Dakar Rally: Petrucci Ready For Truck Debut

01/01/2025 07:00 AM

Italtrans, leading company in road transport for large-scale distribution, and Prometheon Tire Group, a manufacturer of tires for trucks, buses and agricultural machinery, announce the renewal of their partnership in view of the Dakar 2025. Thanks to an exclusive agreement, Prometeon brings "Petrux" to compete again in the Dakar, this time not on a motorbike but on a truck, alternating driving with Claudio Bellina, lead driver in his 17th Dakar, and navigator Marco Arnoletti with Italtrans Racing Team – Rally Division with truck number 608.

The Bellina family continues with passion its adventure in the Dakar, a commitment that has lasted 16 years. Also this year it confirms its participation in the competition, strong of the results obtained in the last edition, concluded with a prestigious 7th place overall, one step away from the top five.

Danilo Petrucci is an important presence: born in Terni in 1990, Petrucci is considered "the man of the four worlds": he is in fact the only rider to have won at least one race in MotoGP, MotoAmerica, Superbike and the Dakar. This will be his second experience in the most famous rally in the world, after his participation in 2022 on a motorbike with which he achieved a splendid stage victory.

The transition from two to four wheels represents an unprecedented challenge for "petrux", where he will be able to count on the experience and technological innovation of Italtrans vehicles, Bellina and his team, as well as on the reliable performance of Prometeon tyres, specifically designed for heavy vehicles in off-road competitions.

There is a common thread that links Petrucci to the world of four wheels, his father, in fact, was a truck driver and also a truck for MotoGP. Thanks to Prometeon and the renewal of the partnership between the two companies, Petrucci will drive a rally truck in one of the most difficult competitions in Motorsport and this marks another important step in his career.

"I am very happy to join the Italtrans crew and I can’t wait to get on board with Claudio Bellina" said Danilo Petrucci. "I would also like to thank Prometeon for making this unique opportunity possible. The Dakar is a fascinating challenge and I am excited to experience it for the second time. I will have a lot to learn and I will give my all to help achieve a good result".

Claudio Bellina said: "After the emotions of 2024, we are preparing to experience those of 2025. Last year was a beautiful edition, because it was done with a different truck than in previous years. The Dakar is a tough challenge, it is not a walk in the park, but we had fun and at the same time we brought home a good result, almost reaching the top five. In the next edition, Marco Arnoletti will still be with me with his great expertise, and the new entry Danilo Petrucci, who with his experience as a driver will add value to our team. We will have our eyes focused and we will give our all to have fun and bring home a good result. I want to thank all the sponsors, first and foremost Prometeon and Bosch, for their support in this great adventure".

"We are thrilled to have brought Danilo Petrucci into this new adventure" said Roberto Righi, CEO of Prometeon. "Together with Claudio Bellina and Marco Arnoletti they form an extraordinary team that combines passion, talent and competence, essential qualities to face a difficult challenge like the Dakar, where the unexpected is always around the corner. In this type of competition, to excel, high-level performance, team spirit and technological innovation are necessary: ​​values ​​that Prometeon shares and fully supports".

Arnoletti: “This will be my eighth Dakar, the second with Italtrans Racing Team. Last year was a wonderful experience, because with Claudio’s team I found everything an enthusiast could want: a professional team, excellent people, a super competitive vehicle, but above all a real family with whom I share a great passion for rallies. Claudio is an exceptional driver, who makes the difference, and this year Danilo will be with us: he is a unique driver, who has won in all the championships in which he has raced. Being part of this team is a source of great pride for me. I can’t wait to leave for this new great adventure”.

The collaboration between Italtrans and Prometeon aims to enhance the resistance of Prometeon tires, designed to withstand the most extreme conditions such as those offered by the Dakar. After the excellent performance of the last edition, which saw the Prometeon Serie 02 tires for the first time on Iveco Italtrans trucks, the mix of experience in competitions by Petrucci and Bellina represents a further step to further test the reliability and the already high performance of both these tires and the trucks on rough terrain such as those of the Dakar.

The next appointment with the Dakar Rally is for January 3, 2025 when the lights will go out in Bisha, Saudi Arabia, for the 47th edition of the toughest race in the world.

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