Paris, France (Best E Casino) - On Friday, the Dakar Rally was cancelled for the first time in 30 years after terror threats and the murder of a French family in Mauritania, site of eight of 15 stages.

The annual car, truck and motorcycle trek was scheduled to start in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, January 5th and finish in Dakar, Senegal on January 20th.

"Following several consultations with the French government and taking into account its firm recommendations, the organizers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008 edition of the rally," said an Amaury Sport Organization statement.

Robby Gordon was scheduled to drive a Hummer H3 in the event, which would have been the fourth time he had run the rally. In 2005, Gordon won two stages of the event, becoming the first American to win a stage. He finished eighth overall last year.

Two December attacks, one on a French family and one on three Mauritanian soldiers were blamed on a Algerian Al-Qaeda cell which is thought to use the Mauritania desert for some of its operations.

Brendan Gaughan had been scheduled to drive the No.7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Ford in the first Daytona test from January 7-10th. Gaughan is currently without a truck ride after his South Point Racing Team closed down following a failed merger attempt with Wyler Racing in the offseason.