The organizers are strict about speeds, setting 30- to 50-kph limits in villages and a 110- to 120-kph top speed for press vehicles. Each motorcycle, car, and truck is fitted with a two-way GPS that keeps accurate track of speed, and sets off an annoying beep when you reach a speed zone. If you don't slow down, your race team is penalized.
Our 2008 V-6 turbodiesel Touareg was identical to the 10 used by the support crew. The suspension was modified slightly with stiffer shocks and larger BFGoodrich tires. Inside, it had a sturdy rollcage with full race harnesses and bucket seats for three people. The cargo area was filled with two spare tires and an auxiliary 12-gallon fuel tank.
Although we didn't punish the Touaregs nearly as much as the race drivers did, it was still quite a tough endurance test. Of our three media vehicles, we had only three punctures and just one got stuck in soft sand. Despite crazy free-for-all traffic in Dakar, nobody got scrapes or dents, and we avoided hitting the donkeys or camels, which seemed oblivious to traffic.
One day, we took a shortcut to save 50 miles. As we crossed the savannah leaving the desert behind, we quickly found the road completely disappeared at regular intervals. The Touaregs got us through washed-out river crossings and along dirt tracks. A highlight for us was when we ended up in a remote village with mud huts. The villagers greeted us warmly but we had to turn back--the passageways between the huts were too narrow for our vehicles.
At times, we were so engrossed in our own survival adventures it was easy to forget we were there to cover a race. Then Jorg Walz's (VW's P.R. guy traveling with us) mobile phone would beep, and he'd receive up-to-the-minute results from Germany. The marvels of modern technology allowed anyone to track exactly where the competitors were via the official Dakar Web site. Amazingly, we had mobile telephone reception just about everywhere.
When we arrived in Dakar on the final day, seeing hundreds of spectators lining the streets was a thrill for even the most jaded journalists. We could only imagine what it was like for the dozens of amateur racers who'd just spent 14 grueling days going through much tougher desert terrain. A nice long shower in a modern hotel was a welcome reward.
Nearly everyone agreed they'd be back. "This is like a drug," said one competitor who'd just completed his third Dakar. Complete 2007 results and details on the 2008 Dakar can be found on www.dakar.com.