Three Iveco trucks finish in the top five of the endurance race
Iveco has finished on top of the Dakar rally’s truck category with second-time winner Gerard de Rooy steering a Powerstar through a 9,000km course across Argentina and Bolivia.
Finishing an hour and ten minutes ahead of the second-placed, and defending champion, Ayrat Mardeev in a Kamaz, de Rooy took the lead in the race’s eighth stage and held on throughout the remaining five.
Backing up de Rooy was fellow Iveco Powerstar driver Federico Villagra in third place, the second of four Iveco trucks that made the top ten.
Both the Iveco Powerstar and Trakker models that competed in the race were fitted with Cursor 13 engines adjusted for race conditions by Fiat Power Train (FPT) and pumping out over 900hp.
Congratulating the drivers and their teams, Iveco brand president Pierre Lahutte says the result caps off a successful year for the company.
“Iveco’s triumph in the 2016 Dakar, with a resounding success provides more recognition after the Eurocargo ‘International Truck of the Year 2016’ and Magelys ‘International Coach of the Year 2016’ titles,” Lahutte says.
“Iveco put the excellent reliability of its trucks on the trails of the Dakar rally, enabling the team’s outstanding pilots to give their best performance in the race.
“I would like to thank Gerard De Rooy, Federico Villagra, Anton Van Genugten, Pep Vila and Ales Loprais and their remarkable teams for the determination and drive they have shown.”
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Dakar winner Gerard de Rooy behind the wheel of an Iveco Powerstar.
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The 38th running of the Dakar rally marked the biggest in its history, with 55 trucks, 110 cars, 46 quads, and 143 motorcycles competing.
Iveco Australia marketing manager Darren Swenson says the rally represents the company’s durability in extreme conditions and temperatures.
“Participation in the Dakar rally confirms the reliability of Iveco trucks and the brand’s ongoing commitment to product research, development and testing in some of the world’s most inhospitable and competitive environments,” Swenson says.
He says this research makes its way across to the commercial side of the business.
“Many common features of modern vehicles can trace their conception to motorsports of various kinds.”
In the races other divisions, Peugeot won the car race, KTM was the fastest motorbike, and Yamaha finished on top of the quad standings.
The race’s top five trucks were:
1. De Rooy – Iveco Powerstar
2. Mardeev – Kamaz
3. Villagra – Iveco Powerstar
4. Stacey – Man
5. Van Genugten – Iveco Trakker