Dakar: The Price is right in Stage 12; overall bike leader Coma plays it safe

By Jan 16, 2015, 6:00 PM EST
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As the 2015 Dakar Rally has progressed, Australian rookie Toby Price has emerged as the most consistent KTM rider outside of defending Dakar champion Marc Coma.

Already an accomplished motocross and off-road racer in his homeland, Price has been steady in his first run at the world’s toughest rally.

Going into Friday’s Stage 12 from Termas de Rio Hondo to Rosario, Argentina, he had already picked up two podiums, 7 Top-5s, and 9 Top-10s; his worst result is a still-respectable 17th in Stage 4.

However, Price had not yet collected his first stage win. But with not much time left to break the duck, the New South Wales native came through with a Stage 12 victory over one of the Dakar’s best in Honda leader Joan Barreda (+1:55).

With the triumph, Price has also now moved into third place in the overall standings and is in position to join fellow KTMer Coma on the podium at the end of Saturday’s final stage in Buenos Aires.

However, Price is still focused on just making it there – which would make a successful Dakar in itself for any first-timer.

“It’s my first go at the Dakar, but like we say, we’ve still got one day to go,” he said. “Anything could happen and at this stage everything is just feeling good. We’re enjoying it, so it’s been a good experience.

“There have been a lot of highs and lows and good learning curves as well as a few mistakes, but we’re trying to fix them as best as we can and get to the finishing line. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow.

“I always knew it was going to be difficult, but you don’t know until you actually come here and have a go and then you actually find out how really hard it is.

“We were fairly well prepared coming into the event. We’re just going to come back next year hopefully, now that we know what we’re in for and be an even bit better prepared again.”

As for Coma, his overall lead shrank a bit ahead of Saturday’s Stage 13 thanks to Paulo Goncalves’ third-place result (+ 3:02). But as Coma finished sixth on the day (+ 6:25), it wasn’t a massive move on the part of the Portuguese rider.

Indeed, Coma still holds a sizable edge at 17 minutes, 49 seconds over Goncalves, with Price a bit farther back at 25 minutes, 18 seconds off the pace.

“There was a lot to lose, so it was important not to make any mistakes or crash,” Coma said about managing his lead. “It is not easy to find the balance to ride like that, but I am happy we are here.

“Today, the tires were wearing a lot so I took care about that at the beginning of the special. I felt a bit fresher on the last part and made a good pace to the end.

“There are still some kilometers left, but the end is getting closer now. The conditions are always very tough all the time. The young riders are pushing a lot, so I have to use my energy. We spend all year preparing to arrive here in a good shape, so it’s time to spend that energy.”

Only 393 kilometers remain in the 2015 Dakar, with just 174 kilometers making up the final special stage. But while Coma appears on his way, Goncalves is not giving up the chase.

“The Dakar is not finished. There’s still one day of racing left,” Goncalves said. “I’m in second place, but there’s no guarantee that I’ll remain there.

“Anything can happen, either positively or negatively. But, effectively, I’m happy for myself and the entire Honda HRC team for the work we have done.

“Joan Barreda had a strong lead before the stage at the salt lake in Uyuni. He lost his place due to a problem caused by water in the engine. But we’ll finish the Dakar on the podium, and that’s a very good thing.”

Slovakia’s Ivan Jakes, who was awarded the Stage 11 win on Thursday after Barreda and Goncalves were both penalized for engine changes, finished fourth on Friday (+ 3:08). His countryman, Stefan Svitko, completed the Top 5 (+ 5:01).

NBCSN’s coverage of the Dakar Rally continues with Stage 12 highlights tomorrow at 6 a.m. ET.

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2015 Dakar Rally – Overall Standings, Motorcycles
(After Stage 12 – Termas de Rio Hondo to Rosario, Argentina)

1. 1-Marc Coma (KTM), 45hrs, 8mins, 32secs
2. 7-Paulo Goncalves (Honda), + 17mins, 49secs
3. 26-Toby Price (KTM), + 25mins, 18secs
4. 31-Pablo Quintanilla (KTM), + 36mins, 57secs
5. 18-Stefan Svitko (KTM), + 46mins, 43secs
6. 11-Ruben Faria (KTM), + 1hr, 50mins, 39secs
7. 9-David Casteu (KTM), + 1hr, 55mins, 9secs
8. 29-Laia Sanz (Honda), + 2hrs, 19mins, 37secs
9. 21-Ivan Jakes (KTM), + 2hrs, 21mins, 29secs
10. 3-Olivier Pain (Yamaha), + 3hrs, 4mins, 21secs

With throaty roar, NASCAR Next Gen Camaro is taking Le Mans by storm on global stage

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EDT
Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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LE MANS, France — The V8 engine of the NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro has a distinct growl that cannot go unnoticed even among the most elite sports cars in the world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When the Hendrick Motorsports crew fired up the car inside Garage 56, NASCAR chairman Jim France broke into a huge grin and gave a thumbs up.

“The only guy who didn’t cover his ears,” laughed seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.

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France has been waiting since 1962 – the year his father, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brought him to his first 24 Hours of Le Mans – to hear the roar of a stock car at the most prestigious endurance race in the world.

A path finally opened when NASCAR developed its Next Gen car, which debuted last year. France worked out a deal to enter a car in a specialized “Innovative Car” class designed to showcase technology and development. The effort would be part of NASCAR’s 75th celebration and it comes as Le Mans marks its 100th.

Once he had the approval, France persuaded Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – NASCAR’s winningest team, manufacturer and tire supplier – to build a car capable of running the twice-around-the-clock race.

The race doesn’t start until Saturday, but NASCAR’s arrival has already been wildly embraced and France could not be more thrilled.

“Dad’s vision, to be able to follow it, it took awhile to follow it up, and my goal was to outdo what he accomplished,” France told The Associated Press. “I just hope we don’t fall on our ass.”

The car is in a class of its own and not racing anyone else in the 62-car field. But the lineup of 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller, 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button and Johnson has been fast enough; Rockenfeller put down a qualifying lap that was faster than every car in the GTE AM class by a full three seconds.

The Hendrick Motorsports crew won its class in the pit stop competition and finished fifth overall as the only team using a manual jack against teams exclusively using air jacks. Rick Hendrick said he could not be prouder of the showing his organization has made even before race day.

“When we said we’re gonna do it, I said, ‘Look, we can’t do this half-assed. I want to be as sharp as anybody out there,” Hendrick told AP. “I don’t want to be any less than any other team here. And just to see the reaction from the crowd, people are so excited about this car. My granddaughter has been sending me all these TikTok things that fans are making about NASCAR being at Le Mans.”

This isn’t NASCAR’s first attempt to run Le Mans. The late France Sr. brokered a deal in 1976, as America celebrated its bicentennial, to bring two cars to compete in the Grand International class and NASCAR selected the teams. Herschel McGriff and his son, Doug, drove a Wedge-powered, Olympia Beer-sponsored Dodge Charger, and Junie Donlavey piloted a Ford Torino shared by Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson.

Neither car came close to finishing the race. McGriff, now 95 and inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame in January, is in Le Mans as France’s guest, clad head-to-toe in the noticeable Garage 56 uniforms.

“I threw a lot of hints that I would like to come. And I’ve been treated as royalty,” McGriff said. “This is unbelievable to me. I recognize nothing but I’m anxious to see everything. I’ve been watching and seeing pictures and I can certainly see the fans love their NASCAR.”

The goal is to finish the full race Sunday and, just maybe, beat cars from other classes. Should they pull off the feat, the driver trio wants its own podium celebration.

“I think people will talk about this car for a long, long time,” said Rockenfeller, who along with sports car driver Jordan Taylor did much of the development alongside crew chief Chad Knaus and Greg Ives, a former crew chief who stepped into a projects role at Hendrick this year.

“When we started with the Cup car, we felt already there was so much potential,” Rockenfeller said. “And then we tweaked it. And we go faster, and faster, at Le Mans on the SIM. But you never know until you hit the real track, and to be actually faster than the SIM. Everybody in the paddock, all the drivers, they come up and they are, ‘Wow, this is so cool,’ and they were impressed by the pit stops. We’ve overachieved, almost, and now of course the goal is to run for 24 hours.”

The car completed a full 24-hour test at Sebring, Florida, earlier this year, Knaus said, and is capable of finishing the race. Button believes NASCAR will leave a lasting impression no matter what happens.

“If you haven’t seen this car live yet, it’s an absolute beast,” Button said. “When you see and hear it go by, it just puts a massive smile on your face.”

For Hendrick, the effort is the first in his newfound embrace of racing outside NASCAR, the stock car series founded long ago in the American South. Aside from the Le Mans project, he will own the Indy car that Kyle Larson drives for Arrow McLaren in next year’s Indianapolis 500 and it will be sponsored by his automotive company.

“If you’d have told me I’d be racing at Le Mans and Indianapolis within the same year, I’d never have believed you,” Hendrick told AP. “But we’re doing both and we’re going to do it right.”

Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Car Parade
Fans gather around the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that is the Garage 56 entry for the 100th 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe (Chris Graythen/Getty Images).

General Motors is celebrating the achievement with a 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition and only 56 will be available to collectors later this year.

“Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “A NASCAR stock car running at Le Mans is something fans doubted they would see again.”

The race hasn’t even started yet, but Hendrick has enjoyed it so much that he doesn’t want the project to end.

“It’s like a shame to go through all this and do all this, and then Sunday it’s done,” Hendrick said. “It’s just really special to be here.”