There have been countless epic moments in the history of the Dakar Rally but one stands above them all: a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988.
The memorable duel sustained by both vehicles at more than 200 km / h on the sands of Africa remains one of the most iconic images in the world of motorsports. .
The happy 80s
The duel –a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar- took place during the ‘crazy’ 80s when the world of motorsports lived a fever for power and extreme performance. Examples of this are the wild Group B of the World Rally Championship, the Group C in the Endurance Championship and the Dakar trucks. Speed was the only thing that mattered.
It was an especially creative – and sometimes foolish – time for car engineers. Despite being criticized for the reckless increases of power across vehicles the FIA kept on looking the other way.
As rumours grew of a cross-disciplinary power cap an exodus began towards the famous Rally, a lessee–fair paradise, free from regulation and restrictions. This was how the legendary image of that truck overtaking a car came to be.
The dream of a Dutch millionaire
Jan De Rooy, a wealthy Dutch businessman, owner of the largest transport company in his country, caught the fever of the moment and started nurturing a very particular dream: to defeat a Dakar car with a truck.
He enrolled in the Dakar in 1982 for the first time with an ordinary 200hp DAF. Although he had to abandon, he became convinced his dream was feasible.
Over the years he perfected his concept. He wanted to win the toughest race in the world with a mechanic ‘monster’ of several tons of weight. And he would not stop until he managed to do so.
Today, this goal may seem extravagant to say the least but, in those times, with no speed or power limitations, it didn’t seem so crazy. Almost everything was allowed from a technical point of view.
Meanwhile, De Rooy kept on trying and having to abandon. When he finally made it to the chequered flag it was in the 38th position. The year after he went up to the 34th. A truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988 was coming
Jan’s ‘missiles’
Spurred by his poor results and inspired by the spirit of the time, he started to work on several ‘experiments’. The first of these was the DAF ‘Tweekoppige Monster‘, a twin-engine truck with two cabins and an engine on each axle.
Although the machine boosted a whopping 800 hp, Jan had to retire. Despite the (relative) failure, the beast became one of the most extravagant models in memory.
DAF F3300, the Turbo Twin I
In the following season, he entered a DAF F3300 with two engines, a front one with 420hp that propelled the rear axle, and another one with 340hp which did the same with the front one.
He was the winner of his category, although he lost the title after receiving a fifteen-hour penalty for carrying out prohibited repairs, falling to second place.
DAF FAV 3600 Turbo Twin or Turbo Twin I
De Rooy returned in 1986 with the backing of the DAF manufacturer who trusted in the Dutchman’s perseverance and skill. From this joined venture the DAF FAV 3600 Turbo Twin was born boasting two 500 hp turbocharged engines associated with automatic gearboxes.
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Such power, together with a reduced load of just three spare wheels and a basic set of tools, allowed it to fire its 10.5 tons at 200 km / h.
The new model was able to fight face to face with the cars and stayed in the Top 10 until there were only three stages to go. Then its front axle broke and De Rooy had to say goodbye to his title hopes.
Turbo Twin II
Despite the disappointment, De Rooy returned the following season having made several modifications to reduce the truck’s weight to one ton. He also installed the lighter cabin from the DAF 3600 and carried out several aerodynamic improvements.
He had an overwhelming victory in the truck category, but he didn’t even make the top ten of the general classification. A step before a truck overtaking at 200 km/h a car at Dakar 1988.
The 1.200 hp beast: DAF Turbo Twin X1
At last the ultimate desert beast was born, the DAF Turbo Twin X1. It had two 600hp engines and six turbos, three of them with variable geometry in each propeller for optimal performance. It also had two automatic and synchronized gearboxes which were operated with a single lever. Its eternal torque made it an unbeatable contender in the dunes.
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It went from 0 to 100 km / h in 8.5 seconds and had a self-limited top speed of 220 km / h. In that edition, he entered two units. One of them was driven by his friend Theo Van de Rijt and it was to serve as an assistant to the other, driven by De Rooy.
It was in that race that Jan engaged in the famous duel finally passing the Peugeot 405 T16 of Ari Vatanen at over 200 km / h and leaving one of the best moments in the history of the raid.
The tragedy
Tragedy struck just a few days after De Rooy’s feat. It happened at the Djabo-Adadez stage near the Tenere desert. The DAF of his colleague Van de Rijt suffered a brutal accident after jumping a dune at about 200 km / h.
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The truck rolled over six times. As a result of the impact, co-pilot Kees Van Loevez was expelled from the cockpit through the windshield and died on the spot. The driver and the mechanic were seriously injured.
After the accident, the team decided to retire from the race. They were fifth in the standings. His dream vanished forever. Race organizers, the Thierry Sabine Organization (TSO), banned the T4 truck category as a result.
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