Iveco and FPT Industrial to feature at Dakar 2015
Watford, December 3, 2014
Together again and ready to fight for a place on the podium at the 2015 Dakar: Iveco and FPT Industrial will once again feature at the world’s biggest rally – the Dakar – as the official sponsors of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco. The news was announced yesterday at a press conference held at the CNH Industrial Village in Turin, Italy.
The morning's proceedings saw speeches from Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, Riccardo Buratti, Engines Engineering Director at FPT Industrial, and Claudio Pastoris, CEO of Sparco S.p.A, a global supplier of racing equipment. Speaking on behalf of PETRONAS were Giuseppe D’Arrigo, Regional Head of Europe, and Andrea Dolfi, Global OEM Liaison & Motorsport Manager, Research & Technology. Gerard De Rooy – Captain of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco – also took the floor to present the other members of the team and outline the main features and challenges of the 2015 race.
The two CNH Industrial brands will provide vehicles, parts and engines for the Netherlands-based Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco at the next Dakar rally.
Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, commented: “2015 represents an important milestone for Iveco. It is the year that begins with the “International Van of the Year 2015” title being awarded to the New Daily, by a jury consisting of 23 leading journalists from major international commercial vehicle publications. It is also the year in which we celebrate our brand’s 40th anniversary. There would be no finer way to celebrate these successes and commence the new year than to take first place on the Dakar podium”.
The 37th Dakar – the seventh to take place on South American soil – will start in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 4 January and will finish in the same city on 17 January, after 13 stages following a ring-shaped route. The 414 vehicles on the starting line will have to cover more than 9,000 km of roads, tracks and dunes, through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.
Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco
After taking second place in the 2014 rally, the Netherlands’ Gerard De Rooy – on board a sleeper-cab version of the Iveco Powerstar – will once again lead the Team. At 34 years old and having won the Dakar in 2012, the Dutchman returns to the race with more determination and enthusiasm than ever, ready to face the extreme challenges which the rally presents each year.
Behind the wheel of a second Powerstar will be his fellow Dutchman Hans Stacey, winner of the Lisbon Dakar in 2007 and member of Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco since 2011.
The third vehicle, a day-cab Trakker Evolution 3, will be under the control of Spanish driver Pep Vila, a rally veteran and a Team fixture at the Dakar.
Iveco's race vehicles: strength, reliability and performance even over the toughest terrain
The Dutch team will use three Iveco vehicles at the 2015 Dakar: two Powerstars (specifically, a Strator prototype version – built in the Netherlands with an Iveco chassis, driveline and cab inspired by the Powerstar, manufactured and marketed by Iveco Australia) and a Trakker 4x4, manufactured in Spain. In addition to the rally trucks, six support and assistance Trakkers will complete the Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco line-up: one 8x8, four 6x6s and one 4x4.
The Iveco Trakker is an off-road quarry-site vehicle, with a new cab designed to improve driving and provide on-board comfort, two elements recognised as essential for the productivity and safety of any vehicle. This vehicle is capable of operating on difficult terrain, like the surfaces the drivers will need to navigate in South America, and relies on FPT Industrial's Cursor engines, which provide power and reliability. The vehicle is defined by its sturdiness: each individual component, starting from the high-yield steel chassis, guaranteeing long lasting performance.
The Trakker represents a “Best in Class” not only for its day-to-day abilities, but also for its performance in more challenging environments, having been designed to work in all weather conditions and on all types of terrain, from dirt roads to extreme off-road trails. It ensures maximum comfort, safety and productivity.
The vehicles are fitted with three rally seats, with seat belts and a roll-over protection bar. The vehicles also feature ZF gearboxes providing both ergonomics and performance. These include the Ecosplit 9 and 16 speed manual gearboxes, both equipped with a "servo-shift" servo-assist system which offers a more comfortable and safer driving experience, and the Eurotronic 12 and 16 speed automatic gearboxes, with gear selector built into the steering column switch, which helps to improve driver comfort.
The Dakar will represent an important occasion for Iveco to demonstrate the performance of its line-up in action: each vehicle will face huge challenges in extreme conditions, providing an opportunity to demonstrate the vehicles’ reliability and performance.
The engines
All Iveco vehicles participating in the 2015 Dakar are equipped with FPT Industrial Cursor 13 engines that generate up to 900 horsepower. Thanks to Iveco’s continuous research and development programmes, the in-line six-cylinder Cursor 13 represents the most advanced technologies available, such as the latest generation Common Rail HD injection system, guaranteeing pressures up to 2,200 bar. These engines provide high power, fast load response and high power density and ensure maximum robustness, reliability, and low operating costs. To ensure such a high level of reliability, FPT Industrial puts its powertrains through several thousand hours of rigorous testing and, above all, test them in extremely challenging sporting competitions such as the Dakar.
The 2015 Dakar
The race will take place in three major South American countries from 4 to 17 January 2015: Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. The route forms a ring, starting in Buenos Aires in Argentina, reaching Iquique in Chile, and returning once again to the Argentinian capital.
Argentina will therefore host both the start and end of the race, as well as a further six stages. The rest of the race will take place in Chile, plus one stage in Bolivia, as the 9,000 km route weaves its way through a landscape of desert and rocks.
Like last year, there will be different routes for cars, trucks, bikes and quads. In particular, the truck route will be nearly 1,000 km shorter to avoid having heavy vehicles passing through Bolivia's salt flats. This decision also stemmed from a desire to respect and protect the environment hosting this spectacular and strenuous race.
A total of 414 vehicles have registered for the race this year: 164 bikes, 138 cars, 48 quads and 64 trucks, with 665 competitors representing 53 different countries.
Follow all the news at www.iveco.com/dakar
Iveco is getting ready to keep its fans up to date throughout the rally on www.iveco.com/dakar. Fans can learn all about the PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco vehicles in the run-up to the start date, and then follow the race step-by-step with daily updates from South America. The website narrates a journey through the world’s most difficult and demanding off-road race.
The website, published in English and Spanish, will be updated every day with Team PETRONAS De Rooy Iveco’s results and performance data, It will also include multimedia content transmitted directly from the course itself.
The Team's social media channels – Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – will also be updated every day, with all the latest news as well as reports, videos and photos. There is an area dedicated to Iveco’s Dakar Rally history: a look back at the team’s successes on the unforgiving roads of a competition that attracts millions of spectators every year.
Finally, the section “From Dakar to your job” offers Iveco customers the chance to discover all the
features of the Trakker, known for its reliability in day-to-day work on sites across the world and in extreme situations such as the Dakar: this type of event is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the performance and reliability of the whole vehicle under extremely challenging conditions.
Iveco and its commitment to sports
The Dakar is part of Iveco's wider communication strategy, which – given its strong international identity and the ongoing pursuit of initiatives matching its vitality and energy – has always kept close ties with the world of sport. Iveco's involvement in the Dakar reinforces the brand's strong affiliation with the leading names in international sport.
Past collaborations span a wide range of sporting initiatives including a partnership with Rugby World Cup champions the All Blacks from Australia and Iveco’s role as Official Supplier to Ferrari's racing team.
DAKAR 2015 - THE TEAM
Vehicle 501
Gerard De Rooy Driver (Netherlands)
Jurgen Damen Navigator (Belgium)
Darek Rodewald Mechanic (Netherlands)
Vehicle 504
Hans Stacey Driver (Netherlands)
Serge Bruynkens Navigator (Belgium)
Bernard der Kinderen Mechanic (Holland)
Vehicle 509
Pep Vila Driver (Spain)
Xavi Colome Roqueta Navigator (Spain)
Michel Huisman Mechanic (Netherlands)
ends
Iveco
Iveco is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a World leader in Capital Goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of the Borsa Italiana (MI: CNHI). Iveco designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles, off-road trucks, city and intercity buses and coaches as well as special vehicles for applications such as firefighting, off-road missions, defence and civil protection. Iveco employs over 26,000 individuals globally. It manages production sites in 11 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Latin America where it produces vehicles featuring the latest advanced technologies. 5,000 sales and service outlets in over 160 countries guarantee technical support wherever an Iveco vehicle is at work.
For more on Iveco visit: www.iveco.com
For more on CNH Industrial visit: www.cnhindustrial.com
For more information contact:
Nigel Emms, Press and Public Relations Director
Iveco Ltd
Tel. +44 (0)1923 259513
nigel.emms@iveco.com
www.iveco.co.uk
ref: IVECO 14048
2556/14
Tags:
