Gordon 17th after Stage 1 of Dakar in South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Hundreds of thousands of people overwhelmed the capital of Argentina on Friday to see the vehicles competing in the first Dakar Rally in South America.

Rally organizers expected 500,000 to cram the parade route past the Obelisk in Plaza de Republica and along Avenida 9 de Julio, said to be the world's widest avenue.

Robby Gordon

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The vehicles headed to a park in Palermo, where the rally will officially begin Saturday with a 456-mile stage south to Santa Rosa in the Pampas.

The 30th Dakar Rally -- and the first outside Africa -- features 177 cars, 217 motorcycles, 81 trucks and 25 quad bikes with drivers from 49 countries.

After 14 stages and 5,950 miles, it will finish on Jan. 18 in Buenos Aires.

Sprint Cup Series driver Robby Gordon finished 17th in Saturday's opening stage.

Driving the Team Dakar USA Hummer, Gordon completed the opening stage in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 40 seconds. He is 14 minutes, 25 seconds behind the leader, Nasseer al-Attiyah. Carlos Sainz is second, 2 minutes, 17 seconds behind. Sainz was followed within two minutes by Volkswagen teammates Giniel de Villiers of South Africa and Mark Miller of the United States.

BMW's Guerlain Chicherit was fastest through the third checkpoint but rolled his car onto its roof after 172 miles and it was uncertain if he would continue. Hiroshi Masuoka, a two-time Dakar winner, had engine problems in his Mitsubish. He was towed to the finish and nearly eight hours off the pace.

The Dakar Rally is being broadcast on Versus, with daily updates on RobbyGordon.com.

Sunday's second stage continues south for 147 miles to Puerto Madryn on the coast.

After crossing the Pampas, the rally heads into Patagonia, arrives at the Andes next Thursday, drives into Chile the following day, cruises alongside the Pacific for five days -- including a loop in the Atacama Desert -- and then heads back to the start.

The 2008 race was canceled because of the possibility of terrorist attacks in Mauritania.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.