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 Hosts01:18 Why This Dakar Interview02:49 Meet the Gazelles03:30 How the Idea Started05:30 Finding the Right Teammate06:30 Team Chemistry in the Car08:26 From Gazelles to Dakar Timeline09:15 Building Purdy from Scratch10:45 Skills and the YouTube Build Series12:54 Logistics and Pre Inspection16:49 Arriving in Saudi Race Bubble18:49 Meeting Legends and Local Moments21:05 Was Dakar a Success22:22 Racing Under Cameras23:58 Finish Line Tire Crisis25:48 On Course Support Rules27:29 Helping in the Dunes28:50 Whats Next Adventure30:10 Lessons From Dakar33:57 Lightning Round36:21 Shoutouts and Motivation38:48 Hosts Wrap Up