interview links below
"A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind." Thierry Sabine, Dakar Rally founder.
The Dakar Rally is one of the great adventures on the planet. It is right up there with climbing Everest and sailing around the world. For many years it was called Paris-Dakar, now it starts in Lisbon and ends 15 days and 5000 miles later in Dakar, Senegal.
As a kid I would read stories on it in car magazines it is the kind of adventure that always fascinated me. The change in countries and cultures and geography mixed with the brave riders and drivers in the race always made for real adventure stories.
A few years ago I was riding dirt bikes with a group of friends down in Hollister at the popular off road park. One of our group, Charlie Rauseo, was riding this big KTM. Now Charlie wasn't the fastest of the group but he loved to ride big heavy bikes, and could really hang it out on the trails. He was and is a "quiet fast" type rider that can hold a quick pace for hours, all day long.
So Charlie tells me he is going to ride "around the world." I don't think he meant in a big circle, but really ride around in the world. Go places, ride a bike, check things out. I thought that was cool, but asked how do you do that? I mean don't you have a job? or pay rent? or I don't know something? Charlie smiled with his goofy grin and said, "you just decide to do it." Charlie is a really smart guy, and I had no doubt he would do fine in any culture. Something about riding a motorcycle in a far away land, sounds like a good idea. As he would say "Fun Fun Fun." Charlie has some inner Buddha or something when he talks about riding. You can just tell.
So indeed he did ride around in the world. Yes the bike broke a few times. Yes he was able to find a welder in Turkey. Yes he came back with lots of stories.
Being the adventurous sort he decided to enter a motorcycle rally in Tunisia. You know "you just decide to do it." Well he had fun, finished well and got the idea he would enter the great Dakar Rally.
You've got to know this was kind of unheard of in the USA just 4 years ago. People here dream of riding and racing Baja. (BTW if you've never been I highly suggest you take a trip down there on a bike, in your SUV, whatever, you'll fall in love with the place.)
So Charlie races Dakar, he struggles, he doesn't finish. He was being a nice guy, and got left behind for doing it. Here's the grim story. The next year he returned to Dakar. This time with his brother as a riding partner, and good friend Mike Krynock in the support truck as their mechanic. They both finished. But Charlie's brother Dave rode the last week with a broken foot. The last week are the toughest days in the rally. He wouldn't quit.
In 2006 Mike and Charlie raced. Mike finished, but rode with a broken wrist for all of the African stages. Close to 2 weeks. On the rest day he grabbed a hunk of radiator hose and asked the doctors to make a cast while he held the hose. They did and Mike could slip his hand and cast over his motorcycle grips and continue to ride. He finished, Charlie had a separated shoulder and came home early.
They had a 3rd rider who has a pretty good racing resume. Jonah Street has thousands of miles of Baja riding and racing, and must have a pretty big trophy case to hold all his awards from his many wins. Jonah did really well on the bikes built here in a San Francisco garage by what is now called Team Rally Panamerica. Mike and Charlie had come up with the plan to use stock 525 KTM motorcycles and modify them to handle all that Dakar could offer.
Every year Charlie's story spread. Like Hemingway, or Robert Peary, or Edmund Hillary, his stories of adventure got passed around. The internet and digital camera helped greatly in convincing many around the world that an entry to something like Dakar is possible and could be fun.
This year there are riders and drivers from all over the USA. It costs a ton of money, and you have to take about a month off work. Nothing about it is easy. Support crews have their own "event" and rules and course they must follow. You have to ship things like trucks, bikes, spares, and tools over by cargo ship far in advance. But people do it. It seems like if they don't finish they come back for more. Charlie has shared hours of phone calls and emails with many of them. He even built bikes for some to them to ride.
I think it is fair to say that San Francisco guy, former coffee shop owner, Mr. "Fun Fun Fun" changed how many around the world think about the greatest race in the world.
This year he is the manager of a team with 2 riders, Jonah Street and Casey McCoy. The goal? not to finish, but to win. Can they do it? Maybe, they have a shot, they have good bikes, they have experience. But it is hard. You need luck. You need things to go well every day for more than 2 weeks. One problem, one bad day, and you might not have a chance. You might not finish. Many don't. I hope they do. The tongue in cheek lettering on the side of the support truck reads:
"What Could Possibly Go Wrong" They all know the answer is "Everything."
All this from a little garage in the Sunset District of the City by the Bay. You gotta love this story.
Versus (formerly OLN) has daily coverage of the Dakar Rally this year. Check your listings, for me it is on at 12 noon and 3:30 pm with special 1 hour shows coming up.
Lots of information is at the webpage for SF's Team Rally Panamerica.
Here's some audio from some interviews I've done with Charlie, his team, and riders.
Here is an interview I did Monday night after stage 3 (warning spoilers if you aren't up to date to stage 3) with Mike Krynock. The link is to the mp3 file, and should jut play when you click it.
Mike was been to Dakar as a mechanic and as a rider, finishing in his first race there last year. He has raced at a pro level in AMA Superbike, AMA Supermoto, World Superbike, and more. He has also raced some local District 36 events in the past and plans to do some this year as well.
In the interview Mike gives insight on the early stages in Europe, the help from local motorcycle riders, the terrain in the northern Africa stages and how it is like riding in Baja with one big difference. He also talks about the speed limit rule change and what the riders and team can do about it, and more.
Enjoy!
It should also be on the KFOG podcast list at iTunes. (iTunes will open if you have it installed) and at the KFOG.com podcast page.
Look for more audio podcast updates in the next 2 weeks. Here's some more.
2007 riders Jonah Street and CaseyMcCoy prerace interview from late 2006
The Rally Panamerica support crew discuss the 2007 plans
Charlie Rauseo interview from 2006 after coming home early from the Dakar
2006 pre race interview with Charlie and Mike Krynock
post 2005 Dakar race interview with TV host Jerry Bernardo and Charlie
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