“Focused on getting ready for the Dakar again”
CREW FACTS…
HL
- It’s been a bumpy road for Henk Lategan on the Dakar. A painful one too. After pulling out from the previous edition due to a shoulder injury, the South African returns with a vengeance.
- The South African grew up in the world of motorsports. At 15 years of age, he participated in his first regional event as his father Hein's co-driver. Less than a decade later, he became the youngest driver to win the South African rally-raid title.
- His career also led him to cross paths with his idol Sebastien Loeb on the roads of the Monte Carlo rally. He didn't know then that they would meet again on the Dakar. At the time, the young Henk raced exclusively in traditional rallies behind the wheel of a Skoda.
- Considered as the rising star of rally-raid, the learning process was a rather tough one on the Dakar. His debut in 2021 ended with a severe shoulder injury on day 5. A year later, despite capturing two stage wins, Lategan couldn’t be entirely satisfied with his 31st spot suffering quite a few navigation mistakes, mechanical upsets and a roll.
- It was much more like it in 2023 when at last he reached the finish in a very convincing 5th spot.
- The 30-year-old based in Johannesburg returns after a great South African Rally-Raid championship campaign that saw him capture yet another title. He’ll be hoping to better his best performance in Saudi Arabia alongside his usual co-driver Brett Cummings.
BC
- Brett Cummings’ story on the Dakar goes way back. Originally, he was a biker. Back in 2012 after finishing 4th of the Australasian Safari he won the Dakar Challenge earning him free registration for the Dakar. The South African then went on to manage an excellent 46th position for his first experience.
- But that wasn’t enough as he returned in what was then called the malle-moto class for rider’s with no assistance and finished 28th overall and 2nd of his category.
- His navigational skills opened the door to a car in the co-driver’s seat. That new career started alongside Henk Lategan in the local South African championship and it was only natural that he was to return to the Dakar in 2021 but on a different continent (after his years on a bike in South America).
- A cole mine engineer when he’s not in a race car, Cummings witnessed the tough apprenticeship of the Dakar with Lategan and after a few upsets, both men managed to fly to fifth spot in 2023.
- While his usual partner had to call it quits for the 2024 Dakar rally due to a shoulder injury, Brett joined rookie Guy Botterill last January. Despite the lack of common experience, they went on to capture a promising 6th place overall.
- Back with Lategan and after winning yet another South African championship (his fifth as a co-driver), Cummings, father of two children will be starting his 7th Dakar as a member of the Toyota Gazoo factory team.
AMBITION 2025
H.L.: “Racing in the Dakar has been a dream for me. Even after winning championships in South Africa, taking on the world’s toughest race is a daunting prospect. I’m just glad I have Brett with me. Having competed in local cross-country rallies in South Africa, I’m very familiar with the Hilux, which helps a lot, too.
My last Dakar in 2023 was a roller-coaster ride for us. The two weeks were really tough with some great days and also some disappointing ones. It was good to finish in the Top 5 of such a difficult Dakar.
After my shoulder injury last year, it took me six months to recover without being in a racing car. This year, the National Championship was wrapped up with a race to spare! After a challenging start to the year, we managed to bounce back with some amazing results. One more national to go for the year, then the focus is on getting ready for Dakar 2025.”
B.C.: “The 2013 Dakar on a bike was the experience of a lifetime. I was amazed by the hype, the support and the excitement around the event. Obviously being the winner of the Dakar Challenge helped a lot for publicity. If I had advice to give to Dakar newcomers, I would tell them: prepare yourself and if you think that you’ve prepared enough then prepare some more… In terms of racing it was different to what I was expecting. I thought that it would be harder physically. The hardest part came from the strain on the backside and the lack of sleep.
On Dakar 2024, we managed an amazing job with Guy Botterill. It was great to sit next to him and be part of his journey! P6 overall was unbelievable!!! And to top it all 1st Rookie!
This year, it's been a while since we got a South-African championship title together with Henk. We had two seasons when Henk was injured. It’s good to have another one and going into Dakar, it’s awesome not having pressure at the last race. It also makes a difference.”