UPDATE 5: Kwikpower Mercedes-Benz Team In The Dakar Rally

Posted by www.eMercedesBenz.com on January 12, 2006 at 9:45 PM CST

Yesterday marked the completion of the eleventh stage of the Dakar  
Rally for Ellen Lohr and the Kwikpower Mercedes team, but  
unfortunately, the eleventh stage would also turn out to be the  
team's demise.

Problems began early for Lohr, after her Mercedes M-Class prototype  
was hit by another rally driver just 30 miles into the stage.  The  
team's problems were further compounded when the track was declared  
impassable for trucks, forcing the Unimog to take nearly six hours  
before it was able to reach Lohr and repair the vehicle (and also  
excluding itself from the next stage).  Although Lohr and her co- 
pilot Detlef Ruf were able to complete the stage early this morning,  
only half an hour remained before the start of stage 12, allowing  
just enough time to refuel the car and fill the water.

After the brief refueling period, Lohr and Ruf ventured out into  
stage 12, but the pair's string of bad luck continued. Seventy-seven  
miles into the twelfth stage, the M-Class suffered a locked wheel  
bearing which, in combination with the lack of the Unimog, would  
force Lohr and the Kwikpower team to retire after completing 4,350 of  
the Dakar Rally's 5,592 miles.

Here's what Lohr had to say about the race: "We're all truly  
disappointed that we're not able to complete the rally due to an  
accident that wasn't our fault. Everything might have worked hadn't  
the truck track been declared impassable at the same time. Yesterday  
already we were aware that the Unimog would be excluded should it  
help us. But the crew gave its very best, nevertheless. And in spite  
of our disappointment, we're proud at the same time. In our inaugural  
appearance in the most grueling rally of the world, we completed  
three quarters of the event's total mileage."

Although they didn't finish, we still have to commend Ellen Lohr and  
the entire Kwikpower Mercedes-Benz team for their efforts in the 2006  
Dakar Rally, and we wish them the best of luck next year.

For more info, check out the full press release by clicking the link  
below.

http://emercedesbenz.com/ 
Jan06/12Update5KwikpowerMercedesBenzInDakarRally.html

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Ellen Lohr Forced To Retire In Leg Twelve Due To The Consequences Of  
A Crash That Wasn't Her Fault

12.01.2006:

Mali – Following yesterday's crash that wasn't her fault, both Ellen  
Lohr in the rally prototype and the service Unimog had to retire from  
the 2006 Dakar Rally. A true pity as the team had already covered  
about 7,000 of the event's total mileage of 9,000 kilometres. Just 50  
kilometres into yesterday's leg, another competitor hit the rally car  
of Ellen Lohr and her co-pilot, Detlef Ruf. In normal circumstances,  
the service Unimog had rather quickly arrived at the scene of the  
accident to repair the rally car. But as the track had been declared  
impassable for trucks and the stage was nullified, the Unimog needed  
nearly six hours.
Hence, Lohr and Ruf arrived at the leg's finish just at 07.00hrs,  
this morning, exactly half an hour prior to the start of the next  
stage. “We had just enough time to refuel the car and to refill the  
water,” revealed Lohr. “But a service would have been particularly  
crucial, following the crash. And without the track being declared  
impassable for trucks, we would have had five hours time to repair  
the rally car.” Yet, without this service, the hopes of making it to  
the finish ended 125 kilometres into stage twelve, when Ellen Lohr  
broke down with a locked wheel bearing; while the service Unimog was  
excluded already yesterday due to a timeout because of its support  
for Lohr and Ruf. Now, the crews of the Unimog and the Mercedes-Benz  
Actros are on their way to Ellen Lohr and Detlef Ruf. Afterwards, the  
rally car will be repaired. It's still the team's goal to enter Dakar  
with the entire Mercedes-Benz fleet, on 15 th January.

Ellen Lohr: “We're all truly disappointed that we're not able to  
complete the rally due to an accident that wasn't our fault.  
Everything might have worked hadn't the truck track been declared  
impassable at the same time. Yesterday already we were aware that the  
Unimog would be excluded should it help us. But the crew gave its  
very best, nevertheless. And in spite of our disappointment, we're  
proud at the same time. In our inaugural appearance in the most  
gruelling rally of the world, we completed three quarters of the  
event's total mileage. In the past 13 days, our entire team worked  
and battled extremely hard to make it to the finish, Dakar. Now, we  
will give our very best to enter Dakar with our entire fleet.”

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