MAMMOET RALLY TEAM FINISHES SIXTH DAKAR RALLY SUCCESSFULLY

Last January 18th, the 37th annual Dakar Rally celebrated its finale in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after it had kicked off two weeks earlier. For the sixth year in a row, Mammoet sponsored two trucks in the 9,000- kilometer race, driven by Martin van den Brink and Pascal de Baar who managed to secure the 17th and 31st position respectively.

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This year, the seasoned racers drove new Renault trucks with a range of innovative features. The state-of-the-art design includes a 13-liter Euro-6 engine that reduces the truck’s carbon footprint by 15%. This allows the truck to meet the highest sustainability standards that are expected to become mandatory in three years.
Other features include a fully automatic gear-box that anticipates the terrain with high precision, a diesel cooling system for efficient combustion and the lowest emission levels, an EBS braking system for safety and a roll cage with neck braces to prevent injuries.

After setting off very strongly, drivers Van den Brink and De Baar faced challenging circumstances mid-race when they had some technical difficulties. Van den Brink even suffered a collision resulting in damage to his truck. Fortunately, a dedicated team of mechanics was there to demonstrate their craftsmanship every night, repairing and maintaining the trucks to make them ready for next day’s stage.

Mammoet is proud of the team’s achievements. “We have many things in common with the Dakar Rally Team”, said Mammoet’s COO Herman Smit. “The resourcefulness of the entire team, being able to handle heavy equipment under extreme circumstances while working safely and sustainably, are values that we share. We learn from each other. For example, Mammoet‘s insights and expertise regarding safety inspired the Dakar team to adopt a Mammoet safety measure by installing special straps on the hatch of the service trucks to prevent falling. The automatic gearbox also contributes to the drivers’ safety, because it allows them to keep two hands at the wheel at all times. It was our goal to get our trucks safely to the finish and based on this year’s incredible performance, the Mammoet Rally Team and its trucks are clearly on a winning streak!”