![\"foj](\"http:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/foj-dakar.jpeg\")
<\/a>Spaniard Xavi Foj, who was recently unveiled as 4×4 brand ambassador for Cooper Tire Europe, is the most experienced Dakar Rally racer of all time, having competed a remarkable 24 times. Foj has used Cooper Discoverer S\/T MAXX tyres since 2012, having previously used the manufacturer\u2019s Discoverer STT tyres.<\/p>\nSince making the switch to S\/T MAXX rubber, which offers a better adaptation in sandy soils, Foj has enjoyed great success, winning back-to-back T2 production class titles in 2012 and 2013 and he\u2019s aiming for the hat trick in 2014.<\/p>\n
Also returning to South America on Cooper tyres is the Race2Recovery team, which made history in 2013 to become the first-ever disabled team to complete the legendary Dakar Rally.<\/p>\n
Predominantly made up of injured servicemen and acting under the banner \u2018Beyond Injury, Achieving the Extraordinary,\u2019 the team, founded by Captain Tony Harris, will field two crews in the 2014 event.<\/p>\n
Harris will race alongside Quin Evans, who has successfully completed the Dakar Rally seven times, while the other vehicle will be manned by Ben Gott and Philip \u2018Barney\u2019 Gillespie.<\/p>\n
Both crews will run Cooper Discoverer STT tyres, which are ideally suited for the mixed surfaces of the Dakar Rally course; the tyre\u2019s aggressive tread design extends far down the sidewall to enhance soft traction and provide additional \u201cbite\u201d in rock climbing applications.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to January, Harris is hoping that the team\u2019s experience will pay off and aid them in 2014, saying, \u201cKnowing what we\u2019re going into should certainly help us; tiredness was a really big issue for us last year, but now we know that, we can do more to prepare ourselves. As well as that, it\u2019s been a case of working with our co-drivers to build up the trust and relationship that will see us through.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, the course features longer marathon stages, which should also play to our advantage and the vehicles have also been stepped up in terms of development. We\u2019ve not done as much testing as we\u2019d have liked, but there\u2019s definitely a difference in performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, we\u2019re now just raring to go \u2013 we can\u2019t wait to be back in Argentina to do it all again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sarah McRoberts, Marketing Manager for Cooper Tire Europe, underlined the challenges that the Cooper-backed crews face, saying, \u201cThe Dakar is the toughest of all the cross-country rallies. Crews need incredible stamina \u2013 both physical and mental \u2013 to make it through the demands of the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cTyres are extremely important in all forms of motorsport and, for a long, tiring event such as the Dakar Rally, which sees entrants faced with a range of challenging terrains, tyre choice is vital. This is where Cooper\u2019s off-road offering really comes into its own, as our tyres are ideally tailored to offer soft traction and the dispersion of stones and other objects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to be part of Xavi Foj\u2019s quest for a hat-trick of T2 Class titles; he\u2019s an integral part of our team as 4×4 tyre ambassador and no one knows the challenges of the Dakar better than Xavi. It\u2019s also great to be supporting Race2Recovery once again; their efforts and achievements in their maiden Dakar Rally were awe-inspiring, so it\u2019s great that they\u2019re back for another go in 2014.\u201d<\/p>\n
Widely recognised as the world\u2019s most gruelling motorsport challenge, the Dakar Rally sees competitors across a range of classes take on the toughest terrains, from hard, rocky surfaces to fine sand, called \u2018fesh fesh,\u2019 over a course of more than 8,500 kilometres.<\/p>\n
For 2014, the Dakar Rally will begin in Rosario, Argentina, on January 5. From there, competitors will venture into Bolivia, before heading south into Chile, where the rally will end on January 18.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cooper Tire Europe will once again be well represented in the upcoming 35th running of the Dakar Rally, which begins on January 5 in Rosario, Argentina. Catalan rally ace and Cooper Europe 4×4 ambassador, Xavi Foj, is looking for his third successive T2 Production Class title on Cooper rubber, while the Race2Recovery team returns to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[454,1],"tags":[301],"class_list":["post-6906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cooper","category-news","tag-dakar-rally"],"yoast_head":"\n
Foj aims for T2 Class hat-trick on Dakar rally - TyreTrade.ie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/index.php\/foj-aims-for-t2-class-hat-trick-on-dakar-rally\/6906\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foj aims for T2 Class hat-trick on Dakar rally - TyreTrade.ie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cooper Tire Europe will once again be well represented in the upcoming 35th running of the Dakar Rally, which begins on January 5 in Rosario, Argentina. 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