Day six of the Dakar Rally just wrapped up, and once again Ellen Lohr and the Kwikpower Mercedes-Benz team have made up ground on their competitors.

After finishing 29th on the 492 mile stage from Tan Tan, Morocco to Zouérat, Mauritania, Lohr and her team have moved into 28th position overall.  According to Ellen Lohr:  “We're absolutely delighted to have moved up to the twenties, in the overall standings – that nearly exceeds our expectations. Our rally prototype runs flawlessly and we are confident to make it to the finish – the coastal city Dakar."

Stage seven, which spans Zouérat to Atâr, will be a demanding one.  The 310 mile special stage will feature dunes, gravel and camel grass and perfect navigation will be a key factor for successfully mastering this challenge.

We'll keep you posted as the race progresses; in the meantime, check out the press release below for a full recap of day six.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Ellen Lohr now in the top-30 – no problems during stage six

Zouérat/Mauritania – In their Kwikpower Mercedes-Benz M-Class rally prototype, Ellen Lohr and Detlef Ruf successfully completed the sixth stage of the Dakar Rally without experiencing any problems. At the end of the day, the pairing finished 29th in the 792-kilometre stage from Tan Tan, Morocco to Zouérat, Mauritania, thus moving up to 28th position in the overall standings.

The sixth day of the desert marathon was a truly demanding one. In the middle of the night, at 03.19hrs, the competitors had to start into a 336-kilometres liaison to the start of the 444-kilometre special stage, featuring several challenges. The first half was an extremely fast section, while the dunes and the camel grass the drivers had to cope with in the second half made them reduce their pace.

Ellen Lohr: “We're absolutely delighted to have moved up to the twenties, in the overall standings – that nearly exceeds our expectations. Our rally prototype runs flawlessly and we are confident to make it to the finish – the coastal city Dakar. During the first, fast section we were hampered by a slight lack of top speed, but when the track got more demanding, we once again succeeded in making up ground.”

During tomorrow's seventh stage – from Zouérat to Atâr – both Ellen Lohr's driving skills and Detlef Ruf's skills as a co-pilot will be vital. The 499-kilometre special stage will feature dunes, gravel and camel grass and perfect navigation will be a key factor for successfully mastering this challenge.

Detlef Ruf: “During the course of the stages so far, the organisers' road-book suited me rather well. Quite obviously, it's not that simple to stay focused all the time. Hence, a good preparation is crucial. I'm really excited to see what we will have to cope with during tomorrow's stage but I'm convinced that we are going to make the best of it.”

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