many ways make the cars more interesting than motos. While I care more about the motos all the machines (except for Luis') are virtually identical and everybody is going about winning the rally in the same manner.

[DesertSurfer]

Originally Posted by Sparrowhawk

That doesn't really get one to the top step at Dakar though, presuming that's the intent. Check out first place overall Cyril Despres' stage record for 2013. Only one stage win (#9), two second place (#10 & 13), and three thirds (#3, 6, & 11). Included in the mix are an 11th, a 12th, two 14th, a 17th, and a 34th place stage positions.

Winning a stage is an incredible accomplishment but, as CD demonstrated, it is the accumulated day after day after day after day timing (not position) that wins the rally.

I really hope we get to watch Robby again in future Dakars. The wide mix of personalities and divergent strategies resulting from buggies vs. 4Xs in many ways make the cars more interesting than motos. While I care more about the motos all the machines (except for Luis') are virtually identical and everybody is going about winning the rally in the same manner.

Just my humble opinion... But if you are racing against Peterhansel, Nassar and Sainz like Robby does every year...If your goal is to win... You've got to run pretty much balls out every stage. The margins are just so critical. And having a great Navigator can also make the difference. But Peterhansel pushes the pace so hard and is a rally craftsman.

The moto Rally is totally different with and without Coma for Despres and the rest of the field. Despres is a much more desperate rider against Coma's constant attacking.

Now that Robby has the car reliability down, he can focus on strategies for next year.

[klatelm]

What American car driver has the most stage wins ?

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally Posted by DesertSurfer

Just my humble opinion... But if you are racing against Peterhansel, Nassar and Sainz like Robby does every year...If your goal is to win... You've got to run pretty much balls out every stage. The margins are just so critical. And having a great Navigator can also make the difference. But Peterhansel pushes the pace so hard and is a rally craftsman.

The moto Rally is totally different with and without Coma for Despres and the rest of the field. Despres is a much more desperate rider against Coma's constant attacking.

Now that Robby has the car reliability down, he can focus on strategies for next year.

I think there is another interesting element involved in the mix. The car is reliable and Robby demonstrates he has the driving skills. Robby and Nassar both knew ahead of time that they would need to drive very, very, fast to beat Peterhansel. Robby said as much in interviews. Robby and Nassar have also demonstrated the result of balls out driving in a 14 day race. Nobody can race at the bloody edge for 40 hours over 14 days without making a critical mistake along the way.

Robby made a comment towards the end of the rally that put some light on the other element. That is the superior speed the 4X, short-travel suspended Minis have in the twisty dirt road sections that make up so much of the course. If you watch Robby push the Hummer through those sections it looks slow and inefficient. That big travel suspension is bouncing, bobbing, and leaning like a low rider with a short in the control panel.


That means he has to compensate by pushing it and take more chances in the dunes where the Hummer excels.

(edit, video added) Not the best videography but latter part of this clip demonstrates what I'm talking about.



Now if there was a way to incorporate some kind of Skyhook-like active suspension into a buggy concept, that might tip the scales. A suspension that is firm on the roads but soft and long travel in the dunes and able to absorb big hits would allow it to adapt to the wide range of conditions during the race. I don't know if the technology is there yet, or even the rules allow it, but it would even things up some between the two types of cars.

[Strong Bad]

It is his weapon of choice. Robbie designed and built this car as a Class 1 buggy, sold it to Cameron Theriot who raced it for about a year, and then Robbie bought it back and started multiple re-configurations as the Hummmmmmmbuggy. Long travel suspension and cornering just don't mix and its more than just body roll, center of gravity is also much higher with long travel.

[klatelm]

First off let me say thanks to all who give of their time to post here good bad or whatever. I agree with Sparrowhawk. From an engineering stand point the car while good at certain task is not a good fit as an all around machine. Now given a 10 mile whoop section, those cars even the euro buggys would get seriously spanked. I'm not sure if active suspension is legal and have no knowledge of the rule book. In fairness to RG I beleive his decision to race was last minute and further I also recall him saying last year he would be back with a new car. I,m glad he was back but he should have saved the smack talking till he won. His prerace antics reminded me of Taladega Nights. The red neck super charging last year was classic though. Thats really cool and reminiscent of Ferarri F1 team antics.

[The Toecutter]

Originally Posted by Frontwheel21

I became a RG fan when I saw this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfG3KgSR7fU

Awesome!

[Tork]

http://youtu.be/acCikUwhM2w

KOH 2012 Pre run

[Ruffus]

Originally Posted by Sparrowhawk

Now if there was a way to incorporate some kind of Skyhook-like active suspension into a buggy concept, that might tip the scales. A suspension that is firm on the roads but soft and long travel in the dunes and able to absorb big hits would allow it to adapt to the wide range of conditions during the race. I don't know if the technology is there yet, or even the rules allow it, but it would even things up some between the two types of cars.

Remote actuation of heavy duty swaybar & disconects could help in this with swaybar designed in a way that limits total suspension travel when engaged for the tighter WRC style portions of the Dakar?

[Dread Pendragon]

good times

[Some Dude]

Originally Posted by Dread Pendragon

good times

Dammit, now I want to spend $270 on a 2wd Traxxas Slash RC car

Met the Adventura 4x4 guys at the stage in Copiapo, they were salivating over our friends '12 Jeep 4 door wrangler with all the catalog goodies you could bolt to it along with over head tent, interviewed him for a good 10-15min