The 46th edition of the 2024 Dakar Rally will take place in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, with 778 participants undertaking a challenge through breathtaking deserts, mountains and sand dunes, covering the entire Middle Eastern country from coast to coast . Each crew and driver will have to rely on their vehicle to face the difficulties of the route.
The vehicle categories that will take part in the rally include 137 motorcycles, 153 cars, 46 trucks, 10 quads, 80 classic vehicles and 10 vehicles belonging to the innovative Dakar Future category.
There is a large presence of Italian crews at the Dakar on board motorbikes, cars and trucks. The brothers are also among the Italian crews at the Dakar 2024 Tito and Silvio Totanientrepreneurs from L'Aquila with the well-known car resale dealership “Totani”, who are preparing, as private individuals, to participate again in the famous rally race Dakarscheduled from 5 to 19 January 2024 in Saudi Arabia aboard a Nissan Patrol “Tanit”.
Dakar on TV
The Dakar 2024 can be followed on Eurosport Italia (Eurosport 2) And discovery+ who will follow the most difficult and fascinating rally raid in the world. The first appointment is Friday 5 January at 9.00pm on Eurosport 2.
Italians at DAKAR on MOTORCYCLES
These are the names of the 7 Italians who will participate in the DAKAR on motorbikes
Francesco Catanese (Honda)
Iader Giraldi (KTM)
Tiziano Interior (Rally POV)
Fabio Lottero (KTM)
Paolo Lucci (KTM)
Gioele Meoni (KTM)
Cesare Zacchetti (Kove)
Italians at DAKAR by car
Maurizio Gerini co-driver of Laia Sanz
Paolo Ceci co-pilot #227 OverDrive Racing
Cesare Rickler del Mare, Aldo Di Lorenzo and David Di Lorenzo (mechanical) team #636 TH-Trucks Team
Enrico Gaspari #442 TH-Trucks Team
Cristina Giampaoli #429 TC Racing
Michele Cinotto and Alberto Bertoldi #410 CST Polaris Xtreme Plus
Rebecca Busi #406 OnlyFans Racing Team
Filippo Ippolito co-pilot X-Raid Yamaha Supported Team
Andrea Schiumarini and Andrea Succi #260 Th-Trucks RTeam
Silvio Totani and Tito Totani #271 MotorTecnica RT
Italians at DAKAR in TRUCK
David Giovannetti co-pilot #645 Xtreme Plus-CST-Polaris
Claudio Bellina, Bruno Gotti and Marco Arnoletti #610 MM Technology Team
Gianandrea Pellegrinelli, Giulio Minelli, Carlo Galdini #628 MM Technology Team
Dakar 2024 dates, departure and arrival
L'Saudi Arabia is hosting the event for the fifth time. The 2024 Dakar race starts on January 5 from AlUlaa thousand-year-old city, crossing the country heading towards the Empty Quarter and ends on January 19th Yanbu on the banks of Red Sea.
The journey includes a prologue, 12 stages and takes place over 14 days, covering a total distance of approx 5,000 kilometers, of which 60% are completely new traits. Along the route of the Dakar 2024 are set up nine bivouacsin a large area that it crosses from west to eastcrisscrossing the path in both directions until the final arrival at Yanbu.
Discover the complete program, route, stages and dates of the Dakar 2024
The TOTANI brothers among the Italians at the Dakar 2024
The Totani crew is one of the few Italian teams registered in the “T1 four-wheel drive“. This Italian team specializes in the famous Rally Raid, and can boast important victories in its history, including success at the 2012 Dakar in South America and the 2022 Dakar in Saudi Arabia. They will face the adventure in Saudi Arabia, starting from AlUla and heading towards Yanbu always on board their Nissan Patrol, renamed “TANIT”.
“Why do you call your car Tanit?”
“Tanit was a Phoenician and Carthaginian deity, venerated as the Goddess of fertility. She was the principal deity of pre-Roman North Africa and enjoyed special favor and veneration by the citizens of Carthage and its empire. Her effigy appeared on most of the coins of the Punic city, which was the major commercial power in the Mediterranean. The veneration of Tanit not only survived the destruction of Carthage, but was renewed and spread, gaining widespread popularity in the West, even in Rome and in the Roman army. The symbol of Tanit is a truncated pyramid bearing a rectangular bar at the top. The sun and crescent moon appear on this bar. An abstract image which, as a whole, gives the appearance of a stylized woman. Tanit is therefore an auspicious symbol of abundance, fertility and protection, linked to the meaning of “Mother Goddess”. And then, don't you notice a resemblance to our logo?“
The Totani brothers continue to tell their experience with the Dakar
“This represents our fifth participation in the Rally, with two times in assistance and three in the race. In 2012, with Mitsubishi Pajero number 412, we were the only Italians to cross the finish line in the strenuous competition that took us across the Andean peaks of Chile to the ocean beaches of Peru, passing through the deserts of Argentina. In the last participation, however, with the Nissan Patrol number 272, we obtained 60th place in the general ranking, placing ourselves in first place among the Italian crews and among the rigid axle vehicles“.
“This year too we will participate in the T1 four-wheel drive category with our faithful “Tanit”, a 4.8 liter petrol Nissan Patrol GR Y62 with a 320 horsepower 6-cylinder engine. The car is equipped with BRAID rims, ORAM shock absorbers and Toyo M/T Open Country tyres, and this time it will be marked with the number 271. The preparation was carried out in collaboration with the MotorTecnica Racing team.
Compared to 2022, we have made significant improvements to the car, focusing mainly on the engine, transmission and cooling system, further reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. This year's route is particularly challenging, with the addition of two new Marathon stages. The competition features an all-time record of 434 competitors, and of the cars competing, we are among the very few to continue to compete with an older generation car.“
“We are enthusiastic, highly motivated and ready to race at full speed over the dunes, to represent L'Aquila, Abruzzo and Italy to the fullest in what is the most famous, challenging and fascinating Rally race in the world“.
A series of photos from the Dakar with the crew of the Totani brothers as protagonists.
In 2012 they were the only Italians to complete the difficult race, which crossed the Andean peaks of Chile up to the beaches of Peru. In 2022, however, they ranked at sixtieth place overalldistinguishing itself as the best Italian crew and the first among rigid axle cars.
Silvio Totani
Tito Totani
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