As the storied Dakar Rally has expanded its horizons from the heart of Africa to the vast landscapes of South America and Arabia, its essence remains captivating. Rallylegend taps into this rich legacy with “LegenDakar,” an event celebrating the relentless spirit of this iconic race.
This October, Rallylegend will transform San Marino into a pulsating hub of rally history, where twenty-five legendary African “queens” -vehicles that have carved their names into Dakar’s storied past – will come alive. The event will feature a spectacular assembly of Dakar icons including Jacky Ickx, Ari Vatanen, Jutta Kleinschmidt, and Miki Biasion. These pillars of the rally world will recount their extraordinary victories and pilot their famous cars around a special Rallylegend route and the thrilling “Legend Stage.”
The centerpiece of the LegenDakar celebration is the Dakar Stage, set for Friday 11 October at 3:30 pm. The revered Dakar vehicles will parade from Rallylegend Village to Acquaviva. At 3:45 pm, they will tackle a 2km section of dirt track in a parade lap that promises to be a spectacle of dust, nostalgia, and adrenaline. Following the lap, the action returns to the Rally Village where a dedicated talk show featuring all the notable participants will take place.
Throughout the event, enthusiasts will have the chance to admire these historical machines both on the move and at a static exhibition. The display will chronologically trace the evolution of Dakar vehicles, from the 1984 Porsche 953 Rothmans, driven by Jacky Ickx to a fourth-place finish, to the cutting-edge Audi RS Q e-tron that claimed victory with Carlos Sainz Sr. and Luca Cruz.
A highlight includes Ari Vatanen reuniting with his championship-winning Peugeot and Citroen cars from his hat-trick victories between 1989 and 1991. Jutta Kleinschmidt, the only woman to conquer the Dakar Rally and a pioneer on two wheels, will also reconnect with her victorious Mitsubishi Pajero.
Further enriching the event, Ukrainian rally driver Inessa Tushkanova will showcase her skills in a former Dakar assistance Mitsubishi Pajero T2 from 2005, adding a modern twist to the historic display.
LegenDakar at Rallylegend offers a unique opportunity to witness an unprecedented gathering of vehicles and legends, making it a must-attend for rally enthusiasts and historians alike. With a lineup of cars that includes everything from Pierre Lartigue’s 1988 Mitsubishi Pajero to Miki Biasion’s 2007 Pandakar, Rallylegend is set to be a celebration of Dakar’s enduring allure and the indomitable spirit of its competitors.
