Goodyear Offroad tyres play key role in Dakar Rally win

Goodyear tyres were the winning choice of 2023 Dakar Rally winner Team De Rooy, which clinched victory at the end of 16 challenging days of action across the Saudi Arabian desert.

After almost 9,000 kilometres of rock, sand and muddy terrain, with close to 5,000 of those as special stages, the Dutch team finished first, third and fourth with three of its Iveco trucks.

Team De Rooy chose Goodyear Offroad tyres for the challenge, with Goodyear’s engineers working closely with the team through the pre-event preparation.

Janus Van Kasteren finished over one hour and 14 minutes ahead of his closest rival at the end of the rally, driving the No. 502 Boss Machinery Team De Rooy IVECO, supported by Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders. His teammates Martin and Mitchel Van Den Brink finished third and fourth, respectively.

Team De Rooy’s win marks another successful Dakar Rally for Goodyear in the Truck category, after finishing first, second and third in last year’s event with another team.

The Goodyear Offroad tyres used in the rally, which are available to fleet operators across Europe, are especially designed for low heat generation and high speeds.

Maciej Szymański, Goodyear commercial marketing director for Europe, said: “Congratulations to Team De Rooy for winning what is arguably one of the motorsport’s toughest challenges.

“We are proud that our tyres together with an advanced tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system were important and reliable enablers that helped to drive results and to win this legendary rally.

“The Goodyear Offroad tyres are capable of tackling all terrains even under high speed and in difficult conditions, so another victory in the Dakar once again underlines this capability."

As well as supporting Team De Rooy, last year Goodyear extended its long-standing partnership and became the official title sponsor of the top truck racing class - Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC).