The Dakar Rally is one of the most enduring races on this planet, which is why it has been dubbed the "World's Toughest Race," ever since its inception back in 1979. Over the course of 13 days and over 3,400 miles through three different countries (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile), hundreds of drivers and motorcycle riders put their vehicles through the rigors in hopes of conquering the treacherous, barren landscapes of South America.
For many, it's the ultimate test of man and machine, but as you can expect, machines like to fight back against such abuse, and in turn, drivers are oftentimes left stranded in the vast South American deserts. Unlike Baja (or any other American desert race), though, chase trucks do not have the luxury of traveling down paved roads to save their drivers, which is why teams needed something that was large enough to carry lots of parts, while still being able to trek across the same perilous lands as their drivers. Thus, the T5 support truck was born.
Since these T5 trucks had to travel across the same routes as the other Dakar challengers (no outside help allowed in Dakar), they oftentimes found themselves deep into battle with other trucks of their kind. As a result, the T4 class was created back in 1999. The T4 class is made up of vehicles that look similar to the T5 support trucks, but the T4s are actual race vehicles instead of being part transporters for other teams. And if you think these trucks are slow due to their sheer size, you are greatly mistaken, as most trucks can reach up to 1,000 hp and 3,000 lb-ft of torque! As a result, these vehicles can charge through most of the treacherous features that litter Dakar with the greatest of ease, which makes them a spectator favorite.
Over the years, Kamaz has been ruling the T4 class with multiple wins; however, there seems to be a shift with the recent successes of Gerard de Rooy in his IVECO Powerstar. Up until now, SCORE has never seen a T4 truck race at its events, but weeks before the Baja 500, talk was going around about De Rooy making the trek down to Mexico. Well, the Dutchman made it, appendicitis and all. Unfortunately for de Rooy, he succumbed to the pain, and made it 30 miles into the race before he had to return.
Fortunately, before de Rooy and his team could make their way back home, we were given the rare opportunity to bring this monstrous T4 truck into our studio and get a closer look, dirt and all …
Aside from the dirt, there aren't any fancy center-mounted A-arms or five-tube bypasses that produce massive amounts of travel as it cycles through the suspension. Instead, de Rooy's IVECO Powerstar is outfitted with a solid-axle with an L&P leaf-spring pack and two Reiger coilovers. Due to the strict guidelines that have been placed by ASO (Amaury Sport Organization), T4 trucks are limited to 13.5 inches of travel. However, these limitations don't seem to faze the drivers, as they are able to conquer most obstacles at Dakar. Bringing this massive 20,000-pound beast to a stop is a combo of Knorr-Bremese 17-inch rotors and calipers.
