Five Dakar-Rally Car Records You Might Not Know

It´s no secret that Dakar is the toughest rally in the world, held under gruelling conditions and it really tests human resourcefulness and endurance. So difficult is the rally that even merely completing it is no mean feat. But records are constantly being made every year by these tough Dakar drivers.  Here are a few exciting records created by Dakar racers that you may not have heard of.

Japan's Yoshimasa Sugawara – Six Dakar Rallies but No Win!

You'll be surprised to learn that only six drivers enjoy the status of “Dakar Legend.” The Japanese racer signed off his career at Dakar last year. Yoshimasa Sugawara boasts of a remarkable six records at Dakar Rally.

What's most surprising is that Sugawar has never won a Dakar Rally despite these records. Nevertheless, Sugawara is one of Dakar Rally's most famous racers.

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Most Wins on Dakar Rally – The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

The Mitsubishi Pajero has enjoyed a fruitful run at the Dakar Rally. Since its debut in 1983, this beast has secured an overall 12 wins! You might be unaware of Pajero's lesser-known achievements.

For instance, Pajero finished at the 3^rd position with Andrew Cowan as the driver. Peugeot is the next rival with a significant margin to our very own Mitsubishi Pajero.

In the First 10 Paris-Dakar Rallies, 7 Manufacturers Won in the Car Division

In 1979, Neveu and Genestier recreated history by becoming the first winners of the Paris Dakar Rally. Range Rover was able to collect another win two years later. Name names like Volkswagen, Renault, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Porsche, and Peugeot popped up in the coming years.

These seven names secured several victories in the initial ten years. However, the wins seemed confined to only four manufacturers in the last ten!

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The Longest Duration without a French Car Winner is only 4 Years

History suggests that France has only gained 22 victories in Dakar Rally's car division. But, if we were to count co-drivers, you'd find France's success in Dakar Rally to be staggering. In the 40-years of Dakar Rally, the longest stint without France winning was between 1988 and 1991.

Since 1979, Only 5 Cars Locked Out the Podium

Another achievement of the Mitsubishi Pajero is that it has achieved podium lockouts for five teams. Another fun fact is that Kenjiro Shinozuka has been involved in all those lockouts. But Mitsubishi was not the first manufacturer to claim all the lockouts on the car podium. Peugeot achieved this accomplishment in 1990. Up until now, Peugeot is the only one to lock out the entire car podium at Dakar Rally with two entirely different vehicle makes.

Photo Credit: wallpapercave.com

Did you know of these Dakar Rally car records before? In any case, don't forget to share this list with fellow motorsport fans!