Central Europe: Team Dakar USA final stage summary

Team Dakar USA Closes out the Central Europe Rally Veszprem, Hungary -- The final stage of the Central Europe Rally concluded today with Robby Gordon experiencing more bad luck. Gordon lost a handful of minutes on the stage when his rear wheel ...

Team Dakar USA Closes out the Central Europe Rally

Veszprem, Hungary -- The final stage of the Central Europe Rally concluded today with Robby Gordon experiencing more bad luck. Gordon lost a handful of minutes on the stage when his rear wheel came off but still managed an eight place finish. The result was good enough for Gordon to move the Monster Energy Hummer up into the 10th position.

BJ Baldwin had another solid day, scoring a fifth place finish on the stage which allowed him to maintain his seventh place in the overall classification.

After seven days of racing in Hungary and Romania, Team Dakar USA heads back to the United States with a strong sense of accomplishment. "We did not meet our overall objective but this team was strong," remarked Gordon "I think the international off-road community know we were here. These are the best race teams in the world and to go door to door with them says a lot about our program. BJ did such a fantastic job of representing Team Dakar USA and Ronn Bailey's Vanguard. I think he really made a name for himself."

The team will now load up and make the drive back to Paris to organize the vehicles and equipment for shipping back to the United States. For Robby Gordon there is one more stage -- he will fly overnight to Alabama for the NASCAR race in Talladega.

In 2009 Team Dakar USA will race the first ever Dakar Rally in South America.

Coverage of the Central Europe Rally can be seen in the United States on DirecTV. The half hour show will be aired twice -- first at 7p.m. EST and then again at 12:30a.m.