TEAM DAKAR USA > News > Press Releases Robby Gordon and the Monster Energy/Toyo Tires/Hummer H3 Charge The Central Europe Rally

Keen to prove his greatness in all things mud, sweat and gears, this Saturday in the Hungarian capital of Budapest Robby Gordon and his 4,800-pound Frankenstein-like Monster Energy Hummer H3 will prepare to divide and conquer the Central Europe Rally, relocated here after the Dakar Rally was cancelled at the last minute due to threats of terrorism.  A seven-stage race that will see hundreds of Large Truck, Automobile and Motorcycle racing teams careening through a 2,000-mile rout that will traverse the forests, valleys, plains and paths of Romania and Hungary, Gordon and Monster Energy-powered Hummer will defy anything that gets in their way in an effort to be the first vehicle across the finish line at Lake Balaton next Saturday afternoon.

"We are very excited about the race and our chances in Europe," beams Gordon, who won the Open Class, placed eighth overall and won a stage(6) helping Hummer become the first American manufacturer to win a stage in the 2007 Dakar Rally. "Our sponsors are generally pleased and our cars are fast. We expect to put on a great race and do very well this year."

And while Gordon's black and electric green glowing Monster Energy Hummer will be required to take the measure of the 500 race teams signed up to compete, he'll be in possession of one of the roughest, toughest and just plain evil pieces of machinery known on this side of hell's half acre. Right from its birth - something akin to splitting an atom - Robby Gordon's Monster Energy Hummer was an exorcize in the fantastic performed the Gordon family and a few close friends. With Monster fully urging the off-road masterminds on, the initial skeleton of what would ultimately become a metallic beast was a one-off, purpose-built Robby Gordon Off-Road designed and fabricated chromoly chassis. Once that mind boggling task in geometry and calculus was complete, next came a series of hand-made suspension components graced with super-trick, state of the art Fox and RGX off-road shocks and Eibach springs. Then, while no one was looking, Robby and Bob Gordon, with the help of their buddy Dwight Woodbridge (General Motors Racing Off Road Program Manager), took receipt of a heavily breathed-on, fully jeweled 427 cubic inch Chevrolet LS7d "competition use only" engine. Quietly, in a dark corner of their California-based off-road skunk works, the trio dropped the fire breathing, fossil fuel- chugging mill into the chassis, then covered it all up with wind-tunnel-tested composite bodywork not all that far removed from the stuff you see on a modern day Formula 1 car. When it came time to flip the switch and scream, "IT'S ALIVE!" the tab on the Team Dakar USA Monster Energy Hummer H3 had been run up to over $1 million dollars. Oh well. When you're preparing to conquer a 2,000-mile course and stomp out 500 other contraptions, you don't nickel and dime things.

"We at Hummer are certainly looking forward to the Central European Rally, the first of the Dakar series events," says Dwight Woodbridge. "The Hummers are ready, the best I have ever seen them as the team did a great job preparing them for the return to Europe.  Monster Energy, Toyo Tires and Team Gordon has improved the race Hummers, including a very valuable test session stateside to tune them for the expected terrain in Eastern Europe."

An event that demands strength, stamina and sheer bravery, the Central Europe Rally mirrors all things Monster and the company is fully behind its driver for the long haul. "We are very excited about the Central Europe rally and the fact that Robby is competing in it," says Joe Parsons of Monster Energy. "Robby Gordon represents our brand well and does an awesome job for us on and off the track."

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it rock crawling, rock racing, MX, road racing, supermoto, off-road, FMX, skate, MTB, off-road, surf, snow, BMX the athletes are rockin' Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types - Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Assault, Monster Khaos, the new Monster/fruit juice hybrid called "M-80" and the ground-breaking Java Monster premium coffee & cream supercharged with our Monster Energy blend. Robby " Flash" Gordon  digs 'em - so will you. On the 'Net at www.monsterenergy.com