Top Indian rally driver Sanjay Takale became the first Indian to finish the legendary Dakar Rally in the Classic cars category along with French co-driver Maxime Raud of the Compagnie Saharienne team here on Friday.
Takale showcased consistency and skill throughout the gruelling competition of 7453km, culminating in a remarkable debut at the world’s toughest rally where he finished 10th in his class and Overall 18th among 96 entries in Classic section.
The aerpace racer was supported by Compagnie Saharienne, a French Historic Rally Team, and raced in a Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ78 at the Classic cars class, a regulatory run. Incidentally, it is his 75 career rally.
The 47th edition of the Dakar and the 6th in Saudi Arabia was completed in Shubaytah with Pune’s Takale finishing a stunning fifth in the final stage with zero penalty points to cap his Dakar journey on a high. His strong performances, included an impressive P7 twice, in Stage 3 after the demanding 48-hour Chrono segment, and another 7th in Stage 7. He also chalked out three top-11 finishes in Stages 8, 9 and 11. After 14 challenging stages,
Spanish title holder Carlos Santaolalla triumphed to become the first double winner since the creation of the Dakar Classic race category in 2021. Only 80 of the 95 starters finished the race.
Born on February 2, 1968, Takale started his career in motocross in the 1980s, and transitioned to rallying in cars, winning the Asia-Pacific Production Cup Championship in 2013. His international achievements include competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and representing India at the FIA Motorsport Games, where he secured an eighth-place finish in his first tarmac rally.
“This has been an unforgettable journey,” Takale said. “Dakar is the ultimate challenge in motorsport, and finishing it is a dream come true. I am deeply grateful to my team, my co-driver Maxime Raud, and Aerpace for their unwavering support. I am so thrilled and extremely hapopy to become the first to complete Dakar in cars.”
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