Gordon closes, Al-Attiyah retires

Robby Gordon moved to within 5m58s of Dakar Rally leader Stephane Peterhansel by winning Tuesday's Antofagasta to Iquique stage, but the American's Hummer team-mate - and 2011 event winner - Nasser Al-Attiyah's bid for a repeat victory has ended in retirement. Al-Attiyah had remained optimistic that he could pull off a second straight win even when nearly three quarters of an hour behind Peterhansel at the rally's halfway point, but further issues with his Hummer - today in the form of alternator and engine problems - saw the World Rally Championship regular forced to finally withdraw from the event. Even as one Hummer retired, the team's chances of victory were boosted as Gordon claimed his first stage win of the 2012 Dakar, beating X-raid Mini driver Peterhansel by 1m38s to reduce the Frenchman's lead to just under six minutes

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/gordon-closes-al-attiyah-retires/

Fred Gamble Howden Ganley Frank Gardner Billy Garrett