“We were chatting about bucket lists and the Dakar came up”
معلومات عن الطاقم
- Kim Matzen can claim both to be a trailblazer and to step in her father’s tracks. Back in the 1970s, Warren Matzen was a racer himself, taking on varied challenges such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and Baja 1000. He inspired his daughter to race off road as well and carry his name all the way to Saudi Arabia.
- A regular at Ultra4 USA events, Kim Matzen started racing some twelve years ago, usually driving a 4500 Modified rock crawler. She has partnered with navigator Chris Kelly since the beginning of 2024.
- The duo’s first event was the King of Hammers, where they finished 7th in their category. It was not only the start of a successful partnership, but also the first step in their path to Saudi Arabia and the Dakar Classic.
- To prepare a maiden participation in the Dakar Classic thousands of kilometres away from home, Matzen and Kelly turned to Compagnie Saharienne Arrive & Drive package, who provide them a Toyota Land Cruiser 78 DKR which the duo tested in September in Morocco.
- Inspired by his uncle Chris Gleason, whose racing career spanned over decades and includes participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Chris Kelly has always been into motors and races.
- Kelly started racing in 2014 in the USA. Off road was already essential to him, with the ambition to conquer the Baja 1000… and the dream to become a Dakarian.
- His journey to Saudi Arabia really took shape in his mind at the beginning of 2024, after his first race as a navigator alongside Kim Matzen, at the King of Hammers. The duo had a common dream. They needed the means to take on the world’s most iconic rally-raid.
- From the USA, Kelly looked for preparators and turned to Compagnie Saharienne, who provide them a Toyota Land Cruiser 78 DKR which Matzen and he tested in September in Morocco ahead of their maiden participation in the Dakar Classic.
طموح
K.M.: “I got the racing bug from my dad [Warren Matzen], who raced off road in the 1970s and was a finisher at the Baja 1000. He and my husband, who passed away last year, were big supporters of my racing. I’ve been doing it for about twelve years now. Chris has been navigating with me for the last two years and it’s absolutely amazing.
We were chatting one night around the fire about bucket lists we wanted to do and the Dakar came up. At first, we were both joking about it saying it would be an absolutely amazing experience, but we have no desert racing chops. Then Chris found the Dakar Training Camp through Lucas [Delmas-Marsalet, Team Principal at Compagnie Saharienne] and we decided to go for it.
We have been planning this trip since January 2025. We’re very, very excited to join Compagnie Saharienne and push hard for a good finish."
C.K.: “I’ve always been a racing fan. My uncle used to race in the Rolex Sport Car Series, so I grew up watching him and going to his races. I’ve been doing it myself since 2014. I started with a friend of mine who had a dream to race Baja 1000. I was sold. Now the rest is history… I’ve been trying to live out that dream every year, get into more races… Thankfully I’ve been blessed and lucky. And now we’re doing the Dakar!
I’ve been watching it for most of my life and it’s been a dream that always felt unattainable, something that would never happen… It’s such an important race and it’s getting bigger and bigger in the USA. The Classic category is a good entry point for us to experience what Dakar is. And I do love the classic cars.
