With the motorsports world still reeling from the cancellation of this year’s Dakar Rally, a number of countries, including Chile, are expressing an interest in hosting the epic event.
American sports network ESPN has just reported that the Chilean government is backing a proposal to move the Dakar Rally to South America after this year’s event was abandoned amidst fears of terrorist activity in Mauritania, which was to host several of the Dakar’s stages.
The organizers of the Rally of Pampas in neighboring Argentina have also expressed an interest in hosting a portion of the Dakar Rally, which has been proposed to cover their country as well as Brazil and Chile. The Chilean leg of the event would go through the northern part of the Atacama desert (one of the driest regions on earth), where a local race called the Patagonia-Atacama is hosted each year.
Head of the Chilean Tourism Service, Oscar Santelices, informed the press that a formal letter outlining the government’s proposal will be sent to the Dakar’s organizers in France next week. Chile’s deputy sports minister echoed the government’s interest in hosting the Dakar as “the idea appears on the line with the official policy of hosting important international sports events.” Santelices was clear, however, that Chile would not commit any financial support to such a proposition at present.
Chilean Dakar Rally motorcycle competitor, Carlo De Gavardo, said that a major advantage for South American countries hosting the event is the security they offer in the territories where the race would be staged.
He added a decision on the new site would probably be made in February, and that other likely alternatives include the likes of Australia, Russia and China.
