2009 Dakar Rally

The 2009 Dakar Rally was the 30th running of the Dakar Rally. In addition to motorcycle, automobile, and truck categories, a separate quad (all-terrain vehicle) class was added for the first time. The race began on January 3, 2009, and took place across Argentina and Chile. The rally was for the first time to take place outside of Europe and Africa as the location was changed by organizers due to concerns about possible terrorist attacks that resulted in the cancellation of the 2008 Dakar Rally.

Étienne Lavigne, the race director of the rally, first announced the new race location in February 2008 around the same time as the replacement Central Europe Rally was held for competitors. He said, "Dakar competitors are going to discover new territory, new scenery, but with the same spirit of competition and adventure, with very hard stages."

540 teams from 50 nations are competing in the race. Teams underwent administrative and technical checks in Buenos Aires between December 31 and January 2. Afterwards, 217 motorcycles, 25 all-terrain vehicle, 177 cars, and 81 trucks driven by a total of 837 people were approved to start.

The race began in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a symbolic start that took place on January 2 in downtown Buenos Aires, attracting an estimated crowd of 500,000 fans. The total racing distance is more than 9,578 kilometres (5,951 mi), of which 5,652 kilometres (3,512 mi) is timed special stage. There will be a rest day in Valparaíso, Chile on January 10. There are ten stages in Argentina, and three in Chile.

Due to heavy fog and the need to cross the border between Chile and Argentina, the competitive element of Stage 11 was cancelled.

Trucks did not compete in Stage 7.
The timed part of Stage 11 was cancelled due to bad weather.

During the first stage of the rally, British driver Paul Green and co-driver Matthew Harrison were seriously injured when their Rally Raid UK car overturned.

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