Dakar Rally 2012 Day 2 update

The first major motorsports event of the year, the 2012 Dakar Rally, began its two-week trek across South America on Jan. 1.

Four hundred and sixty-five vehicles (171 cars, 185 motorcycles, 33 quads and 76 trucks) with drivers representing 50 nationalities will attempt to cover 9,000 kilometers (more than 5,500 miles) over 14 days throughout Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

The Dakar, one of the most challenging events for professional and amateur endurance racers, has already proved fatal this year. Near the end of the first stage, motorcycle competitor Jorge Andr

By David Arnouts