By Ami Afriatni
Competing in the Dakar Rally can take a toll on any driver. And as Indonesia’s Kasih Hanggoro can attest, going it alone can make the experience a lot more difficult.
Kasih announced on Thursday that he would shift events in the Dakar, from single-seater buggy to small SUVs, in what he said would be his last rally.
The 40-year-old participated in this year’s 14-stage race but only made it to the third stage before his vehicle broke down.
Kasih said he planned to drive a Mitsubishi Montero V60 for the Spain-based Epsilon team in the next rally.
He has also tapped Iriatna Yudha Satria to be his navigator in the 2011 Dakar Rally, which is scheduled to run Jan. 1-16.
“It is really hard to race alone, especially in a rally as big as this one. That’s why I’ve decided to switch cars,” said Kasih, the first Indonesian to compete in the Dakar Rally since Tinton Soeprapto in 1990.
“It’s an unfinished business for me, and that’s the reason why I wanted to give it another shot.
“Plus it’ll be an opportunity for me to learn more about how events like these are operated. Who knows, maybe we can do the same thing here in our country.”
Kasih and Yudha traveled to Spain in October to test drive for Epsilon, under the supervision of Lucas Cruz, who navigated for Carlos Sainz when they won the 2010 Dakar Rally.
Yudha said he learned a lot during the training in Spain and was ready for his Dakar debut.
“[Cruz] taught me a lot, like reading maps and analyzing GPS, He gave us a lot of tips,” the Harley-Davidson mechanic said.
“Our goal is to just finish this year, because it won’t be easy. Only around 30 percent of the field reach the final stage.”
Without the benefit of sponsorship, Kasih, who occupies a top-level management position at Budi Luhur University in Jakarta, has dug deep into his own pockets to keep his rally dreams alive.
“I’ve spent thousands of euros already, but I don’t mind because it’s been an amazing experience,” said Kasih, who is considered one of Indonesia’s most prominent off-road racers.
“I’m not thinking about results. It’d be great though if I could improve on my achievement from this year.”
Kasih said he planned to retire from the Dakar Rally after the 2011 race, and added that he hoped more Indonesians would take an interest in the sport.
Part of his long-term plan is to set up a driving school for aspiring off-road racers.
“I would like to share my experience and skills with the youngsters,” he said
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
Competing in the Dakar Rally can take a toll on any driver. And as Indonesia’s Kasih Hanggoro can attest, going it alone can make the experience a lot more difficult.
Kasih announced on Thursday that he would shift events in the Dakar, from single-seater buggy to small SUVs, in what he said would be his last rally.
The 40-year-old participated in this year’s 14-stage race but only made it to the third stage before his vehicle broke down.
Kasih said he planned to drive a Mitsubishi Montero V60 for the Spain-based Epsilon team in the next rally.
He has also tapped Iriatna Yudha Satria to be his navigator in the 2011 Dakar Rally, which is scheduled to run Jan. 1-16.
“It is really hard to race alone, especially in a rally as big as this one. That’s why I’ve decided to switch cars,” said Kasih, the first Indonesian to compete in the Dakar Rally since Tinton Soeprapto in 1990.
“It’s an unfinished business for me, and that’s the reason why I wanted to give it another shot.
“Plus it’ll be an opportunity for me to learn more about how events like these are operated. Who knows, maybe we can do the same thing here in our country.”
Kasih and Yudha traveled to Spain in October to test drive for Epsilon, under the supervision of Lucas Cruz, who navigated for Carlos Sainz when they won the 2010 Dakar Rally.
Yudha said he learned a lot during the training in Spain and was ready for his Dakar debut.
“[Cruz] taught me a lot, like reading maps and analyzing GPS, He gave us a lot of tips,” the Harley-Davidson mechanic said.
“Our goal is to just finish this year, because it won’t be easy. Only around 30 percent of the field reach the final stage.”
Without the benefit of sponsorship, Kasih, who occupies a top-level management position at Budi Luhur University in Jakarta, has dug deep into his own pockets to keep his rally dreams alive.
“I’ve spent thousands of euros already, but I don’t mind because it’s been an amazing experience,” said Kasih, who is considered one of Indonesia’s most prominent off-road racers.
“I’m not thinking about results. It’d be great though if I could improve on my achievement from this year.”
Kasih said he planned to retire from the Dakar Rally after the 2011 race, and added that he hoped more Indonesians would take an interest in the sport.
Part of his long-term plan is to set up a driving school for aspiring off-road racers.
“I would like to share my experience and skills with the youngsters,” he said
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com