The seventh stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally delivered another mix of speed, technical challenges, and great teamwork for Van Loon Racing. Both Anja van Loon, alongside Ben and Jan van de Laar in the Iveco Powerstar, and Erik van Loon with Hein Verschuuren in the Audi Quattro successfully completed the tough stage, each with their own highlights and challenges.
Anja reflected on the day with pride: “We made it again—we’re here. The first 80 kilometers to the neutralization zone were fast, but the heavy dust made it tough and slowed us down. After that, we hit the dunes, and we navigated them well. The terrain kept changing, with fast tracks and dunes. Jan drove today, and he did an amazing job: no mistakes, everything went smoothly. The final stretch was incredible. We raced side by side with three trucks across the plains to see who was fastest. A beautiful day where everything fell into place.”
For Erik and Hein, the day also started promisingly. “The first section went well, and the dunes test was smooth,” Erik shared. “We were cruising until just before the end of the dunes when we got stuck in an extremely soft patch of sand. The car bogged down completely, and we were properly stuck. But soon, the whole Audi crew came to help, and we were back on track in no time. It felt fantastic to hit all the waypoints. Even with the setback, driving the Audi through this terrain remains incredible. It was another great day.”
The eighth stage of the rally runs from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh. The organizers promise another hectic and varied challenge. Once again, the motorbikes will follow a different route, making navigation crucial.