“The Classic takes me back to the era when I grew up”
CREW FACTS
L.C.
- A trailblazer in the 1990s on his bike, 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 brought 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.”
AMBITIONS 2025
L.C.: “For the second year in a row, I have the honor to participate in the Dakar Classic with an icon, Fabrizia Pons, who has made history in the world of rally. If we add up the Dakars we’ve participated in Fabrizia and I, it makes 18 editions. The experience we have acquired is very important and that’s something that can’t be bought, it only comes from racing.
The Classic takes me back to the era when I grew up, with fascinating cars, and it struck me. Last year was a really tight race and I really enjoyed that because it gave us some challenging days for those of us who have the passion of racing and not just sticking to a determined pace, since it’s a regularity race.
It’s also very important for me to prepare the car with lots of attention since we’re doing it without assistance. For me, it’s like a marathon from start to finish, for two weeks. So, for this year I reinforced the chassis, I changed the gearbox, the clutch assembly, the hug flanges… It was a complete overhaul. It was a long job, quite tiring. We’ve made improvements and that gives me hope that after two years of testing, the third year will be the good year. It’s a very beautiful car.”
F.P.: “Why I come back is a really good question, one I might not be able to answer… Last year, in the middle of the Dakar, I said: ‘I’m never coming back.’ All my life, I’ve been racing fast and the Classic, being a regularity race, felt against nature for me. And then, the Dakar calls you. Luciano has called me many times, and here I am, starting again in 2025! And I am more than ready.
Racing with Luciano is a real pleasure. He’s a very nice person, a hard worker who never backs down, especially since we are without assistance. So, he does it himself, the only thing I can do is hand him the keys, clean the glass, do some very technical things, but he does the assistance. It’s an immense challenge, with little sleep and lots of work, but it’s impressive.”
