2023 Dakar Classic competitors total 187 across 91 entries

As the Dakar Classic enters its third year of operation, ninety-one entries representing 187 drivers and co-drivers will take part in the 2023 edition.

Although run in conjunction, the Dakar Classic differs from the Dakar Rally. Rather than being based on speed and time like in most rally raids, the Classic is a regularity rally that emphasises navigation ability as competitors maintain a given speed around the course. As such, in lieu of adding up times, a points system is in place and the winner is whomever accumulates the fewest. Points are “earned” for errors such as exceeding the speed limit, missing checkpoints, and arriving too soon or too late at the finish.

Vehicles are also limited to those built before 2000, which are then split into three categories of 2×2, 4×4, and trucks. Fourteen of the entries are in trucks, which are easily discernible as they are assigned numbers starting with #900 and their teams consist of three members.

Serge Mogno, who won the 2022 Classic, was assigned the lowest number of #700. Mogno comfortably won by over 300 points in his Team FSO Toyota Land Cruiser. He ran his lone Dakar Rally in 1988 on a quad.

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series head Jérôme Galpin will race with #701. He finished fourth in 2022 driving a Team FJ Protruck; Team FJ is the Euro Series’ organiser and designer of the EuroNASCAR FJ car that some NWES teams use.

The 2023 Dakar Rally begins on 31 December 2022.

Dakar Classic entries