“My first Dakar, hopefully not the last one”
CREW FACTS
A.S.
- Alexander Schmidt took part in autocross and classic rally competitions, but it will be his first Dakar. His qualifications in mechanics are an obvious plus in such an adventure.
- The participation of the German competitor comes from a suggestion by Jorg Sand. Alexander will be in one of the two Mercedes 2636s lined up in Jorg's crew.
D.S.
- Daniel is a professional of the automotive world. For 8 years he was an army off-road instructor and has recently set up his own company Offroad Technik Schatz for prestigious clients including Land Rover, Porsche and Red Bull Austria.
- A meeting with Jorg Sands who has entered trucks in the Dakar Classic saw him recruited to drive one of the trucks in 2024, emulating his father who drove for De Rooy on the 2005 Dakar. A dream came true, and he is participating for the second time this year.
J.D.
- Jan has been following the Dakar since he was a child. At 31, he will realize one of his dreams by taking part for the first time in the Classic race.
- A fan of the rally, the German automotive specialist followed one of his friends during the 2024 edition. He then saw a job application at the Volkel Threading Solutions’ rally-raid service, and was selected after brilliantly passing the tests last September.
2025 AMBITION
A.S.: “We will drive a Mercedes truck which has already done the Dakar previously. It was a participant in Silk Way 2012, earning 1st place in his class with an engine capacity of up to 10 liters. Our goal is to be on the finish line in Shubaytah!”
J.D.: “The Dakar has always fascinated me, it was amazing to see how everything worked in hard conditions. I did kart racing as a child but it will be my first Dakar. Hopefully not the last one! We hope that the leader of our team will win in his category, and that the whole team will go to the finish line without having any big problem.”
