Dakar 2013: New partnerships with GHR Honda

Once again it is Dakar time, and GHR Honda want to acknowledge some new partnerships for 2012-13.

A small army of mechanics and support crew work relentlessly behind the scenes to keep riders and machines in action at Dakar. None of this is possible without thorough planning and safe carriage of all tools, spares and equipment. The planning stage began many months before the personnel gathered in Peru this week.

After GHR’s 2011 Dakar campaign, it was clear that a larger truck was required and the faithful MAN truck used that year was sold to one of GHR’s new supporters – the Coconut Car Racing Team sponsored by the Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort. Another larger truck was sourced through a contact in Europe and a new strategy devised for transport of the heavy equipment and spares. This time around the team chose to build special modular rack units that could be prepacked at home and installed as complete units in the truck body in Peru.

All the gear based in Australia had to be inventoried, sorted and packed into some form of recepticles and it was earlier this year that Australian businesses Armourboy and Rolacase offered support with their specialised equipment cases. Armourboy’s utility cases have provided the team with a standardised case system for bulky items and tools, while the Rolacase “multiple storage systems” have solved the problem of keeping small parts and spares safely organised in portable units. These two systems were integrated into the rack design. This new delivery system will not only save valuable time in the days immediately before the start of the event but also reduce the set up and pack up times each day the service crews need to move.