N°302 Car ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM

ERYK GOCZAL

(pol) 1.86m / 67kg

Hobbies

Appuyer sur la pédale !

Sponsors

Vekoma, Energylandia, Energy2000, Western Camp, Prestigio-Art, Diverse, South Racing, RMF FM

2023: 1st SSV

2023 : Rallye du Maroc (DNF, T3), Drift Masters European Championship (15th)
2022 : Baja Poland (zero car), Polish Drift Championship (1st), Dubai International Baja (1st)
2021 : Polish Drift Championship (3rd, Pro2 Class)

Interview

“I want to respect the race but also win it”

Nineteen-year-old Eryk Goczal is already a Dakar sensation. Inspired by his father Marek and uncle Michal, who battled for the SSV podium in 2021 and 2022, the Pole made his Dakar debut in 2023. He couldn't have dreamt of a better start as he won the rally in T4, becoming the youngest victor in history at 18 years and 70 days old! It was the first major title of his rallying career, which began in the 2019 Baja Europe with an organisation zero car. He continued in this role in the 2020 Polish Cross-Country Championship before debuting in the Polish Drift Championship in 2021, where he was the youngest driver in history. Third in the Pro2 category, he moved up to the premier class in 2022 and won the Polish Drift Championship, demonstrating the extent of his talent. His rally-raid debut was the Dubai International Baja, which he won in T4 ahead of his uncle and father. He made Dakar history when he teamed up with veteran Oriol Mena. Seventh in motorbikes in 2018, the Spaniard has been co-driver to several rally-raid champions, such as Chaleco Lopez and Rokas Baciuska. He helped the Lithuanian climb onto the podium in 2022 before guiding the sensational Eryk to victory. Since then, the Polish driver and business management student has competed in the Drift Masters European Championship, with his best result being fourth place. Oriol, meanwhile, continued his W2RC season with Guoyu Zhang. The pair met again at the Morocco Rally, where Eryk was racing in his first T3 race. The duo once again showed just what they were capable of, winning the prologue and then stage 1. Although mechanical problems put the brakes on their ambitions in the general classification, they will surely be at the sharp end of the order this year.


E.G.: “To do another Dakar with my father and uncle is fantastic. We always say to each other that we actually participate in three Dakars: the official one, the family one where we challenge each other and the one where we look at the general classification! My first participation, in 2023, was a success. There was a lot of pressure because I was a rookie and one of the youngest competitors, but I managed it well and had fun. It got better and better every day, and in the end, we were able to push for victory. I'm impressed by Oriol's skills when the going gets tough. Personally, navigation isn't my strong point. I am much better when it comes to pushing on the pedal! After the Dakar, we spent time together and developed a personal relationship with our family. We were competitive in our first T3 rally in Morocco. We encountered some technical problems that have been resolved. We hope we've made good progress. I'm an ambitious driver; I want to respect the race but also win it. It will be difficult, but the aim is to fight for victory and finish as close as possible to the T1 teams”.

O.M.: “We were competitive in our first T3 race together in Morocco. Winning the Challenger T3 category and gaining experience is the goal for this Dakar in order for us to move up to the top category later on. We're making progress race by race in this interesting project. Having been a motorbike competitor certainly helps with navigation. On a bike, you must be strong psychologically because you're alone on your machine and make your own decisions. Many things can happen - a mechanical problem, getting lost, a crash - so you must deal with all the emotions and be quick at the same time. You have to be ready for anything, which I'm trying to convey to Eryk, who has an impressive attitude in the car. He's talented, competitive and enthusiastic, but he also knows how to stay calm and focused. His status has changed since he won the Dakar, but he handles the pressure very well. So far, there have never been any communication problems in the car. He has 100% confidence in my work, and I have 100% confidence in his. I think that's the key.”

Vehicle

ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM

TAURUS T3 MAX
ENERGYLANDIA RALLY TEAM

  • TAURUS
  • T3 MAX
  • Energylandia Rally Team
  • Energylandia Rally Team
  • T3.1: Lightweight Prototype Cross-Country

Ranking 2024

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