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As the New Year day is being celebrated worldwide today, January 1, 2017, motorsport lovers and top motorsport teams are gathered in Asuncion, the Paraguayan capital, for the ceremonial opening of the Dakar 2017, which officially kicks off early Monday, January 2, with the Stage 1 – which takes the teams from Paraguay into Argentina.
Already, the various teams participating in the rally are set for the showdown as the first lap of the race starts Monday in downtown Asuncion.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA spent the New Year’s eve completing the all-important administrative checks and pre-race testing, having sacrificed their Christmas holiday to prepare for the final hurdle before the start of the race.
The comprehensive administrative and safety checks had to be done by all team members, including the race crews, and this also included the last minute testing of the Toyota Hilux race vehicles the team will be using for the race.
Speaking on Sunday after the team completed all the pre-race checks, Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Team Principal, Glyn Hall, said : ”The good news is that the entire team cleared all the checks without any major problems. Essentially, this is the final rubber stamp we needed before we could go racing. Now all that remains is the ceremonial start on January 1st – and then we’re off.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA has entered two Toyota Hilux race vehicles for Dakar 2017, and with the technical checks done, both cars number 301 and 302 are officially allowed to start the race. Dakar 2017 will see double former winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah and his navigator, Mathieu Baumel, join the team. They will be rocking Toyota Hilux #301, while Toyota stalwarts Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz will be in #302.
“It has taken countless man-hours and immense effort to bring us this far,” Hall said. “Not only for Dakar 2017, but in the overall evolution of the team. Now we are nearing the start of one of the greatest races on the planet, and we are more motivated and excited than ever before.”
