It was a new beginning for the Dakar Rally in 2009 as this iconic frontier motorsport event took on a whole new flavour - and a new continent, with the shifting of the Dakar from its former Africa/Europe base to its new home in South America. Buenos Aires would become the start and finish point for an epic 9000km round-trip journey through the picturesque - and rugged - terrain in the regional areas of Argentina and Chile. As usual the bikes, cars and trucks encountered all manner of different conditions, and like any Dakar in any year there were countless adventures and stories of skill and courage. It was Volkswagen which took the honours with its amazing turbo diesel Race Touareg, scoring a one-two result ahead of the Hummer of US star Robby Gordon - while Aussie off-road ace Bruce Garland was an incredible 11th outright in his Sydney-prepared Isuzu Ute. The film footage of the event is extensive and spectacular; this is the world’s greatest off-road racing.