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 below.


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.”

Copyright © 2006, Kwikpower