Gerard De Rooy's massive Iveco Powerstar

The Dakar Rally is one of the most enduring races on this planet, which is why it has been dubbed the "World's Toughest Race," ever since its inception back in 1979. Over the course of 13 days and over 3,400 miles through three different countries (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile), hundreds of drivers and motorcycle riders put their vehicles through the rigors in hopes of conquering the treacherous, barren landscapes of South America.

For many, it's the ultimate test of man and machine, but as you can expect, machines like to fight back against such abuse, and in turn, drivers are oftentimes left stranded in the vast South American deserts. Unlike Baja (or any other American desert race), though, chase trucks do not have the luxury of traveling down paved roads to save their drivers, which is why teams needed something that was large enough to carry lots of parts, while still being able to trek across the same perilous lands as their drivers. Thus, the T5 support truck was born.

Since these T5 trucks had to travel across the same routes as the other Dakar challengers (no outside help allowed in Dakar), they oftentimes found themselves deep into battle with other trucks of their kind. As a result, the T4 class was created back in 1999. The T4 class is made up of vehicles that look similar to the T5 support trucks, but the T4s are actual race vehicles instead of being part transporters for other teams. And if you think these trucks are slow due to their sheer size, you are greatly mistaken, as most trucks can reach up to 1000 HP and 4067 NM (3000 lb-ft) of torque! As a result, these vehicles can charge through most of the treacherous features that litter Dakar with the greatest of ease, which makes them a spectator favorite.

Over the years, Kamaz has been ruling the T4 class with multiple wins; however, there seems to be a shift with the recent successes of Gerard de Rooy in his IVECO Powerstar. Up until now, SCORE has never seen a T4 truck race at its events, but weeks before the Baja 500, talk was going around about De Rooy making the trek down to Mexico. Well, the Dutchman made it, appendicitis and all. Unfortunately for de Rooy, he succumbed to the pain, and made it 30 miles into the race before he had to return.

Fortunately, before de Rooy and his team could make their way back home, we were given the rare opportunity to bring this monstrous T4 truck into our studio and get a closer look, dirt and all …

Aside from the dirt, there aren't any fancy center-mounted A-arms or five tube bypasses that produce massive amounts of travel as it cycles through the suspension. Instead, de Rooy's IVECO Powerstar is outfitted with a solid-axle with an L&P leaf-spring pack and two Reiger coilovers. Due to the strict guidelines that have been placed by ASO (Amaury Sport Organization), T4 trucks are limited to 13.5 inches of travel. However, these limitations don't seem to faze the drivers, as they are able to conquer most obstacles at Dakar. Bringing this massive 20000-pound beast to a stop is a combo of Knorr-Bremese 17 inch rotors and calipers.

It's not uncommon to see trucks like this IVECO outfitted with some sort of cab suspension system; however, stock components were removed and replaced with a combo of Donerre and Reiger components.

Reiger Suspension may not be a household name in America; however, its shocks are widely popular amongst the WRC rally teams back in Europe. Mounted to each corner of de Rooy's Powerstar are two custom-made coilovers from Reiger. What's trick about these shocks is that the shaft is actually hollow, allowing the fluid to travel into the reservoirs up top. You'll also notice three little clickers on the base of the reservoirs that allow for quick adjustments of compression and rebound.

Leaf spring bushings are always greased up thanks to this automatic system.

Underneath the IVECO canvas you'll find miscellaneous spare parts and a massive 185 gallon fuel cell. In the bottom right corner, you'll notice a gray box that serves as an air compressor for the mechanic. Right next to it are two black panels that serve as jacks. When stuck out in the dunes, the mechanic slides one of these panels underneath the Powerstar, hooks it up to the compressor, and pumps up the inflatable jack to service the vehicle.

The inside of the IVECO Powerstar is not like your standard American desert racer, as it plays the home for not two, but three crew members: Gerard de Rooy (driver), Tom Colsoul (codriver), and Darek Rodewalk (mechanic). Each crewmember has a specific role as he traverses through the rough deserts in the safety of his Sparco seats and harnesses.

The most obvious role is de Rooy, who is responsible for navigating the Powerstar to the finish. Unlike most desert races, though, de Rooy's navigator, Colsoul, does not have the luxury of modern GPS systems. Instead, Colsoul is given an ASO-supplied road book, which is full of distances, drawings, and information needed to navigate. Once De Rooy is within 50 meters of a waypoint, the two ASO-supplied GPS unit will turn on to log that the vehicle has passed by. Once through, the GPS units turn back off.

Due to its appearance, it's safe to assume that De Rooy's IVECO Powerstar is extremely top heavy and would roll in almost every corner. However, it's actually not because everything is mounted down low to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. Plus, the back half of the cab is made up of fabric, which doesn't weigh that much at all. That's not saying this truck is light, though, because when fully loaded, it tips the scale at 20,000 pounds.

De Rooy's mechanic, Darek Rodewalk, is not only another set of eyes; he's in charge of making sure everything is running properly. From Rodewalk's point of view, it looks as if he's in the cockpit of some sort of space station. The two screens on the far left and right provide live images of the Powerstar's vital components. If something were to go south, Rodewalk can spot it right away, and fix it before things become much worse. Dead center, you notice a unit labeled Téléflow. With this device, Rodewalk can inflate and deflate the tires on the fly—providing proper tire pressure for various terrains.

When you're racing Dakar, you do not want to see this in your mirrors. Towering at more than 10 feet tall, de Rooy's IVECO is nothing you want to mess with while racing out in the desert. Tire size is also regulated by the ASO, and all teams must not have tires that exceed a 51 inch diameter. De Rooy's team elected to use the massive 50-inch Michelin XZL to rip through the desert terrain. The tires can also be inflated and deflated on the fly by de Rooy's mechanic, Darek Rodewalk, while he sits in the comfort of his seat inside the cab.

Year/Make/Model: IVECO Powerstar T4
Driver: Gerard de Rooy
Hometown: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Engine: 12.9 L IVECO Cursor 13 inline 6 diesel
Induction: IVECO; Holset turbo
Fueling: Electronic Bosch unit injectors
Horsepower/Torque: 840 HP & 3600 NM (2655 lb-ft)
Transmission: ZF 16S221OD
Suspension (front/rear): L&P three-leaf springs, Reiger coilovers, coil springs, Donerre bumpstops/L&P two-leaf springs, Reiger coilovers, coil springs, Donerre bumpstops
Audio/Visual: Pioneer head unit, other IVECO components, ASO-supplied GPS units
Accessories: Sparco seats and six-point harnesses, Hella Xenon headlights, Hella LED rear lights
Wheels: IVECO 20-inch beadlocks
Tires: 50x14-inch Michelin XZL
Weight: 20000 pounds