“I proposed to Tessa on the Dakar podium, and now she’s my wife!”
CREW FACTS
D.K.
- Dave Klaassen was 2 and a half years old when the adventurers of the first Dakar took to the roads. He was a young kid when he started following the first editions, inspired by Dutch drivers like Jan de Rooy. He didn't allow himself to dream about doing it because it was a lot of money. Then he started riding in 2014, and what was a hobby became a passion, then a way of life.
- Owner of a large international packaging company, the Dutchman started to do rally-raid, earning money to enjoy his passion. He learned and raced in several countries (South Africa, Morocco, Portugal...), co-driven by his girlfriend Tessa. The start of a journey that would take them to the Dakar.
- They competed in their first Dakar in 2023 and managed to finish the race, taking second place among the rookies in their category. They’re coming back in 2025, but with something new: they’re moving from T1 to T1+ after experiencing difficulties two years ago.
- The Klaassen family has its own team, DaklaPack Rallysport. It offers various services, including rally service support in countries like Portugal and South Africa. In the latter, DaklaPack is the official representative for Taurus T3 cars. Dave and Tessa will ride under its flag and will also have a customer, Argentinian David Zille, driver in the Challenger class.
T.K.
- Graphic Designer, Tessa Klaassen was not particularly passionate about motorsports before meeting Dave. Her love for this Dutch entrepreneur led her to rally-raid about nine years ago. She also fell in love with this sport, and has since been racing in several countries (South Africa, Morocco, Portugal...), sitting as Dave's co-driver.
- They competed in their first Dakar in 2023 and managed to finish the race, taking second place among the rookies in their category. They’re coming back in 2025, but with something new: they’re moving from T1 to T1+ after experiencing difficulties two years ago.
- The Dakar will forever be associated with the couple's life. Two years ago, Tessa was competing under the name Rooth. She is now called Klaassen after marrying Dave, who proposed to her... on the podium of the Dakar 2023!
2025 AMBITION
D.K.: “As everyone says, crossing the finish line is the best result and we did it in 2023. Dakar is really addictive, it’s like a drug, so we’re back! And at the same time, it’s a lot of effort, preparation and money, so the pressure is there. Doing it in T1, with the small wheels, was quite challenging, but we managed to reach the finish line for our first participation. I proposed to my girlfriend on the podium and now she’s my wife, so Dakar will always be special for us! We’ll try to finish it again, that will be our main goal. It would be nice to be able to improve on our previous result. It will be tough because there are a lot of cars, but let’s see if we can get into the Top 30. A lot has happened since we got married. We have a more professional structure and have set up our rally services company in Portugal and South Africa. The customer we will have on this Dakar is quite fast. We are therefore competitors and team owners, it is quite challenging but we are ready for it!”
T.K.: “Dakar 2023 has been a great first experience, even if it was tough. We were with a T1 and some roads were made for T1+, so we had some hard times, but we finish without any mechanical problem! In my first Dakar I didn’t really know what to expect. Here you have no option, you have to push your limits. We will be with a T1+ in 2025 so I hope to battle less than two years ago. I would be happy to have a good result, but our main goal is to reach the finish line every day. It is really special to share the car with Dave, it’s nice to live this hobby together. Well, it's not a hobby anymore because it's a real passion. Maybe it sounds crazy but let’s say that we live from rally to rally!”
