Another event organized under the Dakar Series banner will take place from the 13th to the 16th of September, crossing the Peruvian dunes. The Inca Challenge 2018 is especially significant, since the upcoming Dakar 2019 will take place entirely in Peru, making this race the best possible preparation, with 70% of its route running through sand and dunes.
The Inca Challenge 2018 is based in the province of Pisco, a historic region close to the famous Nazca Lines, where a vast belt of sand dunes will make things extremely difficult for competitors. Nearly 1,000 kilometers of timed stages await motorcycles, cars, quads and UTVs, all set in a spectacular landscape just 200 kilometers from the capital, Lima.
Almost all major Dakar protagonists will gather for this event. Riders such as Stéphane Peterhansel, Laia Sanz, Gianna Velarde, Matthias Walkner, Sam Sunderland, Toby Price, Pablo Quintanilla, Andrew Short, and Luciano Benavides, among others, have confirmed their participation in South America.
The geographic conditions will subject the braking systems to colossal wear. Sand grains slip between the brake pads and the disc, producing grooves and scratches that require extremely thorough maintenance. While a scratched disc is not necessarily a major issue, it can be a problem for the brake pads, which must adapt and mold themselves to those grooves under intense use.
On the other hand, high temperatures will also affect the system. Overheating can cause warping, which leads to unwanted friction and directly impacts braking performance.
Still, the Inca Challenge 2018 is the perfect testing ground for parts and mechanics, and the most efficient way to transfer all this valuable knowledge to vehicles that will later be used on everyday roads, whether in the city or out in the countryside.
