This is the Statt Mann Baby.  It's time to Scatt a little bit!

There are many curious things about The Dakar Rally that starts New Year's Day.

First.  It doesn't start or end in Dakar, Senagal or Dakar, Kansas for that matter.  It starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For the geographically challenged, that's thousands of miles from North Africa where the event ran for so many years.

It was changed two years ago because of political unrest along the old Dakar route. I'm told the roads are smaller and the route is even more challenging with a descent along some sand dunes that approaches 90 MPH. On sand!  Downhill!

No Americans have ever won the event.  Robby Gordon has won a stage and he's entered again. He says this is his best preparation for the event. A second American, Mark Miller has finished as high as second with the Volkswagen team. He doesn't get much notice becuase he runs with a factory operation and he's not the top guy on the team.  Maybe he should be!

Watch this event.  It's three weeks of drama and challenge and fun.

Peace.