Would you believe it was pouring rain this morning? I woke up to rain hitting the roof of my tent at 5:00am. The race cars left at 8:41 am local time and VW's Carlos Sainz was the first off the line, followed by Robby Gordon's Hummer.

The start of the race began near a dry sandy river bed that was very rough, much like the SCORE Primm 300 race in Nevada.

Within the first 60 minutes of the race we got word that VW's Carlos Sainz (first on the course, and first overall in Dakar) had rolled his Touareg. Carlos is OK, but his co-driver has a shoulder injury. Carlos is now out of the race.

That leaves American Mark Miller in Second place overall, and Second on the track (behind Robby Gordon).

I will report more race news as it comes.

Right now I'm standing in a desert landscape that looks a lot like Borrego Springs, CA. It's much cooler though, maybe 68 degrees F. The first motorcycles are coming through now, so the first cars should be here within the hour. The ASO's helicopters have flown over head twice now, and landed briefly at the finish line outside of a very small and rustic farming town with only a few buildings..

To get to the hill I'm standing on We had to cut across a field of grapes being grown for wine, and walk about half a mile.

Our German hosts (Volkswagen Public Relations) paid the farmer to let us pick some grapes, and they're delicious.

The wind is still blowing strong, but the vineyard seems to be keeping the dust down.

Now I'm just watching the horizon, looking for sings of Mark Miller (or Robby Gordon.

Could Dakar be won by an American this year? I hope so.

- David