Off-road contests are actually seen in many different parts of the world and they are being organized in all continents of the world. Depending on the organizer of the contest, a particular contest may come in its own format.

Say for example, an organizer of an off-road contest may just want to prove the skills and excellence of the drivers when it comes to driving in different terrains and environmental conditions.

On the other hand, there are also organizers that mainly test the technical abilities of the cars and vehicles rather than the skills of the driver.

Or organizers can test both: the drivers’ skills and the participating cars’ technical abilities.
Of the many different types of off-road contests taking place all over the world, the Paris Dakar Rally proves to be one of the most popular. Even when this kind of contest is known as a rally, it is actually a contest that entails endurance.

This kind of competition was first introduced in 1978 wherein participants are required to drive a very long distance from Paris to Dakar. In the turn of 2008, this off-road competition was moved to the southern Americas.