Dakar Classic with “The Gazelles”: Building a Defender from Scratch and Racing the Desert

Steve Beres and Ike Goss skip the news to interview Helen and Marcella (“The Gazelles”) about their debut run in the Dakar Classic in a self-built classic Land Rover. Helen explains how her first desert rally idea began with Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in 2019, how she and Marcella—friends for over 21 years—became teammates, and why in-car chemistry matters under stress. They describe building their Dakar vehicle “Purdy” from the ground up after an outside build effort failed, using a pre-inspection for peace of mind before shipping the car, and arriving surprised to see big teams still wrenching in the bivouac. They share standout moments, including meeting top competitors, encouragement from Saudi spectators, and a last-day crisis where hitting a rock caused two flats and required help from another team. They discuss on-course assistance rules, helping others in dunes, lessons learned, and hint at future adventures. Intro and Hosts 01:18 Why This Dakar Interview 02:49 Meet the Gazelles 03:30 How the Idea Started 05:30 Finding the Right Teammate 06:30 Team Chemistry in the Car 08:26 From Gazelles to Dakar Timeline 09:15 Building Purdy from Scratch 10:45 Skills and the YouTube Build Series 12:54 Logistics and Pre Inspection 16:49 Arriving in Saudi Race Bubble 18:49 Meeting Legends and Local Moments 21:05 Was Dakar a Success 22:22 Racing Under Cameras 23:58 Finish Line Tire Crisis 25:48 On Course Support Rules 27:29 Helping in the Dunes 28:50 Whats Next Adventure 30:10 Lessons From Dakar 33:57 Lightning Round 36:21 Shoutouts and Motivation 38:48 Hosts Wrap Up