The first Dakar Rally was organized by French driver Thierry Sabine. After drivig through the harsh condition of Africa's Sahara Desert in 1977, Sabine decided that car races should include adventure and danger. In December 1978,Sabine and drivers for 182 cars and motorcycles gathered for the first rally.They began the race in central Paris and traveled through the Sahara to Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa.