Home » Anja, Jan, and Ben battle through dust in the eighth stage, Erik and Hein maintain strong performance in the Classic

Anja, Jan, and Ben battle through dust in the eighth stage, Erik and Hein maintain strong performance in the Classic

The eighth stage of the Dakar Rally, from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh, was a day of contrasts for Van Loon Racing. While Erik van Loon and Hein Verschuuren delivered a smooth performance in the Dakar Classic, Anja van Loon, Jan, and Ben van de Laar faced a series of technical challenges in their Iveco Powerstar, putting their resilience to the test. Despite the setbacks, they climbed to ninth place in the overall standings.

Erik reflected positively on a successful day in the Classic: “It was a calm day with only regularity tests, but it went great. The RTs are definitely our strong point. We performed well, securing two more top-10 finishes. Everything went smoothly, the Audi performed fantastically, and it’s such a joy to be part of this.” With their consistent performances, Erik and Hein continue to dominate their category and enjoy every kilometer.

For Anja, Jan, and Ben, it was an extremely tough day filled with setbacks. Anja explained: “After 38 kilometers, the hose for our water cooler burst, causing us to lose all our coolant. We had to stop and rely on help from other competitors. Eight trucks stopped to assist, and we ended up receiving 65 liters of water to refill. After an hour and a half, we were able to continue, but less than 12 kilometers later, the front right shock absorber broke off. We had to remove it and drive on with just one functioning shock absorber on the right side.” This left them trailing behind, but along the way, they overtook many competitors, driving through thick clouds of dust.

The problems kept piling up. “A branch shattered our window, and a little later, the lights on the truck completely failed,” Anja continued. “We had to navigate through the dunes in pitch darkness. We couldn’t see a thing, which made it incredibly difficult. But Ben drove amazingly, and we managed to push through. I’m so proud of him and so relieved we made it to the finish.” Despite the tough circumstances, the team once again proved their resilience, finishing the stage. They now sit in ninth place overall in the standings.

Tomorrow, the ninth stage of the rally will take competitors from Riyadh to Haradh. It promises to be a very fast stage, with the rally heading toward the Empty Quarter over high-speed tracks.

Together with her brothers, Anja van Loon goes for the ultimate tribute

Erik van Loon starts flawlessly and fast in Hail

Mitchel van den Brink wins first stage in Dakar Rally

Teamwork and perseverance carry Anja, Ben, and Jan through two rally days; Erik enjoys the Audi