Robby Gordon Angry Over 2008 Dakar Rally Cancellation - USA TODAY Article

This is a scanned USA TODAY newspaper article by Nate Ryan titled "Cancellation angers Gordon," reporting from Daytona Beach, Fla. Off-road and NASCAR driver Robby Gordon expresses anger over the cancellation of the Dakar Rally by the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) following terrorist threats and the Dec. 24 slayings of French tourists in Mauritania by al-Qaeda-linked militants. Gordon states his team spent about $4.5 million preparing two Hummers, including shipping 10 gearboxes and 20 sets of axles overseas, and criticizes organizers for lacking a backup plan, suggesting alternate routes through Portugal. The article notes it was the first cancellation in the event's 30-year history, that Gordon became the first American to win a Dakar stage in 2005, and that ASO offered to refund his roughly $360,000 entry fees. Gordon worries about lawsuits against the organizers, says he doesn't know how ASO can recover, and reveals the cancellation cost a potential Microsoft sponsorship that would have let fans race the 2009 event online via Xbox. A photo caption shows Gordon paying a parking fine in Lisbon, Portugal, on Jan. 4 while there for the rally. Readers learn about the financial and logistical impact of the cancellation on Robby Gordon Motorsports.