American Amy Lerner finished the 2021 Dakar Rally 2nd in class and 15th overall. The event took place in Saudi Arabia for the 2nd time this year. Lerner drove a 1982 Porsche 911 SC in this all-new competition category for pre-2000 vehicles that have previously competed in the Dakar or are built to original specifications.

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It attracted 24 entries, and used a 5,000-mile-long parallel route to the main rally, with 12 regularity stages, including a 2-day marathon stage, with no mechanical support. The 43rd-annual Dakar started and ended in Jeddah. More than 350 teams competed, with nearly 1/3 not completing the rally.

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“I was extremely satisfied with our finish and can’t stop smiling,” said Lerner, who has been racing for more than a decade and partnered with neophyte rally navigator Sara Bossaert, of Barcelona, Spain. Bossaert, an architect, is a competitive sailor and used her offshore navigation experience to guide the team through the spectacular desert terrain of Saudi Arabia. Lerner’s ‘82 Porsche 911 SC was prepared by Henrard Racing as a tribute to 1984 winners, Jacky Ickx, and René Metge. The “regularity rally” class was a test of endurance, vehicle management, strategy and mental will.

“What stands out for me is the support of our sponsors that included Recaro, BFG, Maxtrax, Flying Eyes, SPEED Energy, IMPACT, and PCI Racing, said Lerner. “We were in our race seats up to 14 hours a day and were never sore or tired.” gear such as good sunglasses, comfortable race suits, top-drawer race radio,s and Maxtrax, that helped when we were stuck in deep sand, made a significant difference to performance, they claimed.

The team’s Porsche was the most-followed and photographed vehicle in the rally, says Dakar organizers. The race vehicle and crew were covered by NBCSports, Red Bull, and numerous news channels. It was covered in countries like Russia, Lithuania, Italy, France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic and the U.S., in many outlets and media streams. As a tribute to a halcyon days of Dakar, many visitors came to see the desert-prepared car at the bivouac each day throughout the rally. Visitors included top drivers as well as Dakar legends.

Lerner competed 4 times in Morocco’s Gazelle Rally, and was part of the first American team to crack the top 10. She won her class at the Australasian Safari Rally, and has been on the podium at the Mint 400, driving Rod Hall’s Baja 1968 Bronco. She recently produced and directed a documentary called, “One More Win”, about Rod Hall. She lives in NJ, with her husband and 2 children.

Sue Mead, journalist and previous rally competitor, was media and support team manager for Lerner’s team. Mead’s three decades of work in the automotive industry and off-road racing attracted sponsors and interest in the team.