Dakar star in ERC in Holland

The winner of the rallyraid, ‘Le Dakar 2012’, Gerard de Rooy, is stepping into the rallycross. Gerard, son of former Paris-Dakar contender and rallycrosser, Jan de Rooy, will race a Supercar Citroën C4 during the Dutch ERC round at August 11 and 12. It’s the first time De Rooy jr. will start in a race for the European Rallycross Championship.

The history of the family De Rooy and rallycross goes a long way back. In the seventies father Jan de Rooy, was a multiple National and International Dutch Rallycross Champion. He once was teammate a of Martin Schanche and in 1979 vice-European Rallycross Champion. Jan de Rooy starts in 1982 racing with a Audi Quattro and left the Rallycross at the end of that season. Het starts a new career by racing trucks in the famous Paris-Dakar rallyraid. Jan de Rooy became one of most successful Dakar truck-competitors in Holland.

Now 30 years later it is his son Gerard (32) who sets his first steps into the rallycross. In 1982 takes Jan de Rooy the victory with the DAF 2800 in Dakar. 25 years ago De Rooy senior wins Dakar again in his DAF Turbo Twin II. In 2012 Gerard de Rooy wins Dakar in a Iveco truck and, exactly 30 years later when his dad left the Rallycross, Gerard, steps into, what is called a ‘one-time’ event. “But you never know”, said Gerard to RallycrossWorld.com. The car in which De Rooy is racing is the Citroën C4 in which Liam Doran won the X-games in 2011 and was used by Doran in the European championship under the wings of Kenneth Hansen Motorsport. The C4 is currently owned by Steve Harris (GB) and is maintained by Autopoint. Autopoint Engineering will take care of the service of the C4 during the Dutch ERC event.

It’s the first time that Gerard de Rooy steps into a Rallycross Supercar. “We don’t have the cars anymore that my dad has run in the past. The only car from that period is a DAF but that is one in rallytrim. The Quattro is not in our possession.” De Rooy jr. bought some weeks ago a Quattro. “A road car and a restoration project”, said the 2012 Dakar winner. With no experience driving a rallycross Supercar, “The only experience I have on the Eurocircuit is racing during the Dakar pre-prologue with my plus 9000 kilo Dakar-truck”, De Rooy is looking forward to have some tracktime in the C4. “I will definitely need some time to get used to this 550 bhp machine and do some test driving.” The first acquaintance with the C4 and De Rooy is next week at the Eurocircuit. The livery of the car will be stay in the currently Monster outfit. “But you never know”, laughs De Rooy. I’ve already seen some pictures on internet with a Citroën C4 in Petronas colors. Petronas was our Dakar 2012 team-sponsor. You never know what the future brings.”

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