N° 456 - TEAM TOYOTA FRANCE
- ZIEGLER
- Michael
- USA
- 03/08/1949
- 175 cm
- 65 kg
|
- OAKLEY
- Ron
- GBR
- 17/07/1961
- 172 cm
- 65 kg
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| LAND CRUISER 120 |
TOYOTA |
 |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
| Scratch |
163
|
-
|
108
|
105
|
100
|
-
|
85
|
79
|
89
|
-
|
-
|
78
|
87
|
88
|
| Stage |
163
|
-
|
108
|
104
|
100
|
107
|
98
|
79
|
108
|
-
|
-
|
77
|
87
|
88
|
-
|
-
|
| Overall |
163
|
-
|
123
|
137
|
117
|
115
|
113
|
111
|
80
|
-
|
-
|
72
|
69
|
69
|
-
|
-
|
Ron Oakley : «My mother did all the races in East Africa»
One is a dentist, the other rents automobiles, one is an American, the other British. But they share a lot in common. Michael Ziegler and Ron Oakley, two expatriates who have lived in Dubai for the last 25 years, will set off as a duo on their first Dakar and race under the banner of the United Arab Emirates. “This country is our home. We have lived here for such a long time…” It is Ron who is speaking. The 47-year old, has lived more abroad than in Great Britain. Living in Kenya has a child; Ron got the taste of automobile rally raiding. “I was always around the rally world since my birth. My mother did all the races in East Africa.”
As he grew up, so did the passion. Ron and Michael have vast experience in races in Africa and the Middle East, and Ron is involved in the organisation of the Dubai Desert Challenge. “It has allowed me to meet an enormous amount of teams and obtain excellent information in how to prepare for a rally such as the Dakar”, explains the father of two. “It is also why we contacted the Toyota team for assistance in the race: it is a really fantastic team.”
The two rookies thus arrive in Buenos Aires well prepared, but there are the unknowns. “We are sand specialists”, says Ron, who has been the co-driver for 15 years. “We don’t have experience in the mountains or in rallies at high altitude.”
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com