The ninth stage, from Riyadh to Haradh, brought both highs and lows for Van Loon Racing. The fast course offered opportunities for strong results, but a wrong turn and some bad luck prevented the teams from having a perfect day. Nevertheless, both Erik van Loon and Hein Verschuuren in the Audi Quattro and Anja, Ben, and Jan van de Laar in the Iveco Powerstar posted strong times and successfully reached the finish once again.
Anja, Ben, and Jan had an impressive start to the stage. “We started all the way at the back but were really able to push. We flew across the course and overtook many competitors. By kilometer 300, we were averaging over 100 kilometers per hour, which felt amazing.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly later when they ended up in the wrong valley, costing them at least half an hour. “The truck performed brilliantly today, and we enjoyed the racing, but it was so frustrating. A great result was within reach, but luck wasn’t on our side.” They ultimately finished 13th, despite briefly holding fourth place during the stage.
Erik reflected on a strong yet challenging day: “We were close to a stage win, but in the fourth regularity test, we missed the checkpoint by just a few meters. That cost us 100 penalty points, on top of the 13 we already had. The winner had 14, so that was a real shame.” Everything else went smoothly, though the dunes remain tricky for the Audi due to its long first gear. “Hein did a fantastic job, and aside from the penalty points, everything went great. We’re heading into tomorrow with full confidence.”
The tenth stage takes place in the dunes of the Empty Quarter. After a long liaison to Shubaytah, competitors will face these challenging dunes for the first time. With 115 timed kilometers, it may seem manageable, but nothing is guaranteed in the Saudi dunes. Meanwhile, Classic participants will tackle over 300 kilometers of tests tomorrow.