“We've all been preparing for this Dakar for a long time”
En bref
Y.T.
- Yongming Tao will be making his Dakar debut in 2026 for the ambitious JJ-Sport team, who have entered no fewer than six (!) vehicles in the Ultimate class. Officially known as the Qianan Jiujiang Racing Sport Club, their JJ3 T1+ DKR was independently developed in China, although it boasts a Ford EcoBoost V6 engine.
- The 39-year-old Chinese driver has always had a passion for motorsport and grew up racing in the Badan Jilin desert. He started out with motorbikes in around 2007 before transitioning to cars.
- Yongming boasts a couple of Guinness World Records for his desert racing feats on Bilutu Peak, the highest point in Badan Jilin. In 2009, he set a new mark of six minutes and two seconds for the fastest ride up a sand dune on a motorcycle. Then in 2014, he set the fastest time up the same 400-metre ascent in a pickup truck: six minutes and 33 seconds! He says it was the latter achievement that truly launched his racing career.
- Yongming started out competing as an amateur in production cars, but gradually evolved into a factory driver and signed for JJ-Sport in 2020. He has since impressed at national events like the Taklimakan Rally, where he finished second in 2025.
- The Alxa native says it is "an honour" to be taking part in his first Dakar this year, and his biggest hope is that he and navigator Liguo Fu will finish as the top rookies in the Ultimates.
L.F.
- Liguo Fu is a talented driver and navigator who will also be doing his first Dakar in 2026.
- The 40-year-old has loved cars since he was a child. He kicked off his racing career in 2008 before moving into rally from 2011. After discovering cross-country in 2012, he gradually switched seats and became a top co-driver, joining forces with JJ-Sport in 2024.
- Liguo comes from the scenic Hulunbeier grasslands region, but he is actually a snow and ice expert. Since 2009, he has provided training for racers who want to improve their driving skills in snowy and icy conditions.
Ambition
Y.T.: “I first heard about the Dakar in 2019, because the Jiujiang team took part that year. I remember the pre-event desert training being held in my hometown. I'm very happy and excited to participate for the first time. I'm grateful to JJ-Sport for giving me this opportunity and for nurturing me over the years. We've all been preparing for this Dakar for a long time, from the boss to the team manager to the support staff. I hope we can work closely together to complete the race and get a good result. This year's Taklimakan Rally went quite smoothly and we secured second place thanks to some great teamwork. As the longest and most challenging race in China, Taklimakan is also very arduous! It shares many similarities with the Dakar. Participating in these races has laid a foundation for our Dakar preparation in terms of endurance and adaptability to diverse terrains. Aside from the engine and tyres, everything on our team's JJ3 T1+ DKR race car was independently developed by us. It has proven its reliability in domestic racing events, with positive reviews from drivers and some great results. This is my first time participating so I definitely want to finish. This year's route changes eliminated some desert stages, which is a bit disappointing because that's my area of expertise! But I still hope to learn from the top competitors and strive for an outstanding performance.”
L.F.: “Yongming Tao and I are very good friends, and we often compete together. I believe a navigator needs the following abilities: good physical fitness, strong judgment and identification skills, a grasp of racing car construction and mechanical principles, and strong driving ability. The Dakar is very intense and I will need to adapt to the local conditions, so I have to train harder!”
