Dakar Rally Confirms South America as 2010 Host

Given the immense success of the first non-African edition of the Dakar Rally this year, the event's organizers decided to confirm Argentina as the host of the 2010 race for the second year running. It is therefore official that the 32nd running of the event will not return to Africa, as rumored in the past few weeks.

The 2010 Rally Dakar will get under way on the very first day of the day, January 1, and will be hosted by the same two South American countries Argentina and Chile. The rally will end on January 17, in the Argentine capital of Bueno Aires.

“Following a really successful 2009 Dakar Rally, hosted jointly by Argentina and Chile, we are pleased to announce that the 2010 Dakar Rally will once again be returning to South America,” said Dakar Rally director Etienne Lavigne.

The news was received with great enthusiasm by the Argentine tourist authority also – through director Leonardo Boto – who admitted this will boost his country's tourism industry during the month of January.

“This is a major success for Argentina; it will be a boost for our tourism industry and for our international prestige. It will be a fantastic opportunity for the rest of the world to see the real Argentina, we have so much to offer visitors to our country. We will do everything possible to make the 2010 rally a success,” said Boto.

Last year's Dakar Rally was won by South African driver Giniel de Villiers, who completed Volkswagen's 1-2 in the event ahead of teammate Mark Miller. It was the German manufacturer's maiden Dakar win on a diesel-powered car (Touareg).