Dakar Classic: Team FJ rehabilitates “the Nascar of the sands”

Team FJ roams the circuits and special stages of rally for a long time, but the rally-raid was still unknown territory for the company from Saint-Denis-sur-Loire (Loir-et-Cher). Moreover, Jérôme Galpin had not planned to take to the desert tracks until the couple Yannick and Valérie Panagiotis became interested in the Dakar Classic.

“I remember it, we were at the Croatian Rally last year, when they told me about it. I was up for it, but we didn't have an eligible car.", Jérôme Galpin told us from the bivouac in Bisha (Saudi Arabia). So we had to look, if possible, for an original vehicle.

The rare gem was found in Switzerland, with a charming Protruck owner. Bingo, the two-wheel drive machine perfectly illustrates the activity of Team FJ with the organization of the Nascar Whelen Euro Series, because the Protruck formula comes straight from the United States.

Indeed, the engine block is exactly the same as in the European Nascar championship: a Chevy 350, 5,7 liters developing a little more than 400 horsepower. The weight seems considerable (1,8 tonnes) as does its wheelbase (5,5 meters long), but appearances are deceptive.

“She is surprisingly agile, confirms Jérôme Galpin. The notion of driving pleasure is very great here, because it is considerate. We are not surprised but we can control the excesses. The large suspension travel makes crossing quite incredible. To put it simply, it goes everywhere! We only take a look at the “3” dangers listed on the road book. »

Enough to make the winner of the 2015 French Rally Cup say that this is the perfect vehicle to start in the discipline, especially since it is reliable. No part was changed in 6 km of driving on this race, the tires being the same as at the start in Jeddah!

As a bonus, the blue Protruck was driven by two legends of French motorsport: Bruno Saby (7th in Paris-Cairo in 2000) and Henri Pescarolo. In terms of performance, Jérôme and Anne Galpin also did very well, finishing in the top 5 overall but leading the debates in class H3 (highest average).

“It’s a great mix of sporting appeal without the risk and hassle side. It is an ideal format for discovering rally-raid. The modern Dakar seems very demanding to me, there are a lot of breakages among the competitors”, continues the pilot.

Jérôme and Anne Galpin have a lot of ideas. If they came to this historic version of the Dakar, it was to assess the potential of broadening their professional scope. The verdict is final.

“Team FJ will invest more in the Classic, that’s very clear. We have found a great discipline, we want to return to the 2023 Dakar with three or four Protrucks and offer our services for purchase or rental. »

The package is already ready because it has been successfully tested by the couple. Totally inexperienced in rally raids, the Galpins had to learn navigation, reading desert terrain as well as managing average speeds on specials, under the watchful eye of former driver Isabelle Pâtissier during a training course in Morocco .

“We will thus be able to anticipate customer needs and coach them in the best possible way. I am absolutely convinced that this new discipline will develop very quickly and we want to be a major player!»