Hey! It’s Mark calling in after the 2^nd stage in Portimal. The report is that everything went very smooth. It was a difficult track, very very narrow, very slow going, I mean it was like 35 miles and it took an hour. But we made it to the finish and didn’t put a tire off the track all day, low risk and now we move on. I haven’t seen the results; I think a top 10 should be OK, and going to Africa that is where we want to be, some place up there. The split times for the top 10 you get a 2 minuet dust break between the cars. So 10^th or 11^th is where you want to be so that’s perfect. So everything else went good. Really nothing exciting yet. Tomorrow, we get on a boat here in about 4 hours. We have about a 400 km liaison through Spain to the port. We cross the Mediterranean in a boat all night, we get up in Medior in the morning and drive a liaison and then we do the first African stage. It’s going to very tricky navigation wise tomorrow. So anyway I think everything is really great, Something happened with Ari today at a water crossing but we don’t know yet. I think Carlos was probably the fastest on the stage but he’s using quite a different set up than us. All in all every thing looks good. Anyway, I’ll check in from Africa tomorrow. Thank for listening, bye.

Mark’s call in’s can be heard @: http://www.usadakar.com/

Also be sure to read the race analysis on USA Dakar written by Ryan Arciero. I think Ryan provides great insight from an American driver who has raced the Dakar, as well as having been Mark’s team mate for a number of years. Thanks, Craig

Hey! It’s Mark checking in from Portimao in southern Portugal. I just got back to the hotel after finishing the first stage of The Dakar. Everything went pretty well, no real big issues. The track was sandy and “whooped out” and a lot like the pine forest in the Baja 500 last year except for more “whoopty dos”(moguls) and sand I would say. But it was a good stage, really didn’t press and didn’t make any mistakes and it looks like we finished 5^th. So, for the first stage everything went almost perfectly. The fans (spectators) were unbelievable, (they were) lining the course for, I don’t know for like 20 miles. Truly, truly unbelievable how many people showed up and how crazy they were and how close to the course and on the course, it definitely was sketchy. Anyway, we made it to service and they went over the whole car and replaced everything you would normally replace. Everything is looking good for tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a short stage and then on to the boat. So, I will try to report in after tomorrow’s stage. Thanks, Bye.

Mark’s call in audio updates can be found at : http://www.usadakar.com/audioupdates.htm

Hey it’s Mark Miller calling in from Lisbon. We just finished a roll out and functions test.  It’s January 3^rd, that would be a Wednesday.  We went out near Estermalis (sp?) and had a 6 kilometer loop.  It had an awesome jump and some turns and bumps and things like that.  We went through a functions test on the cars and got all the belts and made sure that the helmets and spare helmets, and the liaison microphones, and the Ipods were working so he have music on the liaisons.  We went through all the final details with the whole team.  Pretty much made sure all the shock settings and things like that are done.  So, we ran the cars in and just made sure everything was perfect.  The day went well.  There was a helicopter out there filming us and we had a killer jump off contest.  I ended up jumping 155 feet off of the jump in the Race Touarag, so it was pretty cool.  The pictures from that should be awesome; I’ll try to get some up on the site if it is possible.  But anyway, tomorrow we go over to the Portugal VW factory and sign some autographs and then we put the cars through scrutineering which is the final technical inspection for us. We have an appointment in the middle of the day tomorrow.  The cars have already been technical inspected because we are a Works team so its not some much to do as it is for the crowd to take some pictures and give some interviews and things like that.  Well, we are getting down to race time and everything is looking good for the team.  I don’t really have much else to report.  I’m in Lisbon and the weather has been fantastic.  I just had dinner with some sponsors and everything is going well.  I will probably check in again just before the race.  Everything kicks off on January 6^th at around 8:30 in the morning which is in the middle of the night for most of you.  Thanks for checking in I hope everything is going good back in the States and we will talk to you again in a couple of days

Mark Miller’s USA Dakar site is up and available for viewing. Mark added an audio update which is basically an introduction to the site and letting everyone know that he is in Lisbon and ready to go. They are awaiting Ari’s arival so they can celebrate the new year. Mark’s USA Dakar site is : www.USADAKAR.com

Today: an interview with the real Giniel.

And here the transcription. Thank you Craig, you’re the best.

Q: What are your targets for Dakar rally?
GdV: (Laughs) I think, you know, it is pretty simple. The target is obviously to, to try to win the rally. I think we did a lot of hard work through the year. We did a lot of rallys this year, we did a lot of testing. The team has worked tremendously hard. So, for sure, the target is obviously to win it. If we can manage that, is a different question. But for sure, I mean that is our target, and we will do our utmost to achieve it. We will do our best, and you know we can only do our best, and as long as we do our best, the result which comes then, we have to be satisfied with. For sure, I think that is main target.

Q: Which other types which the Race Touareg 2 to is now feeling better now than some months ago? (What are the improvements to the Race Touareg 2 in the last months?)
GdV: There are a lot of things, you know. The main things are improvements on the suspension. We have done a lot of work on the suspension, we have, the team has done a lot of work on the engine. The engine has been improved quite a lot as well. And then there is a lot of small things on the car to make it more comfortable for the driver, the co-driver, which would make it a little bit easier. But I would say the man things is the suspension and the engine, basically.

Q: What is the strength of the team of VW?
GdV: I think the main thing is the people that work at VW, you know. I think that is the main strength. You know a team is only as strong as the people that work there, like I have just said now. I think that we really have a good bunch of people. We have proved that through out the year. We have won two rallys this year. You know everybody that works back at Hanover, at the Works shop and everybody that has put a lot of effort this year into making the Race Touareg improve that make it faster, you know, for this years rally. You know all of those people are important and I think that is really the strength of the team is that we work well together and that there is really a good team spirit within VW motorsports as a whole.

Q: You have won two races in the world cup, has these two wins strengthened you self-confidence?

GdV: Look, any win is always nice and important. I think any win will strengthen your confidence. The trick is to keep on doing it and to do it again in Dakar. But, for sure, I think for me and for Dirk it has helped our confidence, it has helped our working together as a team. And I think it has shown to the rest of the team that we can win races, which is also important, you know, because they have to have confidence in you. I was very happy with the way it went this year, so lets hope that it can continue in that way.

Q: Which impressions have you had in the testing with the Race Touareg 2
GdV: Very good impressions, I think that, like I said before, the team has done a great job in improving the car. I think that I am very impressed, especially with the new engine and with the suspension. I’m really impressed with the improvements we have made and I think we have made big steps forward in both those areas. I think it will stand us in good stead when we get to Dakar, you know. We needed to make a couple of steps in those directions and especially in the sand, and sand driving. We have done a lot of testing in Tunisia. I think we have improved a lot in those areas.

Q: How is working with your co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz?
GdV: Very good! You know we have a very good relationship. We are good friends, I think we have the same since of humor, more or less. I certainly really enjoy working with him and we really have a good time in the car. Dirk is a very professional co-driver, and you know, he knows his job, and he does it very professionally. He does it absolutely correct. So far this year, we have really had a good time, and I think that it shows in the results. We have had one second and two firsts. You know, if you don’t work together well, I don’t think you can achieve those results

Q: How do you prepare personally for the Dakar rally?
GdV: Well personally I do a lot of training, physical training. I do a lot of cycling, I do a lot of gym work with a personal trainer of mine, to make sure I am in good physical shape before the race. So, for me that is quite important. The thing is if you are not fit you can not keep your concentration to the end of the race which is very, very important. For me that is a very important part of doing the race, is fitness, so I try to stay as fit as possible.

Q: Who are the strongest competitors for you?
GdV: Well again it will be Mitsubishi. They have won the race now a couple of years in a row, and I am sure, somebody has got to try and stop that now. I hope that we can achieve that. We will certainly try our level best and achieve that. But for sure, they are the main competition. BMW will also have a good team, and then of course Jean-Luis Schlesser with his Schlesser buggies is another strong team so, but I think the main opposition will be from Mitsubishi.

Q: Is there anything special that you have learned for last years Dakar?
GdV: You know, every Dakar you learn new things. You are never too old to learn. This will be my fifth Dakar and every Dakar I have learned something new. You must be prepared to learn. You know, it is a very hostile place in which we go driving, you know, in Africa, anything can happen. You must be prepared to learn and to take your experiences and to try and use them to improve on the following year. There is many things, I mean, there is no single thing that I can single out which I have certainly learned, but I think the whole, it has certainly made me, in the four years that I have done this, it has certainly made, I have gained a lot of experience. You know the experience and the familiarity with the desert helps a lot. The more you do it the better you get.

Q: That special fascination with this really long rally.
GdV: Well, I think it is just the, it is the pure adventure, really. It is an amazing adventure through the African desert. It is something that keeps you really humble. When you are out there, you know, you realize how small, you know, how small the world really is. You actually realize where we only fit in, you know, it is really quite a humbling experience. But, I would say the whole adventure through the desert, it is a tremendous experience, it is something I really enjoy.

Q: Is there any special place in Dakar, any special thing you like the most?
GdV: The finish. The finish, I certainly like Lac Rose the most, when we get to the finish. Especially if you have done well and you get to the podium, I don’t think there is any other feeling that can beat that. So for sure, that would my favorite place.

Wie versprochen hier die Interviews mit Mark Miller und Ralph Pitchford als Podcast.

Thank you in advance for transcription or summary.

Update: Diskussion with Mark Miller on race-dezert.com Thanks to Klaus Rasch.

Update: Thank you Craig for transcripting the interview with Mark Miller:

Q: What is your target for Dakar this year?

MM: My target is to win the Dakar Rally in 2007.

Q: How much has the VW Race Turag 2 improved in the last months, how was the testing?

MM: My last test in Tunisia just a week ago was unbelievable. I am really so happy, I have been smiling every time I even think of it, it makes me happier. The car goes, its faster, the engine is better, the suspension is better, the breaks are better, everything is better about the car. It is just a joy, it is really really happy and nice to drive the car.

Q: What are the positive sides of the VW team? The strong sides?

MM: Well, the strong point of the VW team, is it is multi-faceted. We have World Rally Champions, we have a Baja Champion, every type of diverse driver. So, that I think is very positive. And the team is much stronger this year, we have more experience. I think every year you go you learn how to make better decisions and all around we are going to be a better team, there is no question.

Q: What can you tell about the competitors? How strong will be the competitors in Dakar Rally??

MM: The 2007 Dakar will be THE Dakar to win. It is the strongest, the highest level of competition ever I think, and if there were one to say that you won, this would be it. All of the different factory teams, every strong driver has a strong car, all of the navigators are the best navigators at the event, so if there was one that you wanted to put your name on top of this is it. And we hope at a minimum it is VW, and hopefully it is me.

Q: This year you have a new co-driver, Ralph Pitchford, how long have you known him? Why did you choose him?

MM: I met Ralph when I was a KTM factory rider at the Atlas Rally in 1998. He was a mechanic for Alphi Cox at the time and he helped me quite a bit. I realized immediately that he has a good understanding of the Rally Raids. And then I have seen him at the ISDE on the motorcycles. I have seen him at the Dakar and over the years I have become friends with him. He was a navigator for the works BMW team, so his experience level is quite high, and when it was time to throw the cards around on the team and to mix things up to try to improve the team we had to find some one for me to navigate and Ralph was the obvious choice for me. He speaks English and he is an ex motorcycle racer it is an easy language in the car for us.

Q: How did you prepare for this Dakar? And how will you prepare in the next months?

MM: Really I have been in lock down training for the last three months, ever since the Baja 500 was over and accelerated that in August. So between all of the testing and training five days a week at Athletes Performance, the same guys that train the German National Soccer Team. I have a really extensive physical fitness program and I am riding enduro and I am just really focused. I am the most focused I have ever been on any goal. So yeah, I feel very very confident going in to this. The test in Tunisia last week just made that confidence that much stronger, it was great.

Q: Talking about the Baja in the States, what is the difference between the Baja and the Dakar Rally

MM: Baja is a sprint race. It is one day, whether it is the Baja 500 or the Baja 1000, it is twelve or twenty hours. But of course it is sixteen days in (Dakar). So the things you learn in Baja, Things like you have to have patience to finish and these kinds of things are even more important for the Dakar and you really have to manage your equipment and manage the personnel. You can’t have the mechanics working on you car all night every night and it has to be a consideration when you are in the middle of the stage, taking it easier on the car sometimes to save the big picture of everybody. All of those things are critical and so I think there is a lot of crossover in that, but the Dakar is fifteen times more difficult than the Baja.

Q: Do you already know something about the route for this year’s Dakar?

MM: Yeah, I mean, I look on the internet, and I have heard some things about the route, it looks quite favorable. I like the off road and I like the dunes and the things where navigation and really being smart becomes a more important factor, and it looks like this year it will be that way, so it makes me more confidant that my package is more suitable for this years Dakar than in the past.

Q: Is there any place, any leg of the Dakar that you like most, where you have special memories?

MM: You know, I like the area down around Zurat because it always seems to be the first intense day and it is always the day the rally starts. Everyone seems to be fighting in the first six days for minuets and then you get to Zurat and then everyone forgets because then you are fighting for hours. So I think that when you become more mature you realize that the race doesn’t start until later in the Dakar. And so for me I always look forward to getting down into there . I like staying in the tent instead of the hotel and I like it to be rough and difficult and hot and the more physically demanding the better and the more it plays to my strength. So I hope it is the hardest Dakar ever.

Q: So the hardness of this rally, the strength, this is the fascination for you?

MM: Yeah! Because it is the most difficult thing to prepare for. The harder it is the more difficult it is, then you know the guys who are thinking it is only, you are the fastest driver or whatever, your thoughts are the best car, um it has to be a combination of those things. So, you have to be well rounded. The more difficult it is, the more important it is that you are good in all aspects and not just great in one particular aspect. And so for me, maybe I am not the greatest driver of all time, but I think I am a really a good driver and I am good in all of these areas and that combination is I think why I am here on the works team at VW.

Q: Coming back to the preparation, what was the impression in the test drive before?

MM: Every test I have been to has been better. And that means we started in Morocco, I was in Chateau las Tours in France for a week and then into Tunisia. In every test the car was better, the team was better, the guys were happy, and they were really ..It is gratifying to the mechanics and to the engineers and to everyone in the team when you are making big improvements and everybody see it and everybody feels it. So it is the same for the driver. It is gratifying that these guys are working hard while I am at home working hard, and I come to a test and the car is perfectly prepared and it is faster and better. So it provides more motivation for me to train harder so I am at the very top of my game when we get to dakar.

Interview with Ralph Pitchford, Navigator of Mark Miller friendly transcripted by Craig Williams.

Question: Why did you choose a career in motor sports?
Ralph Pitchford: Since a very early age, I’ve always loved motor sports. I’ve raced motorcycles before and now as I’ve got older I’ve gotten involved to cars, and it’s just something in your blood, and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.

Q: What is special about cross-county (unable to understand last part of question)?
RP: What I enjoy the most about cross country is the challenge and in the people, they (are) very different to other forms of motor sport. The people are a lot more friendly, helpful and it’s just like one big happy family which that is the part I really enjoy.

Q: If you weren’t a driver or co-driver in motor sports what would have been the alternative for you?
RP: Motor sports (laughs)
Q: What in motor sports?? (laughs)
RP: (laughing) No, just competing in motor sports is great for me!

Q: Do you have idols in sports or motor sports??
RP: Definitely if I look at a guy like Stephan Peterhansel, I’ve followed him all the years, 20 years racing motorcycles and now in the cars, for sure I look up to him.

Q: Ahh, what do you do for your fitness??
RP: My fitness training consists of lots of running and cycling and then I do circuit training at the gym, I go to the gym five to six days a week.

Q: What is you biggest strength?? What is you weakness??
RP: Hmm my biggest strength in sports is basically that I’m determined and I all ways make sure that I achieve my goals. My weakest thing is I eat too much!

Q: Proper eating and drinking, what is you favorite meal and your favorite drink?
RP: Coming from South Africa, we enjoy a lot of beef, and I enjoy having a beer or tea with friends.

Q: What is your favorite town?
RP: My favorite town, for sure, has to be where I live, and that’s Pretoria, and it’s a lovely friendly city, and nice and peaceful, and lots of nice people.

Q: What are you doing in your spare time?
RP: My spare time involves riding motorcycles; I enjoy going trail riding and adventure riding.

Q: Do you have any pets? Any animals?
RP: Yes I have two children! One is a Jack Russell and the other one is a Fox Terrier, and those are my kids!

Q: For the Dakar rally, what has to be in your hand luggage?
RP: In my hand luggage I have a small camel which looks after me in the desert.

Enthalten sind im Dakar Podcast heute ein Interview mit Dirk von Zitzewitz auf deutsch sowie – speziell für unsere Freunde aus den USA – Interviews auf englisch mit Ralph Pitchford und Dirk von Zitzewitz. Hier ist ein Interview mit Giniel de Villiers.

Für Links auf die Rubrik Podcast kann übrigens gerne der Button verwendet werden.

Zum Inhalt: Dirk möchte natürlich gewinnen, dafür hat das Team im letzten Jahr hart gearbeitet. Ein anderes Ziel gibt es für ihn nicht. Die Konkurrenz schätzt er stark, sogar sehr stark ein. Wie gewöhnlich bzw. noch ein bisschen stärker als sonst. Es gibt nach seiner Einschätzung etwa 10 Autos, die in der Lage sind, die Dakar 2007 zu gewinnen. Das Tempo wird dadurch sehr hoch sein, die Abstände eng und kleinste Fehler werden bestraft werden. Die Stärke des Teams ist, dass alle sehr hungrig auf den Sieg sind. Dafür haben alle sehr hart gearbeitet. Der Teamgeist ist sehr gut geworden. Das Team hat sehr viel getestet, Rennen gefahren und ist noch sehr viel besser geworden, sowohl bei den Fahrerteams als auch auf der technischen, mechanischen Seite und im Management.

Das Training war besonders gut, weil viele Rennen gefahren wurden. Dirk und Giniel sind 3 Weltcupläufe gefahren. Dadurch haben sie gelernt unter Wettkampfbedingungen zusammenzuarbeiten und das hat ja auch ganz gut geklappt, wie man am Ergebnis sehen kann (Anmerkung: Transiberico und Marokko haben sie gewonnen).

Dirk bereitet sich mit Ausdauertraining auf die Dakar 2007 vor und versucht sich in Afrika auszukennen ohne noch einmal dagewesen zu sein. Also vor allem Karten lesen und vorherige Dakar Rallye zu studieren. Mauretanien findet Dirk am besten sowohl fahrerisch als auch navigatorisch obwohl ihm Afrika insgesamt gefällt.

Sein Fahrer Giniel de Villiers hat nach Dirks Einschätzung Stärken in allen Bereichen, auf die es ankommt. Und er ist zugleich sehr beherrscht. Gute Voraussetzungen um vorne dabei zu sein. Die Strecke der Dakar 2007 werden vermutlich lange schwierige Etappen mit viel Sand ausmachen. Es werden wahrscheinlich viele Etappen aus frühereren Rallyes vorkommen. Eine gute Voraussetzung für Erfahrene Teams.

Die Regeln der Navigation wurde in einigen kleinen Punkten geändert, die den Co-Piloten das Leben leichter machen sollen. Dirk geht aber davon aus, dass der Veranstalter davon keinen großen Gebrauch machen wird. Also rechnet er nicht damit, dass die Navigation im Vergleich zu den vergangenen Rallyes einfacher wird.

Das Schwierigste für den Beifahrer auf der Dakar sei es den Weg zu finden. Aus den spärlichen Informationen im Roadbook in einer Gegend, die nicht viele Anhaltspunkte bietet die richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen. Das GPS ist keine navigatorische Hilfe und dient in erster Linie dem Veranstalter dazu, die Fahrzeuge zu kontrollieren. Die Hauptnavigation in der Wüste ist der Kompasskurs, der auch vom GPS-Gerät angezeigt wird.

Mark Miller and Dirk von Zitzewitz advanced one more position !!!

Today’s stage placed them 9th with 18 minutes behind the winner Giniel de Villiers and Tina Thörner.

Overall Standing after Stage 11
1 300 PETERHANSEL (FRA) COTTRET (FRA) MITSUBISHI 41:37:57 00:00:00
2 302 ALPHAND (FRA) PICARD (FRA) MITSUBISHI 42:03:06 00:25:09
3 305 DE VILLIERS (AFS) THORNER (SUE) VOLKSWAGEN 42:20:16 00:42:19
4 304 ROMA (ESP) MAGNE (FRA) MITSUBISHI 43:15:48 01:37:51
5 309 MILLER (USA) VON ZITZEWITZ (ALL) VOLKSWAGEN 44:56:03 03:18:06
6 314 SCHLESSER (FRA) BORSOTTO (FRA) SCHLES-FORD-RAID 45:35:51 03:57:54

Audio Update from Mark Miller (English)

#309 – Mark Miller (USA), 9th place (leg) / 5th position overall
“Our role today was to support Giniel and Tina. That’s why we waited for them for eight minutes immediately after the start. It goes without saying that we support the team. Our Race Touareg was perfect today, Dirk’s navigation was perfect.”

dakar.com:
Kleinschmidt pulls out
Jutta Kleinschmidt, who had destroyed the front right wheel of her Volkswagen Race Touareg after hitting a tree, was forced to pull out of the race. At first an assistance truck came to help her but decided to carry on because the problems were too serious. Heading to Bamako, the truck had an accident at km 28 and crashed on its side. It’s now back on its four wheels and on its way to the Mali capital.

That means Mark and Dirk have one less team-mate to look out for and on the flip site also one less team-mate that can help them out if needed. More Volkswagen resources can be allocated to the guys but there is also more pressure to do well now.

Today’s 424km connection heads to Bamako, the capital of Mali.

#309 – Mark Miller (USA), 4th place (leg) / 6th position overall
“The tracks were really narrow. In one place I tore off the wing mirror on the co-driver’s side. We stopped briefly to check on Giniel. The road book was very ambiguous today, but we didn’t get lost.”

Audio Update from Mark Miller

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Summary of Dirks call: It was a quite and uneventful day. Mark and Dirk passed Bruno and Michél then Alphand who crashed into a tree yesterday and had to make repairs. They also passed Giniel and Tina and then had to drive in other vehicles thick dust. The course was hard and worn out and made for a tough drive. Again the roadbook had errors.

Dirk was in a good relaxed mode in his call-in today. Its amazing the shape Mark and Dirk are in and it takes a strong person to still be up for it. They also lost a mirror upon tree contact to Dirks amusement.

Stage 9 was bad for them as they got lost and wasted some time.

Mark Millers friend and race partner in the USA Ryan Arciero wrote a nice analysis on usadakar.com in regards to Stage 10 and 11.

After Stage 10
Pos., Team, Vehicle, Stage 10, Total time
1. Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-P. Cottret (F/F), Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution; 3:33:32 hrs. (3.) 38:09.58 hrs.
2. Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard (F/F), Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution; 4:04:20 hrs. (15.) + 40:04 min.
3. Giniel de Villiers/Tina Thörner (RSA/S), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3:42:33 hrs. (8.) + 1:03:17 hrs.
4. Nani Roma/Henri Magne (E/F), Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution; 3:32:42 hrs. (2.) + 1:35:24 hrs.
5. Jutta Kleinschmidt/Fabrizia Pons (D/I), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3:36:40 hrs. (5.) + 1:59:32 hrs.
6. Mark Miller/Dirk von Zitzewitz (USA/D), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3:35:22 hrs. (4.) + 3:21:02 hrs.
7. Jean-L. Schlesser/François Borsotto (F/F), Schlesser-Ford; 3:38:15 hrs. (6.) + 4:00:26 hrs.
8. Carlos Sousa/Jean-Marie Lurquin (P/B), Nissan Pick-up; 3:39:57 hrs. (7.) + 5:14:56 hrs.
9. Bruno Saby/Michel Périn (F/F), Volkswagen Race Touareg 2; 3:54:27 hrs. (11.) + 8:35:30 hrs.
10. Guerlain Chicherit/Matthieu Baumel (F/F), BMW X3; 3:48:29 hrs. (9.) + 8:40:32 hrs.