“We are ready, let it begin”

Petronas Team De Rooy IVECO with strong quartet in Dakar Rally

JEDDAH / SON EN BREUGEL – The Petronas Team De Rooy Iveco drivers are eager to kick off the Dakar Rally. “We have a lot of confidence, the truck is very good, we are fit. Let it begin,” say Janus van Kasteren, Vick Versteijnen and Martin van den Brink in unison. The trio in the Iveco Powerstar will receive prompt assistance from Mitchel van den Brink in Saudi Arabia. 

“We have a top team,” says the youngster.

Due to the forced absence of Hans Stacey, Janus van Kasteren became the ‘un-intended leader’ of the Brabant rally team. “I don’t feel that way. We are a team and primarily drive for our own chances. On the rest day, we determine the strategy based on the standings. I am especially sorry for Hans that he is not there. We trained and tested a lot together in Morocco. Hans was so fit. He trained very hard. At the gym, you couldn’t believe he’s already 63 years old. I was really curious how he could perform in coming Dakar Rally.

“Learned from my mistakes”

Janus does not want to put unnecessary pressure on himself and his co-pilots. “The new truck is really fantastic. We have had a good test. That gives a lot of confidence. We will try to finish as high as possible, but ambitions must be realistic,” said the driver from Veldhoven. “In my first Dakar Rally for Team De Rooy I was sixth overall. If I can improve that, it’s great. We also have more experience now and I hope to have learned from my mistakes in the past.”

35-year-old Van Kasteren starts his fourth Dakar Rally. “In 2020 I also drove for Team De Rooy and in 2018 and 2019 for Mammoet Rallysport, the team of Martin van den Brink. We know each other well. I am very happy with this team. With navigator Marcel Snijders and mechanic Darek Rodewald we have a lot of experience and knowledge in the cabin. I think that’s very important,” said the entrepreneur from Veldhoven. “We are going to do our best and in the first week we have to try to stay at the top. Then we’ll see. I’m excited!.”

Versteijnen is very happy

Vick Versteijnen also is very motivated if we interpret his enthusiastic story in the right way. “I am very happy to be there again. It is of course painful and a pity for Hans that he cannot drive. I was very surprised when team manager Henk van Leuven came over for a coffee and asked me to join Team De Rooy. A lot had to be arranged at work, but also at home. I became a father of our second child three months ago. Fortunately, my wife is behind my participation and she was also very happy for me when I got this opportunity.”

Versteijnen remembers the people of the rally team well from his earlier performance in the Iveco. “In 2020 I drove for Petronas Team De Rooy Iveco for the first time. Last year the team didn’t go to the rally and this year I wouldn’t go. I became a father three months ago, we are in the middle of the corona crisis and the business is very busy. That is why I consciously chose not to go this year,” said the owner of a trading company in the transport sector.

Vick Versteijnen made his debut in the Dakar Rally at the age of 28. The driver from Hilvarenbeek was then the youngest debutant ever. That title has since been taken over by his teammate of this year, Mitchel van den Brink. Vick is happy with the experience he has. “I haven’t been racing much in the last two years. It will take some time getting used to. I haven’t trained much physically lately. I am curious about the new truck. We will use the shakedown to adjust the suspension, for example. I will also be listening to Janus a lot when it comes to tuning. The truck is completely new to me. Compared to the 2020 truck, the wheelbase is longer and we now have a suspended cab. It will take some time getting used to. I will adjust my tactics accordingly. I will choose certainty and try to look beyond the opening days. We mainly want to try to drive stable and then we’ll see. Hopefully I can still be of service to Martin and Janus. In my case, a podium place is certainly not realistic.”

Vick forms a trio with Teun van Dal and Randy Smits. “I have known Teun for a long time. He was also my navigator in 2020,” says Vick about 33-year-old Teun van Dal, who also lives in Hilvarenbeek. The mechanic next to Vick is 24-year-old Randy Smits. The mechanic from Boxmeer works at De Rooy and makes his debut as a competition driver on the rallytruck. “We are going to give everything to make the best of it,” said Vick Versteijnen, who is genuinely happy with the approaching adventure.

New faces

Martin van den Brink and son Mitchel van den Brink are the ‘new faces in the De Rooy’s camp. Father and son see the step to Team De Rooy as ‘a unique opportunity’.

Martin van den Brink can count himself among the outsiders for a top ranking for the first time. Under the wings of Team De Rooy, the 51-year-old Harskamper wants to add a special chapter to his Dakar book, which now contains thirteen chapters.

“It is unique to be able to drive with Mitchel in one team. Now we can both ride for one of the very best teams and that makes me proud,” says Van den Brink senior. “This opportunity is unique for me,” said an enthusiastic Van den Brink, who won two stages in 2017.

The drivers of Team De Rooy will receive support from Mitchel van den Brink, the son of. “I am the fast assistant for the three leaders,” says the 19-year-old driver, who made his debut as a driver in 2021. “The goal now is to finish the rally, but the bar is slightly higher than last year. I’ll have to speed up a little bit more. My job is to stay as close as possible to Martin, Janus and Vick in order to be able to provide assistance quickly.”

After a week of testing in Morocco, Martin van den Brink was quickly convinced of the potential of the Iveco truck. “It immediately felt good. I have a lot of confidence in the quality of this truck. Especially the reliability is very high. That is an important part of the Dakar Rally.”

The Iveco Powerstar even gives Van den Brink so much confidence that he is cautiously looking at a high ranking. “Team De Rooy has chances on the podium anyway. There are many contenders for the win. In addition, there are many outsiders. We are also part of that. We have to keep the pressure on the Kamaz teams. If we drive constantly, they might make mistakes. We have to be “on the mark” immediately in the first week and on the rest day we determine the strategy for the second week. With Team De Rooy we have to finish as high as possible. It doesn’t matter who that is in the end.”

Martin van den Brink is teamed up in the Iveco with old acquaintances Peter Willemsen and mechanic Bernard der Kinderen. “I have a lot of confidence in these guys.”

The battle will be decided in the ‘sandbox’ of Saudi Arabia for the next two weeks. Martin van den Brink hopes for stages with a lot of sand. “We are strong in the dunes. But we also hope to be able to drive closer to the top on the hard rally tracks. If you ride in the top five, you can also just end up on the podium. I do see opportunities with a few long stages in the desert. I’m excited.”

Son Mitchell has that too. The youngest Dakar debutant in the history of the global event wants to capitalize on the experience from early this year. The ‘transfer’ to De Rooy’s team was the first step. The second step must be taken by the Harskamper himself. “The fact that I was asked to become a fast assistant for the drivers of Petronas Team De Rooy Iveco was already wonderful. I have to show that I have learned a lot and convert that into speed. Finishing was a priority last year. Now I have to take it one step higher.

According to Mitchel, it will be ‘a challenge’ to fulfill his role to the best of his abilitites. “It is not realistic to think that we can keep up with the three Iveco Powerstars in the Iveco Trakker. We do our best and help the leaders where possible.”

Mitchel van den Brink teams up  in the green truck with Kootwijkerbroeker Richard Mouw and Lunteraan Bert van Donkelaar. “We have a lot of technical knowledge on board. I look forward to race it this rally with these guys. Together we are strong, I’m sure of that. We have a nice Veluws team in a strong Brabant team.”

“There’s nothing there but sand”

Van den Brink junior has already memorized all the specials and is looking forward to those in the desert. “We drive for a few days in the so-called Empty Quarter. There is nothing there except sand, lots of sand. It will be though and the days will be long. I think a lot is going to happen in the stages in the east. I think that’s where the rankings are made. I don’t mind. In Morocco we learned a lot again and Gerard de Rooy also gave me a lot of tips. Partly because of this, we are also starting the Dakar Rally with great confidence.”

Mitchel van den Brink does not worry about a final ranking. “We are there for the teams of Janus, Vick and my father. If we continue to drive well and the leaders don’t havetoo  much bad luck, we will also move up in the overall ranking. Then we’ll see at the finish what the final result will be. We are well prepared and  are physically fine so let it begin.”

Prologue

The 44th Dakar Rally starts on Saturday. In the vicinity of Ha’il, a prologue over 19 kilometers is scheduled. The result determines the starting order in the first stage. It will also start and finish in Ha’il on Sunday. The special stage then counts 333 kilometers.

The team of Janus van Kasteren has starting number 504. Martin van den Brink has 506, Vick Versteijnen 515 and Mitchel van den Brink has starting number 524.

Photos