Up and Down Day for Team Dakar USA in the Central Europe Rally

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Veszprem, Hungary – It was a seesaw day for Team Dakar USA. Over the past three stages when things have gone well for Robby Gordon and his Monster Hummer, BJ Baldwin and the Vanguard Hummer has had its set of challenges. Today the roles were reversed.

The Central Europe Rally shifted back to Hungary and revisited the site of the first special in Dubras, just outside Budapest. Gordon impressed on the first special of the day, finishing third in the opening segment. BJ Baldwin was in full attack mode as well but managed to tangle with a tree. That episode relegated him to seventh on the first special.

Team Dakar USA then travelled 201km to the start of the second special in Veszprem where the rally will be for the next two days.

There was no holding back for either of the two hummer teams. Gordon and Grider were flying when a rock managed to sever the rear brake line. The duo acted quickly to cap of the line and continue with only front brakes. Navigation errors by some of the top rivals allowed them to close up the gap only to give it back when the Hummer H3 went off the track just a few kilometers from the end of the special.

The second special was the best moment yet for BJ Baldwin and navigator Kevin Heath. Coming from the back the team scored an impressive 5th place finish which vaulted them up to 15th in the overall classifications. With Gordon’s mechanical luck he dropped back to eight in the standings, 7:05 adrift.

Tomorrow’s stage five will remain in Veszprem which is good terrain for the Hummers. The wide open, sometimes motorcross like tracks make for spectacular rallying and Team Dakar USA plans to charge again.

Coverage of the Central Europe Rally can be seen in the United States on DirecTV. The half hour show will be aired twice – first at 7p.m. EST and then again at 12:30a.m. Additional rally coverage can also be found on robbygordon.com and robbysuprising.com where Team Dakar USA will have daily updates, the twitter micro blog feed, and videos.