The Dakar Rally is on in Saudi Arabia, and is, as it is every year, an absolute test of the human will through some of the most extreme, barren, and beautiful land on Earth. These testing areas produce very human moments. Take a look at, for instance, the salute at the end of this video.
That’s one way to tackle a dune*
*We don’t recommend it and don’t try this at home#Dakar2020 pic.twitter.com/rjyubODzsd
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 14, 2020
As you can see, the little buggy noses in over the edge of a dune, endos, and keeps going as if nothing has happened. It is a testament to the strength of the vehicle, sure.
I remember one of the Dakar Mini drivers telling me in the UAE that his race buggy was more durable than he was, and that his mind and body would give out long before the suspension on the truck or any other component. What makes it, though, is the little salute from the other driver who happened to be watching, seeing that one of an unseeable number of individual small human tests and triumphs that fill the remote Dakar.
(Hat tip to Steve Harrell!)