Dealers Witness BFGoodrich Dakar Victory

After a rigorous selection process, 16 tyre retailers from throughout Europe were picked to experience the recent Euromilhões Dakar 2006 Rally at the wheel of a fleet of 4×4 vehicles. The successful retailers were divided into two groups of eight, with the first party tracking the event as far as the 8th January mid-event rest day in Nouakchott in Mauritania, with the second group taking over through to the finish in Dakar, Senegal.

Andy Sargeant, from AJS4x4 in Surrey, flew the flag from the UK after his victory in the selection event staged in the French Alps back in September 2005. Andy went on an intensive, week-long preparation session in Morocco run by BFGoodrich before joining up with the Dakar Adventure Raid team in Nouakchott and following the second half of the Rally.

“Going to the Dakar was an absolutely fantastic, breath-taking experience,” Andy Sargeant commented. “Doing the Dakar had been a lifelong ambition of mine and now that I’ve been out there, thanks to BFGoodrich, and seen first-hand the staggering effort required to make it happen, I really want to be a part of the 2007 Dakar.”

The man in charge of the Adventure Raid, distinguished Dakar competitor Thierry Charbonnier, said: “The 16 winners each took turns at the wheel and we had no technical setbacks whatsoever. We didn’t get lost even once, although unfortunately the same cannot be said for our luggage!”

Competitors in the 2006 Euromilhões Dakar Rally used BFGoodrich Rock T/A Rock (235/85 16) tyres, which Mitsubishi had used to win the previous three Dakars, and the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A Comp (235/85 16).