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I’m often asked, What does it take to win? It’s a simple answer. Preparation. Perseverance.
And a little luck.
After winning the Roof of Africa on a motorcycle and in a buggy as well as the Atlas Rally in Morocco, I was asked to participate in the Paris Dakar in 1987. I jumped at the chance. But I was in for a surprise.
I found myself in the most remote, exciting, and adventurous landscape I had ever seen. My team and I were strangers in a foreign land, not expected to win — hardly expected to finish. But we persevered, trying to keep our wits about us as we pulled out all our tricks: pit crews, chase planes, mental endurance. The desert answered: relentless heat, sand storms, and its most frightening weapon — desolation.
“Don’t get lost.” It sounds like simple enough advice, but I assure you, you’ve not felt loneliness until you’ve driven for hours without seeing another soul, climbed to the top of the highest dune, put army-grade binoculars to your eyes and conducted a 360° pan.
Sand. Nothing but sand.
But that’s the Paris Dakar Rally. That’s what makes it special. The adventure. The excitement. The thrill of counting on not just yourself, but your team and the thousands of hours you’ve spent preparing for every possible curve the race may throw at you.
I finished fourth overall. It was unlike any event I had ever raced before or since. I consider it one of my proudest accomplishments.
The following pages are for everyone, from those planning to participate to those who have only dreamt of it. I wish this book had been published before I raced the Paris Dakar Rally. It would have saved me money, stress, and most importantly…time. Because in racing, time is all that matters. It’s easy to go fast over twenty minutes; it’s much harder to go fast over twenty days. The difference? Preparation. Perseverance.
And a little luck.
Malcolm Smith Motorsports
Riverside, CA
www.malcolmsmith.com
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