Nissan Confirms Colin Mcrae For 2005 Dakar

Nissan has renewed its contract with Colin McRae, which will see the 1995 World Rally Champion remain with the Nissan Rally Raid Team for the 2005 Dakar Rally.

McRae, 35, made his debut on the Dakar with Nissan in January 2004, and impressed the team by scoring two stage wins on his way to a memorable finish on the gruelling trans-Sahara event. This year McRae will be more involved with the development of the Nissan Rally Raid Team Pickup (which is based on the road-going Pickup Single Cab 4x4) and will take part in all the test sessions planned over the coming months. There is also the possibility that McRae will participate in the UAE Desert Challenge in October.

The 2005 Dakar starts from Barcelona on January 1, 2005, and crosses Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Mali before finishing in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on January 15, with award ceremonies the following day.

Nissan is delighted to continue its collaboration with McRae, which started in November 2003, and will confirm the rest of the driver line-up for the 2005 Dakar as soon as possible.

McRae said: "I'm looking forward to returning to Dakar with Nissan because we'll have a new Pickup and I'll be more involved with its test and development. Given the strength of the team and my experience of racing in the desert last year, there is no reason why we can't achieve our objective of finishing on the podium in 2005."