“Keep your head up and keep going”
CREW FACTS
A.P.
- Normally, Lex Peters dedicates himself to getting cars fresh and shiny, as the owner of ANAC carwash. But he also loves to get them dirty, with a varied background in motorsports and a recent go at the Dakar.
- After he visited the event in 2023, Peters’ first participation came to a brutal end ten days into the 2024 edition, with a spectacular crash that saw his car roll over a few times. He immediately figured he had to return.
- Used to pushing “100%”, Peters aims to “be wise” in the Dakar 2025 in order to make it to the finishers’ podium.
M.S.
- Mark Salomons’ daily life involves screens, loads of coffee and the occasional jokes, in the field of information and communication technology. But motorsports are a consuming passion, especially with the Dakar on the horizon!
- Coming from the world of street racing, Salomons first participated in the Dakar in 2023, learning the ropes of the world’s most iconic rally-raid as a co-driver aboard a DAF truck that took him all the way to the finishers’ podium (11th).
- The Dutch youngster is also used to making roadbooks for rally events… His navigating skills will make or break his 2025 adventure with Lex Peters.
2025 AMBITIONS
A.P.: “I loved my first experience at the Dakar. It totally matches the way I like to drive. It’s racing, it’s cross, and it’s a long and demanding event. The whole adventure, the friendships, I’ve loved it.
I made a mistake on day 10, we rolled four times and that was the end of it. That’s part of the deal when you do the Dakar, you know you can always crash. I mean, if you do 8,000 kilometres, though the desert, with high speeds anything can happen.
It was my third rally, now it will be my fifth. I’m 64, so I’ve learned a lot during my life, but it always keeps going. Keep your head up and keep going… Life is one big adventure.
Now I want to finish the Dakar. That’s the main goal. The thing is to keep calm at moments where it can be difficult. With my business, with sport, I always go 100%. But I think the key will be about being wise.”
M.S.: “I like to be a team player. Achieving more is always possible when you work together, and if you look at Lex and me, we proved that during the Rallye du Maroc. We worked seamlessly as a team, and with our combined experience, I truly believe we can accomplish great things! He’s really determined to get that medal, and for us, that’s the ultimate goal for Dakar 2025.
I experienced it myself in 2023, and they say boys don’t cry, but… You’re hit with an overwhelming rush of emotions all at once. After 14 grueling days, it feels like the weight on your shoulders finally lifts. The pressure not to crash, to avoid mistakes, to navigate correctly… You’re always thinking: ‘Please, no flat tyres!’ And then, in a single moment, all that tension just melts away. Honestly, it’s indescribable."
