“So painful, so agonising, so perfect, so rewarding”
Crew facts
B.L.
- Binglong Lu returns for his second Dakar appearance in 2026, having taken an impressive 13th place overall for the BAIC team on his debut in 2021.
- The 55-year-old hails from the Jiangsu Province of China and has long been passionate about motorsport. He only started competing in rallies at the age of 36, but quickly established himself as one of the country's most talented offroad drivers. He has taken class wins at the iconic Taklimakan Rally and won two rounds of the national cross-country championship in 2025 (Yecheng and Jinta) at the wheel of the JJ-Sport JJ3.
- Binglong has been racing for the team - officially known as the Qianan Jiujiang Racing Sport Club - since 2016. They have entered six cars at Dakar 2026, and Binglong is one of just two drivers with previous Dakar experience, alongside team boss Yuqiao Zhao.
- Back home, Binglong works as the chief instructor of a racing school, helping to train the drivers of tomorrow.
H.S.
- He Sha is an accomplished car mechanic, engineer and navigator who also has previous experience of the Dakar. He guided Guoyu Zhang to 14th place in 2021 -one place below his current driver Binglong Lu- and then finished 27th alongside Zi Yunliang in 2023.
- The 43-year-old has his good friend Binglong to thank for getting him into motorsport, even if he went about it in rather a sneaky way! In 2011, he was invited to come and visit Binglong's racing team and start practising with the other trainees, not realising he was being trained for a racing licence. After several days, Binglong suggested He accompany them to a race in Yunnan, and upon arrival, announced that he would be acting as his co-driver for the week! He protested, saying he knew nothing about navigation, but Binglong insisted it would be fine. In the end, they raced for five days without any breakdowns or retirements and won the overall title! From then on, He was hooked: “I was struck by the lightning speed, the ever-changing road conditions and the tense of atmosphere of the track,” he recalls.
Ambition
B.L.: “I'm so grateful for everything. I never imagined I'd be able to compete in the Dakar again. Dakar 2021 was so painful, so agonising, so perfect, so rewarding. That's how I remember it. Only by participating in the Dakar can you unleash your full potential, because it brings together the world's top teams and drivers. It's the only place where you can learn the best techniques from each other. The Dakar is the Dakar, there's nothing else like it. It's the pinnacle of the most spectacular offroad races, like the most dazzling rainbow in the sky! I was honoured to join the JJ-Sport team during the 2016 Taklimakan Rally. The owner and manager treat everyone very well, we are the most harmonious and united team. Thanks to years of continuous testing, improvement, and racing experience - combined with the collective efforts of everyone in the team - the race car is currently in excellent condition. However, we still hope to put it through the ultimate test at the Dakar and look forward to a strong performance. Our goal? To enjoy the game to the fullest!”
H.S.: “I have a very good relationship with Binglong. We usually train together and teach students together, and we even do races together if necessary. Having already done two editions of the Dakar, I have a deeper understanding of the event. Participating for the third time will bring even greater responsibilities. It's a sign of my personal growth but means I am also carrying the team's expectations. I feel fortunate and honoured to have joined the JJ-Sport team for the Dakar, and I hope to achieve excellent results with them. I gained a lot of valuable experience in my previous Dakar appearances, such as understanding and using the electronic roadbook, and familiarising myself with the local climate and geography. It means we will know how to adjust our tyre pressure, race pace and tactics according to the weather and terrain at Dakar 2026. I believe the JJ-Sport team and its self-built JJ3 race car can achieve outstanding results at this Dakar.”
