The vehicles provided by Iveco have now embarked via cargo ship with an estimated 700 race, assistance, organisation and press vehicles from the Port of Le Havre, in the north of France. The journey to South America will take 21 days, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and passing through the Panama Canal.

Recognised as the world’s premier off-road rally, garnering millions of followers each time, the race will set off on 5 January from Lima, Peru, and will end on 20 January in Santiago, Chile, crossing through Argentina.

The Petronas De Rooy Iveco Team will compete at Dakar 2013 with two 4x4 New Trakkers (Evolution 3), two 4x4 New Trakkers (Evolution 2) and one Iveco Powerstar, a vehicle produced and sold by Iveco in Australia.

All the vehicles are equipped with FPT Industrial’s Cursor 13 engines, which generate up to 840 horsepower.

Rally truck 1, an Iveco Powerstar, sleeper cab version, will be driven by 32-year-old team leader Gerard de Rooy, winner of the Dakar 2012. Rally truck 2, an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 3 day cab version, will be driven by Dutch rally driver Hans Stacey. Rally truck 3, an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 2 day cab version, will be driven by Italian driver Miki Biasion, a Dakar veteran who has previously competed three times in the race car category and five times in the truck category.

Rally truck 4, an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 3 day cab version, will be driven by team-newcomer René Kuipers, a seasoned motorbike and car rally racer from the Netherlands. French driver Jo Adua, a seven-time Dakar competitor, will drive the final rally truck 5, an Iveco New Trakker Evolution 2.

In addition to the rally trucks, there will be seven assistance vehicles tasked with providing vehicle support and assistance during the competition. The vehicles consist of five Iveco New Trakkers (an 8x8 truck, two 6x6 trucks, a 4x4 truck and a 6x6 camper) and one Daily 4x4 truck.

Dakar 2013 marks the third year Iveco and FPT Industrial have partnered with Team De Rooy, first debuting together at the 2011 Morocco Rally. They collaborated once again this past October at the 2012 Morocco Rally where team drivers Gerard de Rooy and Miki Biasion respectively placed first and second in the special truck category. As Morocco is regarded as a preparatory run leading up to Dakar, their results are a positive lead up to the far more intense challenge ahead.