RED-LINED

D.K.

• Dave Klaassen was 2 and a half years old when the adventurers of the first Dakar took to the roads. He was a young kid when he started following the first editions, inspired by Dutch drivers like Jan de Rooy. He didn't allow himself to dream about doing it because it was a lot of money. Then he started riding in 2014, and what was a hobby became a passion, then a way of life.
• Owner of a large international packaging company, the Dutchman started to do rally-raid, earning money to enjoy his passion. He learned and raced in several countries (South Africa, Morocco, Portugal...), co-driven by his girlfriend Tessa. The start of a journey that would take them to the Dakar.
• They competed in their first Dakar in 2023 and managed to finish the race, taking second place among the rookies in their category. They’re coming back in 2025, but with something new: they’re moving from T1 to T1+ after experiencing difficulties two years ago.
• The Klaassen family has its own team, DaklaPack Rallysport. It offers various services, including rally service support in countries like Portugal and South Africa. In the latter, DaklaPack is the official representative for Taurus T3 cars. Dave and Tessa will ride under its flag and will also have a customer, Argentinian David Zille, driver in the Challenger class.