2019 Africa
Eco Race
2019 : AFRICA ECO RACE
Isuzu win their class at tough Africa Eco Race
Starting from Monaco on 30th December 2018, the 11th Edition of the Africa Eco Race consisted of 15 days of intense competitive adventure full of surprises and challenges following the tracks of Dakar founder Thierry Sabine.
Competitors covered a total distance of 6,022 kilometres of which 4,014 kilometres were special stages, mostly off-road on sandy tracks and mountainous dunes.
The formidable Team Enduring 2000 Racing took class honours to win the T1.2 diesel four-wheel drive class and finished in 18th place outright. There were 45 vehicles that started the race and 36 that finished.
The 1.9-litre turbo Isuzu D-MAX with its original engine containing standard components along with a standard gearbox and drivetrain tackled the Moroccan desert, the Mauritanian and Senegalese landscapes to cross the finish line at the famous pink lake of Senegal, Rose Lac, completing every race kilometre.
The Africa Eco Race, considered the original ‘Dakar’, is a marathon rally with a focus this year on the navigation experience making drivers rely on co-drivers more than ever. The route consisted of two loop stages, one rest day and one planned 500-kilometre marathon stage which was cancelled due to poor visibility from the safety helicopters.
The D-MAX was driven by Harry Suzuki from Sydney, a highly experienced driver and navigator who has competed in rally-raid across the world including five Dakar rallies in South America, the Grand China Rally, and multiple times at Silk Way Rally and Australasian Safari to name a few. Calling notes for Suzuki was veteran navigator and team manager, Rodger Pedersen, who has been a part of a rally raid team with Suzuki for the past seven years.
Suzuki said that it was the first time the team had competed in the gruelling Africa Eco Race.
“It was a dream of mine to compete in this rally – something I’ve wanted to do for 30 years since the original Dakar route was held in this part of the world,” Suzuki said.
“I’m so happy with our results – we didn’t know what we’d be up against.
“We were the smallest engine in our class and I originally had concerns how it would perform compared to the 3.0-litre engine, but I needn’t have worried. It has a little less torque before the turbo boost kicks in, but soon as the turbo is engaged there’s good power and good torque - no noticeable difference to the 3.0-litre.
“Fuel economy was good too. We carried more fuel than we needed because we’d never run 1.9-litre engine before and it proved to have much better fuel economy then 3.0-litre, which is an advantage when competing in endurance events. The engine weight felt much better too which meant better handling.”
“To have finished every single stage, racing every single kilometre has been an incredible achievement for us and for the D-MAX,” Suzuki said. “That was our goal, was to finish every kilometre of the rally, but winning our class! It’s a dream come true.”
“The engine ran really well and the only mechanical issues we had were ones caused by us,” Suzuki said.
It was an incident on Stage 4 that showed the strength of the D-MAX after Suzuki and Pedersen endured a double roll over.
“We were chasing a side-by-side buggy on a long, fast, sandy track doing about 110 kilometres per hour. The dust was thick making it difficult to see,” Suzuki said.
Pedersen said that they had been playing cat and mouse with the buggy all day.
“The terrain was as barren as the moon and flat as a pancake, and really, really dusty. This buggy didn’t want us to pass him. There were multiple tracks, so Harry pulled out of the dust and onto another track that went soft. I think we hit a rock that was submerged in the sand - we rolled twice landing back on the wheels,” Pedersen said.
“It didn’t bend the cage at all. It was like it just flicked over and landed back on wheels,” Pedersen said.
Suzuki was unfazed by the incident. “We changed two flat tyres, kicked out the smashed windscreen, and kept going! We only lost about 15 minutes.”
That was the biggest incident the team suffered. On Stage 5 the sun was setting and there was still 170 kilometres to go through sand dunes.
“We considered pulling out because it was dark and we couldn’t see past the bonnet after the roll over the day before, but we persevered and made it through the last one hundred kilometres to the bivouac in the dark,” Pedersen said.
Most of the rally route was from bivouac to bivouac with little or short liaison.
“The bivouacs were often 20 kilometres from the nearest town, sometimes in the middle of nowhere. It was definitely an adventure. The rally was well organised, the event staff were helpful and the other competitors were friendly,” Pedersen said.
Suzuki said that compared to Dakar in South America, the Africa Eco Race less commercial, friendlier in nature yet had more serious competitors.
Pedersen said they weren’t racing other competitors, rather it was a personal challenge to finish the event.
“We’re really proud not to have incurred any penalties and to drive every single kilometre of the rally.” Pedersen said.
The premise of the Africa Eco Race is to give back to the communities the rally passes through.
The event organisers and competitors donate solar lamps to the communities which are better for the environment than petrol lamps are a huge cause of mortality in this region. There is also a tree planting initiative which has been running for a decade.
The 12th edition of the Africa Eco Race will be held from 5th to 19th January 2020.
Friday 7 July 2017
Opening Ceremony
Silk Way Rally begins with spectacular opening ceremony
In the capital of Russia, Moscow’s historic Red Square was bathed in a sea of colour as the seventh edition of the Silk Way Rally began with the official opening ceremony.
On the banks of the Moskva River, spectators, crews, media and competitors celebrated as each vehicle drove over the podium.
ISUZU rally team’s driver Adrian Di Lallo said he the opening ceremony was exciting.
“The atmosphere is electric and everyone, us included, is amped to get going. All the documentation and checks are done, and now we are ready to race,” the 42-year-old Western Australian said.
“From here on, it’s man and machine against Mother Nature, and I’m very happy with our machine.
“The mu-X is a beast of a car and handles really well – I’m confident we can do well in the T2 class and we’re aiming to finish with class honours.”
On Saturday, the first stage of the rally took the competitors towards Tcheboksary. On the day’s menu: a long liaison road section of 572 kilometres and a short, twisty and fast 61 kilometre special to reach the first bivouac.
More information
The seventh edition of Silk Way Rally is set to be another challenge to human skills and technical capabilities. In 2017 the rally organisers have prepared new routes, which will lead competitors from Moscow Red Square to the ancient cradle of Chinese civilization of Xi’an. The full variety of terrains, tricky navigation traps and great sands of Gobi Desert will become a new unforgettable adventure for the entire rally fraternity.
The Silk Way Rally has become a major event in the International Cross-Country Rally calendar. About 125 cars and trucks with competitors representing 35 countries are expected to undertake the gruelling challenge including Dakar champions, World Rally Champions, and other motorsport heroes. Countries represented by competitors include China, Russia, France, Qatar, England, Australia, South Africa, America and Japan.
Silk Way Rally by numbers
3 countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, China) 9 599km,
including 4 094 km of special stages
35 countries represented by racers
90 participants including 41 cars and 21 trucks starts
from Red Square and more than 30 cars of SWR Grand China
Rally (joining at Urumqi)
385 vehicles enrolled in the race (all categories)
143 leading Russian and international media
representatives
55 key worldwide broadcasters with coverage of 196
countries
12 aircrafts (6 planes, 6 helicopters)
14 legs with special stages
1 rest day
- • Starts Red Square in Moscow on 7 July and finishes in Xi’an on 22 July
- • 3 countries – Russia, Kazakhstan, China
- • 15 days, 14 legs with special stages, 1 rest day in Kazakhstan on the 16 July
- • 9,599km including 4,094km of special stages
- • About 125 teams entered
- • 35 nationalities represented
- • Driver Adrian Di Lallo, Western Australia, Australia
- • Co-Driver Harry Suzuki, New South Wales, Australia
- • Team: Race no. 135 ISUZU rally team
- • Car: new ISUZU mu-X
- • Category: T2 Production Class
Saturday 8 July 2017
Stage 1, Moscow - Tcheboksary bivouac
Leg distance: 726.95 km
Special distance: 61.43 km
ISUZU rally team WINS stage one
ISUZU rally team has convincingly won the opening stage of the 2017 Silk Way Rally 2017 in the T2 production class.
Australian driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in their ISUZU mu-X, race number #135, finished ahead of Toyota Land Cruiser teams, about two and a half minutes before Team Toyota Autobody piloted by Japanese driver Akira Miura (#133), and more than 15 minutes ahead of Xtreme Plus with Frenchman Marco Piana (#151).
The short stage, just 61 kilometres long situated on the banks of the River Volga, was wet, muddy and extremely slippery.
Di Lallo said the long 572-kilometre liaison was just as challenging as the opening stage.
“To be honest, the liaison was just as tricky as the stage – navigating through the traffic was like playing a video game!”
“The slick tracks on the stage were no place for the faint hearted! I wasn’t pushing – it’s the first stage and we didn’t want to take any risks,” Di Lallo said.
“Our mu-X performed fantastically and I’m sure our special tyres gave us an edge, it was super slippery out there.
“I’m ecstatic to start the Silk Way Rally with a stage win. I’m feeling Olympic and can’t wait to tackle what they throw at us next!” the 42-year-old Western Australian said.
ISUZU rally team was the only T2 team to finish in the top 20. After Stage 1, ISUZU rally team are ranked first in T2 class and 16th outright.
Outright Stage 1 winner was Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena in their Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi, race number #104.
Stage 2 between Tcheboksary and Ufa is a total of 785.63 kilometres, of which 157 kilometres are special and takes the competitors over a piste that has narrow and technical sections. Other parts are faster, winding between vegetation. Drivers must take care not to cut corners as there are some big holes hiding in the long grass. Leading cars on the piste won’t have an easy time, with changes in direction sometimes hidden by the greenery.
Overall Results
| Place | Driver | Class | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 0:42:02 |
| 2 | PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 0:42:31 |
| 3 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 0:44:16 |
| 4 | ALRAJHI Yazeed (SAU) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 0:45:40 |
| 5 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 0:45:40 |
| 16 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 0:57:19 |
Sunday 9 July 2017
Leg 2: Grand Kazan track Toyota challenge cup
Leg distance: 785.63 km
Special distance: 157.00 km
Two stages wins from two stages for ISUZU rally team
In a true rally test on wet clay and in very muddy conditions over 157 kilometres, the ISUZU mu-X has won the second stage of the 2017 Silk Way Rally 2017 in the T2 production class.
Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki were more than two and a half minutes faster than Team Toyota Autobody piloted by Japanese driver Akira Miura (#133) and 57 minutes faster than Kirill Chernenkov (KAZ) at team Akatau Motorsport driving a Nissan Patrol (#136).
ISUZU rally team, race number #135, has increased their overall lead by more than 5 minutes.
In extremely slippery conditions, following heavy rainfall in the Bachkirie region, the big challenge was simply to stay on the track.
Di Lallo said that the stage was tough and definitely one to exercise care and discretion.
“That was extremely heavy going through deep mud and clay made much more difficult after many trucks and cars had passed,” Di Lallo said.
“We had to stop several times to fill our windscreen washer bottle just so we could see.
“There was a big obstacle that car #133 was having trouble getting over and they stopped in a bad spot, at the bottom of an extremely greasy steep decline before a steep muddy hill climb. We made contact with them as we were pushing through – nothing major, more of a love tap really, and the kiss mark is a small dent in the rear quarter.”
“It’s great to kick off with two stage wins. Today was tough and I’m sure it’s going to get tougher yet,” the 42-year-old Western Australian said.
After two stages, the Australian ISUZU rally team is ranked first in T2 class and 14th outright.
Outright Stage 2 winner was Frenchmen Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret in a Peugeot 3008DKR (#106) who took advantage of team mates Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena’s (Peugeot 3008DKR Maxi, #102) hard work opening the piste to win their first stage victory and at the same time take the overall lead in the car class.
Stage 3 has a total distance of 876 kilometres and will also be the last special stage held on Russian soil, with a long challenge of 329.25 competitive kilometres. The rally crosses over to Kazakhstan for a short night in Kostanay Competitors can expect lots of changes of direction, often hidden in the vegetation. Co-drivers will have to pay close attention to the road book, especially the distances. And while the special also has some fast, technical sections, opening the piste is going to be hard work.
Overall
| Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 1:51:00 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 1:52:47 | 0:01:47 |
| 3 | LOEB SŽbastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 1:52:48 | 0:01:48 |
| 4 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 1:59:51 | 0:08:51 |
| 5 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 2:00:40 | 0:09:40 |
| 14 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 2:46:43 | 0:55:43 |
Monday 10 July 2017
Leg 3: Ufa – Kostanay
Leg distance: 876.39 km
Special distance: 329.25 km
Stage 3 demonstrates the tough conditions of the Silk Way Rally
After the two stages dominated by ISUZU rally teamin the T2 production class, the 324-kilometre third stage demonstrated that the 2017 Silk Way Rally is a one of the toughest tests of man and machine against Mother Nature.
The terrain early in the day was once again treacherous, with numerous water crossings.
Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number #135 were initially making good time in the first sector.
“We had a moment in the first sector, which resulted in a bent steering arm and we lost time changing it,” Di Lallo explained.
“We seemed to make a lot of time back after that, so it didn’t put us too far behind.
“This is a long, long race with a long way to go – the sun doesn’t shine on the same car every day. As we say, every day is a new rally - let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
ISUZU rally team is 10 minutes behind Team Toyota Autobody (#133). In third place almost two hours behind the front-runner is Akatau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136).
After two stages, the ISUZU rally team is ranked second in T2 class and 17th outright.
Coming up next: Stage 4 is first 100 per cent Kazakhstan stage, at 908 kilometres, it’s the longest of the rally and divided into two parts, with a neutralisation in between. At the end of an early morning 148.51-kilometre liaison, the first timed section is 214 kilometres, which starts on a fast track and becomes more technical beside a big river, before finishing in farmland. Following a 44.18-kilometre neutralisation, the second timed section of 159.22 kilometres is fast between fields. The day finishes with a 342.89-kilometre liaison to Astana, the futuristic capital of Kazakhstan.
Overall Results
| R | Driver | Class | Team | Overall | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 5:45:34 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 5:48:49 | 0:03:15 |
| 3 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 6:02:46 | 0:17:12 |
| 4 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 6:23:37 | 0:38:03 |
| 5 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 6:26:39 | 0:41:05 |
| 17 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 7:53:54 | 2:08:20 |
Tuesday 11 July 2017
Leg 4: Kostanay – Astana, Kazakhstan
Leg distance: 908.80km
Special distance: 373.22km
ISUZU rally team dominate Stage 4 of the Silk Way Rally
ISUZU rally team are back in the lead after a fantastic performance of endurance winning Stage 4 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally between Kostanay and Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, by almost 21 minutes.
Before the rally’s longest day, a 908 kilometre leg, Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number 135 were sitting in second place in the T2 production class, 10 minutes behind their nearest rival.
However, dominating Stage 4 was no easy feat.
“Today's stages were treacherous and true rally raid stages in every sense of the word - the conditions were tough,” Di Lallo said.
“The challenges of speed, endurance, discretion and adversity tested man and machine to the extreme!
“I couldn't be happier with the way the car and Harry performed today.
“And I’m truly grateful to the organisers, land owners and local government for allowing us to compete on these stages. But tomorrow is another day so let’s see what happens tomorrow,” the 42-year-old West Australian driver said.
ISUZU rally team leads by 10 minutes 57 seconds ahead of Team Toyota Autobody (#133). In third place over 106 hours behind (after incurring a 105-hour penalty) is team Akatau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136).
After four stages and three stage wins, the Australian ISUZU rally team is ranked first in T2 class and 17th outright.
Up next, Stage 5 will take competitors east into the vast plains that run all the way to the Chinese border and Semei, the frontier town in the Oblys region. The leg is 849.54 kilometres long and features the longest special stage of the first half of the rally at 484.47 kilometres. Comprising of long fast sections across the steppes, drivers will have to be careful and navigation will play a key role. The route runs between numerous lakes, providing a very scenic backdrop.
Overall results after Stage 4
| R | Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 8:56:10 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 10:04:06 | 1:07:56 |
| 3 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 10:08:45 | 1:12:35 |
| 4 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 10:15:18 | 1:19:08 |
| 5 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 10:24:33 | 1:28:23 |
| 6 | PELICHET Jérôme (FRA) | T1 | RAID LYNX | 10:32:50 | 1:36:40 |
| ... | |||||
| 17 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 12:11:32 | 3:15:22 |
Wednesday 12 July 2017
Leg 5: Astana, Kazakhstan – Semey
Leg distance: 849.54km
Special distance: 484.47km
ISUZU rally team domination continues in the Silk Way Rally
ISUZU rally team’s mu-X has increased their lead in the T2 production class after another incredible performance of endurance of both man and machine winning Stage 5 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally.
It was another big day, an 850-kilometre leg with a long competitive stage of 484 kilometres through some fast sections in the Kazakh steppe and magnificent lakes and landscapes.
Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number 135 had a good day, increase their lead much in part to the misfortune of their rival.
"Today's was awesome! Extremely tough from an endurance perspective but amazing for a rally pilot,” Di Lallo said.
“The stage had a combination of technical and high-speed tracks over dirt and rock with some mud and grass sections and was nearly 500 kilometres in length.
"We had a good, clean and relatively trouble free run stopping only twice. Once to change a flat and the other to quickly check the car over after a high-speed whack, but all was ok. Another great day for the mu-X."
When asked what the scenery was like along the stage, Di Lallo said, “It was blurry!”
The ISUZU mu-X finished the fifth stage 40 minutes ahead of the T2 subsequent team, the Toyota Land Cruiser.
After Stage 5, ISUZU rally team is leading the T2 class by 51 minutes 46 seconds and are placed in 16th outright (with T1 cars).
In the T1 class, last year’s title holder, Peugeot’s Cyril Despres (#100) took his first stage victory. Second was Chinese driver Yangui Liu who gives the Chinese manufacturer Baïcmotor their best result on the Silk Way Rally. Bryce Menzies in his Mini John Cooper Works (#105) finished third while Peugeot’s Stéphane Peterhansel (#106) had more problems today finishing in 15th place, 52 minutes down on Despres.
Next, Stage 6 heads south-east over the vast Kazakh plains towards the Chinese border. With 387.86 kilometres of special stages and a total leg distance of 597113 kilometres, it promises to be a very full day. The main challenges are the numerous changes of direction at the beginning of the special and some tricky sections of off-piste. Competitors will also need to be careful on the rapid sections. A fast special but most certainly not a straightforward one as competitors and crew make their way to Turksib.
Overall results after Stage 5
| R | # | Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 104 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 13:43:50 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | 100 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 14:34:06 | 0:50:16 |
| 3 | 105 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 14:59:20 | 1:15:30 |
| 4 | 108 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 15:12:20 | 1:28:30 |
| 5 | 107 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 15:14:46 | 1:30:56 |
| ... | ||||||
| 16 | 135 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 17:58:15 | 4:14:25 |
- • Starts Red Square in Moscow on 7 July and finishes in Xi’an on 22 July
- • 3 countries – Russia, Kazakhstan, China
- • 15 days, 14 legs with special stages, 1 rest day in Kazakhstan on the 16 July
- • 9,599km including 4,094km of special stages
- • AAbout 125 teams entered
- • 35 nationalities represented
- • Driver Adrian Di Lallo, Western Australia, Australia
- • Co-Driver Harry Suzuki, New South Wales, Australia
- • Team: Race no. 135 ISUZU rally team
- • Car: new ISUZU mu-X
- • Category: T2 Production Class
Thursday 13 July 2017
Leg 6: Semey - Urdzhar
Leg distance: 597.13km
Special distance: 387.86km
Building bridges to win Silk Way Rally Stage 6
ISUZU rally team have continued their winning streak in Stage 6, the penultimate special in Kazakhstan of the 2017 Silk Way Rally.
Their closest rival in the T2 class car #133 damaged the front of their car beyond repair yesterday and was forced to retire, which has taken the pressure off Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number #135.
The 388-kilometre special was fast, with 60 per cent soil and 40 per cent gravel, but still threw challenges and obstacles at competitors.
“We had a good clean run for the most part of the stage. I did my best to follow team orders taking no risks - so basically just went for quick hack with my mate Harry in outback Kazakhstan,” Di Lallo said.
“That’s until we had a big problem in the last sector at about the 300-kilometre mark. There was a make shift bridge over a deep creek crossing that had collapsed.
“Other competitors were getting stuck all around trying to cross so Harry and I rebuilt the bridge as best we could, Aussie-style. We assembled the loose and broken bits of timber over as many big rocks as we could find then we dropped the mu-X into low range and tested its load baring capacity.
“I don't know about anyone behind us, but we got through. Then we carried on trouble free until the end of a spectacularly scenic special stage.”
After Stage 6, the ISUZU mu-X leads the T2 production category by 3 hours and 41 minutes over second-placed team Xtreme Plus in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151), and in third place 109 hours behind is Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136). ISUZU rally team is currently in 17th place outright (with T1 cars).
In the T1 category, Peugeot’s Stéphane Peterhansel (#106) finished victor and has come back into the top ten overall and is less than two hours off the third place. After catching team mate Cyril Despres, the day’s piste opener, Peugeot’s Sébastien Loeb (#104) initially decided to follow his Despres, so as to protect his overall lead. But as the navigation became more complicated, the two Frenchmen ended up swapping the lead all the way to the finish.
Stage 7 is the fourth and last special in Kazakhstan before crossing over to China. Organisers call this magnificent 106 kilometres special a pure driving pleasure. The vegetation will be dense and the scenery hilly. The finish will be almost at the Chinese border, before a 250-kilometre liaison to the bivouac at Karamay, famous for its oil refineries.
Overall results after Stage 6
| R | Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 17:16:24 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 17:51:39 | 0:35:15 |
| 3 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 18:20:05 | 1:03:41 |
| 4 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 18:46:36 | 1:30:12 |
| 5 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 18:47:11 | 1:30:47 |
| ... | |||||
| 17 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 23:15:32 | 5:59:08 |
- • Starts Red Square in Moscow on 7 July and finishes in Xi’an on 22 July
- • 3 countries – Russia, Kazakhstan, China
- • 15 days, 14 legs with special stages, 1 rest day in Kazakhstan on the 16 July
- • 9,599km including 4,094km of special stages
- • About 125 teams entered
- • 35 nationalities represented
- • Driver Adrian Di Lallo, Western Australia, Australia
- • Co-Driver Harry Suzuki, New South Wales, Australia
- • Team: Race no. 135 ISUZU rally team
- • Car: new ISUZU mu-X
- • Category: T2 Production Class
Friday 14 July 2017
Leg 7: Urdzhar - Karamay
Leg distance: 412.90km
Special distance: 106.60km
Preservation sees ISUZU team take it down a gear
With their main rivals out of the race, preservation of the car and making it to the finish of the 2017 Silk Way Rally is the focus of ISUZU rally team.
Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number 135 had an enjoyable day and didn’t take any unnecessary risks to finish the 106-kilometre Stage 7 in second place.
“It wasn’t a difficult day but there was quite a lot of fesh-fesh for us to get through,” Di Lallo said.
“Our mighty mu-X is showing some signs of wear and tear after this week's battle Royale and with a rest day coming up the day after tomorrow, we decided it was best to knock it back a gear and slow right down to preserve the condition of the car so it can get some well deserved love and attention in Urumqi.
“We have a very comfortable lead in the T2 class and our main aim is to keep it that way by preserving the car and get to the end of the next week and on the top step of the podium in Xi’an,” the 42-year-old West Australian father of five said.
Team Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136) finished Stage 7 in first place, 20 minutes ahead of the ISUZU mu-X.
After Stage 7, ISUZU rally team leads the T2 production category by 14 hours and 29 minutes over second-placed team Xtreme Plus in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151), and in third place 109 hours behind is Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136). ISUZU rally team is currently in 18th place outright (with T1 cars).
Coming up next in Stage 8 is a difficult geographic area due to crops and population in the south and up north numerous areas with many drillings. The start of the special is the same as last year up to CP1, then it gets fast and sandy in vegetation. The sandy track will become more technical with many turns uphill and downhill. Pilots will have to use all their driving skills on the main part of the special. Towards the end of the 250-kilometre stage, navigation will be predominant with many changes of tracks.
For the competitors, Stage 8 is an important day, as it marks the mid-way point of the race and it will be a short night due to the rally switching to Chinese time (from GMT+6 to GMT+8). Once in Urumqi, the competitors will be able to enjoy a rest day after a hard week’s racing.
Overall results after Stage 7
| R | Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 18:21:57 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 19:25:32 | 1:03:35 |
| 3 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 19:50:32 | 1:28:35 |
| 4 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 19:56:18 | 1:34:21 |
| 5 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 19:57:08 | 1:35:11 |
| ... | |||||
| 17 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 25:32:05 | 7:10:08 |
Saturday 15 July 2017
Leg 8: Karamay - Urumqi
Leg distance: 436.34km
Special distance: 250.37km
Not all plain sailing during Silk Way Rally
The nature of rally raids is that anything can happen, and Stage 8 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally was a case point for ISUZU rally team.
On the eve of the rest day, Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in car number 135 had a tough day where they put their bush mechanic skills to good use.
“Today was a tough day and our noble steed suffered. We snapped a number of mounting bolts on our front end however we managed to avert disaster by tying everything together with ratchet straps, bush-mechanic style. We had to do the last 50 kilometres very gingerly using four wheel drive only when necessary,” Di Lallo explained.
“If medals were being handed out for basket weaving, I reckon we would have won gold for the job we did holding the front end in place for 50 kilometres of harsh stages through dunes and feshfesh.
“The rest today tomorrow couldn’t come at a better time and we’ll spend it to get our noble steed back to prime condition.”
Competitors were challenged over 250 kilometres in Stage 8 toward Urümqi, the capital of the autonomous region of Xinjiang where the Silk Way Rally will pause. The rest day is hardly that, the crew will be busy preparing the car for the last six stages.
The ISUZU mu-X finished Stage 8 in third place with an allocated stage time of 7 hours behind first-placed Team Xtreme Toyota (#151) and second-placed Team Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136).ISUZU rally team incurred a two-hour penalty for completing the stage after the allocated time.
After Stage 8, ISUZU rally team continues leads the T2 production category by 14 hours and 20 minutes over second-placed team Xtreme Plus in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151), and in third place more than 107 hours behind is Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136). ISUZU rally team is currently in 18th place outright (with T1 cars).
In the T1 category, Peugeot’s Sébastien Loeb (#104) again dominated with a stage win. Passing team mate Despres (#100) and then American Bryce Menzies in a Mini John Cooper Works (#105) Loeb finished first ahead of Depres by over five-minutes and the American by more than 13 minutes.
After a day to regroup and work on cars, Stage 9 resumes the rally’s remaining six stages and the first big dunes of the rally; 40 kilometres of sand. They are longer than last year and attention must be paid to crests and changes of valleys. Navigation has been made easier thanks to waypoints on these first dunes. Then the route is alternating between track and off-track sections becoming faster towards the end.
Overall results after Stage 8
| R | Driver | Class | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOEB Sébastien (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 21:10:16 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | T1 | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 22:18:57 | 1:08:41 |
| 3 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | T1 | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 22:52:48 | 1:42:32 |
| 4 | HAN Wei (CHN) | T1 | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 23:03:15 | 1:52:59 |
| 5 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | T1 | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 23:03:36 | 1:53:20 |
| ... | |||||
| 18 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | T2 | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 34:32:05 | 13:21:49 |
Monday 17 July 2017
Leg 9: Urumqi – Hami, China
Leg distance: 813.89km
Special distance: 421.00km
The only T2 car to finish Stage 9
ISUZU rally team, car number 135, was the only production class car to complete the gruelling Stage 9 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally.
After a rest day, the 813-kilometre leg from Urumqu to Hami in China’s north was the first of the rally’s remaining six stages and the first big dune crossing with 40 kilometres of vast mountainous sand dunes on the 421-kilometre special.
Australian ISUZU mu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki demonstrated their endurance and that of their ISUZU to finish Stage 9 in 21st place overall.
“As soon as the coolant temperature started to rise on our first big dune crossing, Harry and I decided to take it easy for the day, and it’s lucky we did. What a car buster!” Di Lallo said.
“We had a relatively trouble free run, stopping only to allow the car to cool a few times and once to refit a shock canister that had come adrift.
“After the killer dunes, the track turned into a busted-up highway to hell for about 370 kilometers until the end. I must say that there was some awesome extraterrestrial scenery along the way, which we were able to enjoy for once at our cruising speed.”
Di Lallo said that when they finished the stage, there were still many vehicles that hadn’t.
“Today was a car-breaking stage. We saw at least three race trucks, race leader Sébastien Loeb’s Peugeot, an Overdrive Toyota and a couple of T1 buggies still there. Conditions today were extreme and we were being thrown around like rag dolls for the remainder of the stage after the sand dunes,” the 42-year-old West Australian said.
After Stage 9, The ISUZUmu-X continues leads the T2 production category by about 16 hours over second-placed team Xtreme Plus in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151). Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136) did not complete the stage. ISUZU rally team is currently in 15th place outright (with T1 cars).
Winner of Stage 9 in the T1 category was Peugeot’s Stéphane Peterhansel (#106) yet the notable event of the day was his team mate and overall lead Sébastien Loeb’s (#104) accident at the 84-kilometre mark which ended his Silk Way Rally campaign. Third Peugeot team mate Cyril Despres (#100) now leads the rankings. In second place is Geely Auto Coopertires Team, Chinese national Han Wei ahead of American Bryce Menzies in a Mini John Cooper Works (#105) in third.
The start of the 360.28-kilometre Stage 10 special is very fast then the track becomes more technical with many changes of direction. There are some very nice fast sections with magnificent landscapes. Throughout the last part of the stage, the track is more or less visible alongside a chott, easy to lose if headings are not strictly followed.
Overall results after Stage 9
| R | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 26:31:17 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | HAN Wei (CHN) | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 27:15:29 | 0:44:12 |
| 3 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 27:22:40 | 0:51:23 |
| 4 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 27:23:51 | 0:52:34 |
| 5 | AMOS Eugenio (ITA) | TWO WHEELS DRIVE | 28:16:50 | 1:45:33 |
| ... | ||||
| 15 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 42:02:56 | 15:31:39 |
Tuesday 18 July 2017
Leg 10: Hami – Dunhuang, China
Leg distance: 517.53km
Special distance: 360.28km
The fun continues in Stage 10 of the Silk Way Rally
Moving up the ranks, car number 135 ISUZU rally teamsits in 14th position outright after Stage 10 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally.
The 360-kilometre leg from Hami in China’s north to Dunhuang suited Australian ISUZUMotosports driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki and their ISUZU mu-X.
“The stage featured several long dry riverbed runs, some rutted-out goat tracks and some fast flowing roads to finish up,” Di Lallo said.
“It came complete with more Sci-Fi movie scenery, the biggest blue metal deposit known to man and even local oncoming traffic and semi trailers!
“Today's stage was quite fun, a good time was had by all. Our day was stoppage free and we had a clean run, making a few passes which I always enjoy,” the West Australian said.
Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136) finished the stage 15 minutes slower than the ISUZU mu-X and are ranked in second place overall in the T2 class albeit over 200 hours behind ISUZU rally team. Xtreme Plus team in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151) did not complete the stage. After Stage 10, ISUZU rally team continues to lead the T2 production category and is currently in 14th place outright
(with T1 cars).
Leg 11 is long at 783.84 kilometres with a special stage (originally 488.65 kilometres) split into two sections. As the first special was due to be run in a region that has very recently been declared a nature reserve by the Chinese authorities, the organisers of the Silk Way Rally have decided to cancel ES11A, while maintaining the second timed special (ES11B) of the 11th stage. The second section of the special, about 250 kilometres in length consists of wide sandy tracks and river beds, with picturesque parts between canyons, and a very nice fast finish.
Overall results after Stage 10
| R | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 29:58:01 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | HAN Wei (CHN) | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 30:45:39 | 0:47:38 |
| 3 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 30:49:22 | 0:51:21 |
| 4 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 30:51:47 | 0:53:46 |
| 5 | AMOS Eugenio (ITA) | TWO WHEELS DRIVE | 31:41:14 | 1:43:13 |
| ... | ||||
| 14 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 46:52:03 | 16:54:02 |
Wednesday 19 July 2017
Leg 11: Dunhuang - Jiayuguan, China
Leg distance: 783.84km
Special distance: approx 250km
Tactical caution with eyes on the finish line
ISUZU rally team sporting car number 135 completed Stage 11 with caution knowing what’s to come and with their eyes firmly on the prize.
The 783.84-kilometre leg travelled from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan in China, situated at the western end of the Great Wall.
A late change saw the special stage shortened to about 250 kilometres, down from the original distance of 488.65 kilometres due to part of the region recently declared a nature reserve by the Chinese authorities. Thus, Silk Way Rally organisers cancelled the first section of the stage. The special consisted of wide sandy tracks, rutted out river beds and picturesque parts between canyons before a fast finish.
Leading the T2 category by over 210 hours, Australian ISUZU rally team driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki took a tactical approach to ensure their ISUZU mu-X reaches the finish line of the 2017 Silk Way Rally.
“With much to lose but little to gain, Harry and I decided that today was no day for pushing,” Di Lallo said.
“As tomorrow's stage is touted to be one of the hardest of the rally, we thought it would be much wiser for the boys to prepare the car tonight rather than repair.
“The track was badly rutted out and very dusty with patches of fesh-fesh, so we turned on the aircon - which remarkably still works - and cruised through the stage without incident. Not even a tyre change!!” the West Australian driver Di Lallo said.
The ISUZUmu-X finished the stage two and half minutes behind the last remaining T2 competitor Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136). ISUZU rally team has comfortable outright lead in the T2 category of 210 hours.
Xtreme Plus team in a Toyota Landcruiser (#151) has retired after an incident on the stage yesterday, and earlier in the rally Team Land Cruiser Toyota Autobody (#133) and AV Motorsport (#143) also a Toyota Land Cruiser both retired.
ISUZU rally team has maintained 14th position outright after Stage 11 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally (with T1 cars).
In the T1 class, Stéphane Peterhansel (Peugeot #106) took stage honours trying to catch his team mate to fulfil his duty as rapid assist. His team mate Cyril Despres finished second 1 minute 13 seconds slower. Behind the two Peugeots, came the two Mini John Cooper Works of Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi who finished third and American Bryce Menzies who finished fourth. Menzies took advantage of the Chinese driver Han Wei’s extreme caution to take second place off him overall. On the eve of the two stages considered to be the most enjoyable but also the toughest of the race, Cyril Despres (Peugeot #100) continues to dominate the event. However, just three days from the final finish line in Xi’An, the battle for the outright podium has only just begun.
Leg 12 will be one of the two most demanding specials of the rally with a competitive stage of 254.75 kilometres of dunes from beginning to end, interrupted with fast sections off piste. Navigation will play an important role on this stage. Competitors will discover all the different types of terrain that you could hope to find on a rally-raid.
Overall results after Stage 11
| R | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 32:16:55 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 33:12:01 | 0:55:06 |
| 3 | HAN Wei (CHN) | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 33:14:24 | 0:57:29 |
| 4 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 33:24:03 | 1:07:08 |
| 5 | AMOS Eugenio (ITA) | TWO WHEELS DRIVE | 34:05:47 | 1:48:52 |
| ... | ||||
| 14 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 50:38:16 | 18:21:21 |
Thursday 20 July 2017
Leg 12: Jiayuguan – Alxa Youqi, China
Leg distance: 483.79km
Special distance: 254.75km
Monster dunes wreak havoc as ISUZU rally team becomes international rescue team
Leg 12 of the gruelling 14-day Silk Way Rally that started in Moscow and will finish in Xi’an on 22 July, has lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest stages of the rally.
The 254.75-kilometre stage was in the giant dunes of China’s Gobi Desert.
ISUZU rally team completed the stage without assistance, albeit not within the time allowed earning them a fixed two-hour penalty, however the team never gave up and helped others along the way.
Australian ISUZUmu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki employed their mechanical skills on a broken drive shaft of their ISUZU mu-X to finish the stage, the only T2 car to do so.
“We had a great run until CP2 and then in the middle of a monster dune crossing we broke a driveshaft,” Di Lallo said.
“We fixed it in record time – in less than two hours, but then we were out of time to complete the stage, so we decided to be the international rescue team helping other stuck competitors. It’s heart breaking to not be able to finish a rally,” he said.
Di Lallo said that they righted a rolled over side-by-side buggy to get them going again and helped a fellow ISUZU DMAX, a Chinese competitor entered in China Grand Rally who were stuck in the dunes.
“They were so happy that we'd helped them,” Di Lallo said.
“Though we had a long, tough day, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself driving through those majestic dunes. Surfing those monsters is unexplainable, unimaginable – it’s hard to describe.
“The earth often falls out from under you when you’re on the crest of those really sharp dunes and you just can't back off until you're over. Needless to say, my co-driver’s butt got a work out as we came down over the dunes!” Di Lallo quips.
The ISUZUmu-X was the last car authorised past CP2 that lead into the giant dunes.
ISUZU rally team was the T2 competitor to finish the stage, and has been the only T2 competitor to finish all stages thus far.
ISUZU rally team has outright lead in the T2 category of 209 hours over Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136) and has maintained 14th position outright after Stage 12 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally (with T1 cars).
Leg 13 towards Zonghwei in China is made up of two specials. Competitors will start early with a first timed section of 162 kilometres in the magnificent desert scenery – a dream day for photographers and cameramen. Navigation will once again play a crucial role on the second 156-kilometre special through the dunes. While they are smaller than those the first, they are technically demanding. It will be pure pleasure for the competitors to surf their crests. The bravest will be the ones that do well on this stage.
Overall results after Stage 12
| R | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 36:31:47 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | HAN Wei (CHN) | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 37:15:09 | 0:43:22 |
| 3 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 37:18:24 | 0:46:37 |
| 4 | MENZIES Bryce (USA) | X-RAID MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS RALLY TEAM | 37:47:38 | 1:15:51 |
| 5 | AMOS Eugenio (ITA) | TWO WHEELS DRIVE | 38:12:54 | 1:41:07 |
| ... | ||||
| 14 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 60:38:16 | 24:06:29 |
Friday 21 July 2017
Leg 13: Alxa Youqi - Zhongwei, China
Leg distance: 690.31km
Special distance: 318.66km
Dust storm neutralises Stage 13 and T2 win crushed
The penultimate Leg of the gruelling 14-day Silk Way Rally has dished up more tough conditions with dunes as far as the eye could see, until a dust storm neutralised the stage.
Two specials of 162 kilometres and 156 kilometres made up Leg 13, which took competitors in towards Zhongwei, China.
It was an early start with a first timed section in the magnificently scenic but technically demanding Tengger Desert over small sharp dunes.
In car 135, Australian ISUZUmu-X driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki in their ISUZU mu-X were the fastest of the T2 class in the first special.
“We had to do just about the whole first stage in low range,” Di Lallo explained.
“The track meandered through a massive dune field with water holes dotted throughout. The earth was like a sandy clay, grippy in patches and soft as powder in others, and then there were those nasty little ‘dunnettes’ which were very sharp, close together and difficult to navigate.
“The second stage of the day started out very enjoyable through sand tracks and rolling dunes but then became very tricky as the dunes got bigger and steeper and the sand got softer.
“We then drove into a dust storm and had some navigational issues because it just got stupid-hard to see.
“By the time we reached CP1 the stage had been neutralised for safety reasons as the organisers weren’t able to fly a chopper. It was a bummer for us as we were looking forward to it,” the West Australian driver said.
ISUZU rally team had the outright lead in the T2 category by more than 208 hours over Aktau Motorsport in a Nissan Patrol (#136) and has maintained 14th position outright after Stage 13 of the 2017 Silk Way Rally (with T1 cars).
Overall results after Stage 13
| R | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DESPRES Cyril (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 41:46:25 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | LAVIEILLE Christian (FRA) | BAICMOTOR RACING TEAM | 42:51:04 | 1:04:39 |
| 3 | HAN Wei (CHN) | GEELY AUTO COOPERTIRES TEAM | 42:57:54 | 1:11:29 |
| 4 | AMOS Eugenio (ITA) | TWO WHEELS DRIVE | 43:58:37 | 2:12:12 |
| 5 | PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) | TEAM PEUGEOT TOTAL | 44:23:52 | 2:37:27 |
| ... | ||||
| 14 | DI LALLO Adrian (AUS) | ISUZU RALLY TEAM | 69:08:16 | 27:21:51 |
Sunday 23 July 2017
Overview
- • Total Leg distance: 9,599km
- • Special distance: 3993.33km
- • From the Red Square, Moscow on 7 July to Xi’an, China on 22 July
- • 3 countries – Russia, Kazakhstan, China
- • 15 days, 14 legs with special stages, 1 rest day in Kazakhstan on the 16 July
ISUZU rally team demonstrates they are a serious rally raid contender
The gruelling 14-day Silk Way Rally was a true test of man and machine against Mother Nature, and one in which the ISUZU mu-X in car #135 proved itself by winning class stages and moreover, winning the respect of other competitors, organisers and officials.
There were 33 cars that started the rally and only 23 that finished. Of those that started, five were production cars - just like those at the local car dealer which have only been modified for safety - yet only two made it to the end. Out of the remaining two, the ISUZU mu-X finished first with a lead of over 200 hours.
The ISUZUmu-X finished 14th outright, a result that includes vehicles in the main category, cars specifically purpose-built for rally raids that have little resemblance to their showroom counterparts.
It is a compelling result that demonstrates the durability of the mu-X and the endurance, integrity and tenacity of the team, particularly of driver Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Harry Suzuki.
Of the 13 stages raced (Stage 14 was cancelled), the ISUZU mu-X finished faster on nine stages than cars in the main category, those exclusively designed to combat rally raid conditions. Impressively, they finished 93 hours faster in the overall rankings than the highly modified diesel 4x4 Mitsubishi L200 in the main category.
Travelling 9,599 kilometres and racing over 4,000 kilometres through Russia, Kazakhstan and China, the conditions were some of the most challenging of any rally raid on the planet.
From mountainous sand dunes as far as the eye could see to the thick slick mud, torrential rain, dust storms and collapsed bridges, the ISUZU mu-X not only withstood the challenge but also strived to prove it is a serious rally raid contender.
The biggest test of the Silk Way Rally was in the first five stages. ISUZU rally team won four of the five stages over their closest production car rival, the Land Cruiser 200 of team Toyota Autobody, a veteran team with 13 Dakar class titles; they were forced to retire after Stage 5.
From then on, ISUZU rally team held a comfortable lead over other production cars.
“The 2017 Silk Way Rally has been a very important race for us,” West Australian driver Di Lallo said.
“It felt good to be behind the wheel of a production car that’s competitive. The terrain was extremely challenging and the mu-X just kept going. In fact, we were the only production car to compete and complete every stage of the Silk Way Rally under our own steam, without outside assistance.
“As a team, we are very proud of what we have achieved, how we worked together and how we faced the challenges thrown at us.
africa-map“We have taken away vital intelligence on car construction, setup and the way we do things.
“We now know that we have the speed to match it with the best in the business.
“Now we just need to work on some refinement to the awesome platform we have and come back with our swags, goodwill and the credits we have banked with the rally gods.
“We have enjoyed a great deal of success and gained the respect of many through our speed, tenacity and integrity,” Di Lallo said.
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