N° 318 - TEAM OVERDRIVE RACING
- VAN MERKSTEIJN
- Peter
- NLD
- 10/06/1956
|
- CHEVAILLIER
- Eddy
- BEL
- 18/10/1963
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| X3 CC |
BMW |
 |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
| Scratch |
10
|
19
|
12
|
14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Stage |
10
|
19
|
12
|
14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Overall |
10
|
13
|
12
|
12
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
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-
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-
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-
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Eddy Chevaillier : «Everything has to be relearned»
A month and a half is a bit short to prepare for a first Dakar. Peter Van Merksteijn is aware of this. But, truth be told, that’s all he has to do. The race, he dreamed about it, the race, he will do it. Everything else is of little importance.
In November, on the private circuit of his business, his friends from the X-Raid team came to test their Dakar prepared BMWs, before setting off for Le Havre. Following the withdrawal of one of the team’s drivers, it was all too natural they were offered the vacant place. This is a chance not to be passed up for this amateur rally driver, who already had the chance to get a “taste” the Dakar during a brief time in a press vehicle in the 2007 edition. “I have raced in rallies for 25 years, so I can’t miss this”, simply says this owner of a metal fence company. While he is lucky to have this last minute opportunity, his participation on the Dakar is not surprising, as Peter is a real racing fanatic, who has even taken part in a few rounds of this year’s WRC.
In a new role as a co-driver, Belgian Eddy Chevaillier will be able to count on his Dakar experience. He twice teamed with Dutch truck competitor, Hans Stacey in 2004 and 2005) and was part of Stacey’s winning effort on the Dakar Series Hungary-Romania (as a mechanic).
As a rally co-driver for a number of years, he nevertheless envisions the 2009 Dakar as a “new experience”. “You have to relearn everything before a rally like this.” He has a real passion for mechanics and the years he worked in a garage preparing for rallies have readied him for the adjustment the dimensions the Dakar represents. His race plan? “Drive cleanly and consistently.” And most of all « not get lost ».
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com