Entering the opening stage of the Dakar Rally confidently, Team Dakar USA fell victim to the unforgiving terrain. Favoring the smaller 4wd cars, stage 1 did not compliment the Hummers that Team Dakar USA competed in. Stage 2 was fast but very dusty. With no wind to blow away the dust from the leader, the rest of the drivers found themselves at a disadvantage.

Piloting the Monster Energy Toyo Tires Hummer, Robby Gordon finished the stage in two hours fifteen minutes and forty seconds in the 17th position. Stage winner Al Attiyah completed the stage fourteen minutes and twenty five seconds ahead of Gordon.

“I was very surprised to finish 17th, we were one minute down the leaders at check point one and three minutes behind at check point two,” Gordon stated. “We then lost 11 minutes in the last one third of the stage, it was extremely dusty and I was very cautious passing the motorcycles. I have a hard time believing I was that conservative knowing my driving style."

Gordon's Dakar USA teammate Eric Vigouroux finished nine spots behind Gordon in 26th, and twenty four minutes and fifty two seconds behind the winner.

“We felt good at the start of the race, after twenty kilometers we reached the car in front of us, then at check point two we had a very strange flat tire,” said Vigouroux. “We lost five minutes, it was very dusty with no room to pass and we decided not to make a costly mistake.”

The second, and longest, stage of the event will begin in Santa Rosa and come to an end in Puerta Madryn Argentina. Totaling 1074Km of racing, stage 2 will be the longest of the rally. The Dakar Rally will be televised in the United States on Versus Network.