Goodyear OFFROAD tires take another Dakar Rally win with Team De Rooy
Goodyear tires were the winning choice of 2023 Dakar Rally winner Team De Rooy, which took victory at the end of 16 challenging days of action across the Saudi Arabian desert. After almost 9000 kilometres of rock, sand and muddy terrain, with almost 5000 of those as special stages, the Dutch team finished first, third and fourth with three of its IVECO trucks.
As the only point of contact between the truck and the varied surfaces of the Saudi desert, choosing the right tires is a crucial part of a team’s preparation. As such, Team De Rooy chose Goodyear OFFROAD tires for the challenge, and Goodyear’s engineers worked closely with the team through the pre-event preparation in order to make sure they were ready for any eventuality.
Janus Van Kasteren finished over 1 hour, 14 minutes ahead of his closest rival at the end of the rally, driving the No. 502 Boss Machinery Team De Rooy IVECO, supported by Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders. His teammates Martin and Mitchel Van Den Brink finished third and fourth, respectively.
It marks another successful Dakar for Goodyear in the Truck category, after finishing first, second and third in last year’s event with another team. The Goodyear OFFROAD tires that have proven so successful in these tough conditions over recent years are the same specification as those available for fleet operators across Europe. It is particularly designed for low heat generation and high speeds.
Maciej Szymański, Marketing Director Commercial Europe, Goodyear: “Congratulations to Team De Rooy for winning what is arguably one of the motorsport’s toughest challenges. We are proud that our tires together with an advanced tire pressure and temperature monitoring system were important and reliable enablers that helped to drive results and to win this legendary rally. The Goodyear OFFROAD tires are capable of tackling all terrains even under high speed and in difficult conditions, so another victory in the Dakar once again underlines this capability.”
Supporting Team De Rooy at the 2023 Dakar Rally is another example of Goodyear's commitment to truck motorsport. In 2022, the company extended its long-standing partnership and became the official title sponsor of the top truck racing class - Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC).