“The biggest thrill is finishing the Dakar with a vehicle I built from A to Z”
Crew facts
L.C.
- A trailblazer in the 1990s and 2000s on his bike (he notably finished 35th in 2000, leading the Italian flock that year), Luciano Carcheri has fully embraced the Dakar Classic since its inception in 2021, the year he made his return to the most iconic rally-raid nearly two decades after his latest participation.
- Hooked with the opportunity to revive the experience of the pioneers of the Dakar, the Italian mechanic bought two Isuzu Vehicross in Lithuania and revamped them so they could face the new challenges posed by the Saudi terrain.
- Not only does Carcheri storm the desert with an ancient vehicle, he also decided to tackle these battles without assistance, making it “a single marathon stage over two weeks, like it was designed by Thierry Sabine”.
F.P.
- A key figure of the WRC in 1980s and 1990s, most notably associated with Michèle Mouton aboard their Audi Quattro, Fabrizia Pons discovered the Dakar at the beginning of the 21st century, alongside iconic names such as Volkswagen and Ari Vatanen.
- Her trailblazing skills carried her to the 3rd place in the car category, with Jutta Kleinschmidt, back in 2005.
- Two decades ago, she thought venturing in the Dakar would be a one-off. But when Carcheri offered to revive these unique adventures, she couldn’t say no: “Finishing the Dakar brings emotions you can’t describe.”
Ambition
L.C.
“The Dakar takes up the whole year for me. Since I bought the car, imported it to Italy and basically modified it all, setting it up to race in the rally, the biggest thrill is being able to finish the Dakar with a vehicle that I built from A to Z. This year, we rebuilt a new engine, rebuilt and rechecked the gearbox and checked a whole series of specific aspects that are, let's say, the most stressed by the mechanics, to be on the safe side.
“The Dakar takes up the whole year for me. Since I bought the car, imported it to Italy and basically modified it all, setting it up to race in the rally, the biggest thrill is being able to finish the Dakar with a vehicle that I built from A to Z. This year, we rebuilt a new engine, rebuilt and rechecked the gearbox and checked a whole series of specific aspects that are, let's say, the most stressed by the mechanics, to be on the safe side.
I find the sponsors, I prepare the car, and then I go to Barcelona, do the checks and board the ship. It can be quite stressful to get everything ready. So for me, once I've done all these things and arrived in Saudi Arabia, my holiday begins, because I've already done the hard work beforehand. Then the party gets going.
I have participated in every edition since they established the Dakar Classic in 2021. So it will be my sixth, and the third I do with Fabrizia Pons. We treasure the more than 20 Dakars that Fabrizia and I have between the two of us. It gives us the experience to try not to make mistakes throughout the race. We get on really well, it's harmonious to be together in the race. And the same goes with Julien Saumet and Team SSP, who give me logistical support, transporting my tools, the few spare parts I have for my car and our bags for Fabrizia and I. Apart from that, I really do it all myself.
I really enjoyed our time together last year. In the 1990s, I was doing the Dakar with Julien's father, Michel Saumet, who passed it on to his son. Now, 30 years later, I'm with them again. It's beautiful.
I would like to thank all the sponsors, and in particular the Liguria region, for their support in enabling me to compete in the Dakar Classic. As a native of Liguria, I am proud to display the ‘Liguria the Italian Riviera’ logo on my car.”
I would like to thank all the sponsors, and in particular the Liguria region, for their support in enabling me to compete in the Dakar Classic. As a native of Liguria, I am proud to display the ‘Liguria the Italian Riviera’ logo on my car.”
F.P.
“If it wasn't with Luciano, I probably wouldn't be there. My last Dakar before he got in touch with me was back in 2007, still in Africa. And now I got to discover Saudi Arabia.
“If it wasn't with Luciano, I probably wouldn't be there. My last Dakar before he got in touch with me was back in 2007, still in Africa. And now I got to discover Saudi Arabia.
I have to admit it's a lot of fun to do it with Luciano. It's very, very adventurous. I think we're the only ones among all the Classic crews to be doing it without assistance. So Luciano, who is a very good mechanic, works on the car when we arrive at the stage. I used to fix my bike when I raced it but an old Isuzu, I don't know how to work on it... So I provide moral support!
I rarely sing in the Dakar. I'm part of choir, if they're not with me I usually don't sing, and especially not at the bivouac! But sometimes I might in the car, just to keep Luciano awake. All in all, I want to bring good company, that's essential in the Dakar, and then try to maintain these average speeds, which is not always easy with this car, and to have fun overall.
The absolute priority is to make it to the end, get on the podium, and hopefully we'll have as little problems as possible. In the first one, we had a lot of problems and missed a few stages, but it was a real adventure. Last year we had problems right at the very end, so this year I'd like to have no problems and get to the end safely. That would be a great result for me.”
