Lake Elsinore, Calif. – Team Kawasaki IMG Motorsports is just weeks away from its debut in the 25th Annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in Morocco, Africa, an all female race that doesn’t reward speed, rather a team’s skill at navigating the shortest distance point to point without the aid of GPS.
Team Kawasaki IMG Motorsports will be challenged with plotting its route using only maps, a plotter and a compass on an unmarked course that can take longer than sunrise to sunset to reach the goal checkpoints in the day. Each morning they will receive their map along with a coordinate or distance and heading to checkpoint No. 1 and once there they will recieve a “Road Book” containing geographic coordinates and or headings and distance of the day’s checkpoints and last checkpoint of the day being their Bivouac where they do all they can to recover and prepare for the next day. The course is completely off-road and redesigned each year, making this rally not just physically exhausting but also mentally taxing.
Pilot Sara Price will take the wheel of the Team Kawasaki IMG Motorsports Teryx with teammate Erica Sacks as navigator. The Team will work together to tackle the mental and physical demands of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles thanks in part to weeks of training with highly experienced Gazelle Emily Miller, instructor and mentor for the USA Gazelles. During their training, Sara and Erica combined learning navigating skills with tackling desert terrain with the goal of making the straightest line possible to get to their goal.
“Sara and Erica have truly impressed me throughout their preparation and training.” says Miller. “Combined with a capable vehicle, superior driving and navigating skills and impressive composure, they are a formidable team and excellent representatives of the United States.”
“We’re feeling very confident going into the rally, with the combination of our training with the USA Gazelles and the capabilities of our Kawasaki Teryx,” says Price. “In our training we pushed our Teryx to its boundaries and it came out ready to keep going.”
The durability of the Team Kawasaki IMG Motorsports Teryx is going to be critical during the rally, where a mechanical issue can easily sideline the team. Teams are not permitted to have support crews and although there will be rallye technicians, they are limited by availability and also penalized if in need of assistance during competition.
“We have to be able to do any repairs ourselves with parts that we carry with us on the car; that’s why we chose the Kawasaki Teryx,” Price explains. “It’s a dependable side-by-side that can handle a lot of abuse from harsh environments. Plus, maintenance is fairly easy with convenient access engine components. It’s a winning platform for us.”
Team Kawasaki IMG Motorsports begins their journey in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles March 25 through April 4. Follow the team’s progress and receive daily updates from Morocco at https://www.facebook.com/TERYXGIRLS. For live tracking on Team 23 (Teryx Girls) and to send messages the team during the competition, visit the Rallye’s official website at http://www.RallyeAichaDesGazelles.com. Each night, the Teryx Girls will have access to a designated team e-mail where they can interact with their fans. #TeryxGirls
