CARRERA PANAMERICANA 2009
Between
the 23 and the 29 of October the twenty second edition of La
Carrera Panamericana was celebrated. Organized by the Lindavista
Automovil Club. In this occasion 102 teams gathered to run 3,600
kilometers, having the starting line in Huatulco, in the state of
Oaxaca and finishing in Nuevo Laredo, next to the MEX/USA
border.
The famous champion Studebaker, the
most efficient weapon had several favorite winners on board in the
Carrera Panamericana since its redemption in 1988, with teams like
Stig Blomqvist and Ana Goni, or Gabriel Perez and Horacio Chousal
among others, (this last ones had a new car for the ´09 edition).
Another favorite was the 88 Oldsmobile of Doug Mockett and Angelica
Fuentes, the Studebaker of Lars Stugemo and Jonny Olofsson, and the
Dodge Coronet of the Pimentel brothers.
The rally started in Bahias de
Huatulco. It was a paradise in where the organization established
the parc-fermé, the verifications and scrutineering were held on
Wednesday the 21st and the pre classification on
Thursday the 22nd. Even with all the hectic
pre-race activities the teams had time to enjoy the view and relax
at the beaches, having the traditional Mexican hospitality in a
perfect resort well prepared for tourism.
We could see in the pre
classification that non of the competitors wanted to be left out,
all wanting to come in the first 10 places. In this occasion Doug
Mockett took advantage of the 500 horsepower of his Oldsmobile to
finalize in the first place.
The first stage took place between
Huatulco and Oaxaca. It was one of the hardest ones, with 403
km, 104 of them timed and recorded. To have and idea of the
similarity with the participants, we must say that the team of
Blomqvist-Goni won the the stage with a 2 second advantage over the
Pimentel brothers. The day was a disaster for Mockett-Fuentes, with
an engine failure they saw how their triumph dreams where slipping
away too soon. Another favorites where the Perez-Chousal couple,
who where loosing 25 minutes from car problems.
Beginning the second day, with a
route from Oaxaca to Mexico City, the problems began again in the
Studebaker of Perez-Chousal, penalized with 5 minutes. In this
stage the champion Studebaker of Blomqvist-Goni and
Stugemo-Olofsson were imposing their potential overcoming the
Pimentel Dodge.
The third stage, disputed between
Mexico City and Queretaro, left the classification pretty defined.
A problem in the Stugemo-Olofsson car wouldn't let them finish the
stage, the Perez-Chousal Studebaker was forced to abandon the race
with a broken motor and a spin of the Pimentel brothers left their
Dodge Coronet out needing a crane to return it to the road. The
Rally world champion in 1984 Stig Blomqvist had the leading
position and obtaining the final victory of the 22nd
Carrera Panamericana.
In the rest of the stages the
Blomqvist-Goni team was dedicated to control their opponents who
had no real winning in general. Doug Mockett won the fourth stage
(Queretaro-San Luis Potosi) while the two following stages San Luis
Potosi-Guadalajara and Guadalajara-Zacatecas where dominated by the
Pimentels. The winner of the last stage Zacatecas-Nuevo Laredo was
the Stugemo-Olofsson team, with frightening top speeds of 300 km/h
in the long straight road near Nuevo Laredo.
Like in other occasions, the people of the towns and cities came
out to the road to welcome the Panamerican racers. We must
highlight the reception in Guadalajara, while traveling several
kilometers in the Tequila Route, was received in Mundo Cuervo, in
the Jose Cuervo Hacienda with a delicious dinner to all
participants.
http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/
