1997 Dakar Rally
Encyclopedia
1997 Dakar Rally also known as the 1997 Paris-Dakar Rally was the 19th running of the Dakar Rally
event. The rally started and finished in Dakar
, taking in a loop including Niger
and the Ténéré
desert. Jutta Kleinschmidt
became the first woman to win a stage of the Dakar Rally. Japanese driver, Kenjiro Shinozuka
, won the car class and Stephane Peterhansel
won his fifth motorcycle title.
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
event. The rally started and finished in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, taking in a loop including Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
and the Ténéré
Ténéré
The Ténéré is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from northeastern Niger into western Chad, occupying an area of over...
desert. Jutta Kleinschmidt
Jutta Kleinschmidt
Jutta Kleinschmidt is a competitor of offroad automotive racing events. She is known for her numerous showings in the Paris Dakar Rally, and notably for having won the event in 2001, becoming the first woman to win the race....
became the first woman to win a stage of the Dakar Rally. Japanese driver, Kenjiro Shinozuka
Kenjiro Shinozuka
is a Japanese rally driver. Since his debut in 1967, his greatest successes have been as a works driver for Mitsubishi Motors. Behind the wheel of a Galant VR-4 he won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1988 and scored consecutive victories in the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire Bandama in 1991 and 1992,...
, won the car class and Stephane Peterhansel
Stéphane Peterhansel
Stéphane Peterhansel is a rally racing driver from France. He won the Paris Dakar Rally riding Yamaha motorcycles in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1998 and then again driving Mitsubishi Pajero SUVs in 2004, 2005 and 2007, making him one of the most successful drivers in the history of that race...
won his fifth motorcycle title.