“I want to fight for the podium, and maybe even the win!”

He hasn't been involved in rally-raid for very long, but Marek Goczal is already one of the top contenders in the SSV class, having come eighth and fourth in his two Dakars to date. The 47-year-old has been racing since he was a teenager, winning a national title in classic rally and competing in quads, but at the time he couldn't afford to pursue a career in motorsport. Instead he focused on business and became a successful entrepreneur, with a portfolio that includes Poland's biggest nightclub (Energy2000) and its biggest theme park (Energylandia). A few years ago, Marek decided to get back into motorsport and began competing in cross-country events with his younger brother Michal. They set up the Energylandia Rally team and eventually worked their way up to a first Dakar participation in 2021. Marek came eighth that year with highly experienced co-driver Rafal Marton, and will actually be lining up with Rafal's son Maciej for Dakar 2023. A talented navigator, Maciej has already done the Dakar on seven occasions, finishing as high as third in the SSVs with Aron Domzala in 2021. It promises to be a memorable edition for the Goczal family, with Michal also taking part and Marek's 18-year-old son Eryk making his highly anticipated debut. Throughout 2022, Marek and co-driver Lukasz Laskawiec enjoyed a superb battle with Austin Jones and Rokas Baciuska in the World Rally-Raid Championship, eventually finishing second to the Lithuanian. Having also been pipped to third place by Baciuska at Dakar 2022, despite five stage wins, Marek now feels he is ideally prepared to claim a first Dakar podium - where he hopes to be joined by his brother and son.

M.G.: “We came fourth at Dakar 2022, in a class of nearly 50 cars, in the most unpredictable and difficult rally in the world, where even getting to the finish line is a big success… so I was really happy. But there's always that desire to get better and to win more. This year I want to fight for the Dakar podium, and maybe even for the win! It was a really good and fascinating season in the World Rally-Raid Championship. We began in Dakar, then we won in Abu Dhabi. That was where we first thought about fighting for the championship. In Morocco we had a lot of technical problems. I was still in the lead, but the top three were separated by just two points. I never give up, so I wanted to fight with Austin Jones and Rokas Baciuska until the very last stage in Andalusia. Unfortunately, we went off the road. We worked on our Can-Am all night long and started the next stage because we wanted to get as many points as possible. It worked out and we finished the championship in second place. I’m always looking at details, anything that can give me the tiniest advantage over my rivals. This year I've worked even harder on proper physical preparation. Thanks to the W2RC I got a lot of kilometers under my belt, far more than before the last Dakar. So I feel I’m well-prepared and have a good rhythm.
After three years of waiting, it’s finally happening: three Goczals on the Dakar start line. My son Eryk, my brother Michal and me. I can’t even describe how proud I am right now. It’s an incredible moment, a dream come true. It's not only my dream, but Eryk's dream as well. He's so talented and determined, and he's put a lot of work into his preparations. I believe he won't just keep pace with the best drivers, I'm sure he can beat them all! Another dream is to finish with all three of us Goczals on the podium."