The Dakar is justifiably considered to be one of the biggest challenges for man and machine, and moving the rally to South America last year did not change this.  The Atacama Desert, probably the driest place on earth, will be an integral part and highlight of the challenging 2010 route. This desert is so dry that some weather stations in the Atacama have never received one single drop of rain. The passage across the Andes Mountains, and the other stages of the 5,600 mile loop through the South American continent, put the ability of drivers and their mechanics to the test.

Indispensable helpers in the background
To ensure that the more than 500 rally competitors won’t be delayed by a loose bolt, worn bearing, leaking seal, broken windshield or any other unexpected incident, the “Henkel Charlies” are reporting for duty again. During the 16-day ride through Argentina and Chile, the technical service specialists provide expert support on emergency repairs and nighttime maintenance work in the bivouacs. Thanks to them, a countless number of drivers have crossed the finish line in the past six years who otherwise might not have made it there.

The "Charlies" will be joined this year by photojournalist Stefano Levi, reporting every day live from the bivouacs and from the track in his blog at www.dakaradventure.com. Additional information can be found at www.henkel.com/dakar. You can also follow the course of the rally live at http://tracking.dakar.com/henkel/index_us.html.

Staying on track with Henkel
Where things get tough and performance is essential, products from the Henkel portfolio have proven to be ideal partners for rally competitors. Loctite anaerobic threadlockers are a good example for those very important fasteners and nuts and bolts that can make the difference between victory and defeat, as they perform reliably where mechanical devices fail. Broken windshields occur frequently while cars and trucks race through rugged terrain. Drivers have come to rely on Teroson direct glazing sealants for a quick replacement, allowing them to continue the race. Plastic parts, often badly cracked, punctured or broken during the race, can be restored quickly and reliably using Teroson Plastic Repair products.

“Dakar Rally is not only an ideal testing arena for new product developments, like the new Loctite Quick Gasket or our Terostat 9320SF, it also confirms the performance of our proven quality products, even under the most extreme racing conditions,” says Christian Scholze, head of Marketing Communication. “Many of our products have earned the ‘Dakar-proven’ stamp of approval in the previous events.”

Henkel in North America:

Henkel markets a wide range of well-known consumer and industrial brands in North America, including Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergents, Right Guard® antiperspirants, got2b® hair gels, and Loctite® adhesives. Henkel has been committed to making people’s lives easier, better and more beautiful for more than 130 years. A Fortune Global 500 and Germany’s most admired company according to a recent Fortune survey, Henkel offers strong brands and technologies in three areas of competence: Home Care, Personal Care and Adhesive Technologies. Each day, more than 52,000 employees in 125 countries are dedicated to fulfilling Henkel’s claim “A Brand like a Friend.” In fiscal 2008, Henkel generated sales of 14,131 million euros and adjusted operating profit of 1,460 million euros.