Toyota and SuperSport will once again combine to bring South African sports fans nightly coverage of the Dakar Rally, which starts in Peru on January 5 and ends in Chile on January 20.
A half-hour race highlights package, which is compiled by the Dakar organisers, will be screened each day of the event between 22:00 and 22:30 on the SS2 channel with five repeats the following day. Transmission times and channels are subject to change and viewers should check their TV programme guide.
Two racing versions of the Toyota Hilux Double Cab, built by Toyota Motorsport in its workshops near Kyalami and backed by Imperial Toyota, Duxbury Netgear, SAA, Innovation Group and Toyota Financial Services, will contest the 2013 Dakar Rally from January 5 to 20 in Peru, Argentina and Chile as Toyota Imperial SA Team. They will be crewed by 2009 Dakar winners Giniel de Villiers and German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz, who finished third in the 2012 event, and South African off road champions Duncan Vos and Rob Howie, who finished 10th this year.
The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s most-watched sporting events. This year’s race, which took place in Argentina, Chile and Peru in January, attracted 4,5 million spectators – 1,7 million in motor sport mad Argentina, where it started, 1,2 million in Chile and 1,5 million in Peru, where it ended.
There were one billion television viewers who watched 1 200 hours of TV coverage in 190 countries, carried by 70 broadcasters including South Africa’s DStv.
Some 55 international, national and regional channels sent crews to produce their own images in addition to the programmes produced daily by the organisers.
There were 4,3 million visitors to the Dakar website dakar.com and five million video views were viewed during the race. Facebook fans totalled 470 000 and there were 40 000 Twitter followers.
Fans will be able to get regular updates on the progress of the Toyota Imperial South Africa team during the 2013 Dakar Rally. Follow the team on Twitter at @ToyotaLive and on Facebook at facebook.com/toyotasouthafrica.
Toyota Motorsport Acknowledges Its Dakar Sponsors, Specialist Official Suppliers and Technical Partners
Toyota, Imperial Toyota, Duxbury Netgear, SAA, SAA Cargo, Innovation Group, Toyota Financial Services, Blue Sky, Bosch, Castrol, DeWalt, Donaldson, Edgecam, 4×4 Mega World, Hallspeed, Mastercraft, Michelin, Mistral, NGK, Oakley, SKF, Spanjaard and TFM.
