American Amy Lerner will participate in the famed 2021 Dakar Rally taking place in Saudi Arabia from Jan.3rd to Jan.15th, motoring a 1982 Porsche 911 SC in the new ‘Dakar Classic’ for pre-2000 vehicles that have previously competed in the Dakar or are built to original specifications. This class has attracted 26 entries and will use a parallel route featuring easier terrain than the main competition, but still have 12 regularity stages, including the 'Marathon' stage, and share the same bivouac. Starting and ending in Jeddah, the 43rd annual Dakar is one of the most-followed motorsports events in the world; it will take the 330 teams hailing from around the globe along a route of close to 5,000 miles and is the second time in Saudi Arabia.
“Racing in the Dakar has been on my radar for many years and I am excited to make this happen, after winning my class at the 2013 Australasian Safari Rally, Overall Production, and the Dakar Challenge,” said Lerner, who has been racing for more than a decade. She competed four times in Morocco’s Gazelle Rally and was part of the first American team to crack the top 10; has been on the podium at the Mint 400, driving Rod Hall’s Baja 1000-winning 1968 Bronco; and participated in the all-women’s Rebelle Rally in the Southwestern USA. Lerner is looking forward to a new challenge in the regularity format and using her experience racing in both vintage and production vehicles to achieve a strong finish.
“I welcome the opportunity to partner with my co-pilot Sara Bossaert, of Barcelona, Spain,” said Lerner. Bossaert, an architect, is also a competitive sailor and plans to use her offshore navigation experience to guide the team through the spectacular desert terrain of Saudi Arabia and along stretches of the Red Sea. Lerner’s ‘82 Porsche 911 SC has been prepared by Henrard Racing as a tribute to Jacky Ickx, and Rent Metge, who won the Dakar Rally in 1984 in a similar Porsche. The “regularity rally” class is a test of endurance, vehicle management, and mental will.
Sue Mead, an award-winning automotive journalist who has experienced the Dakar Rally five times, including as driver of record for 2011’s class win, is the team manager for Lerner’s Team AL. Her three decades of work in the automotive industry and off-road racing will allow her to support the team’s media program.
Lerner recently produced and directed “One More Win”, a documentary about the off-road legend, Rod Hall. She lives in NJ, with her husband and 2 children.
Team AL sponsors include Recaro, BFG, Maxtrax, Flying Eyes, SPEED Energy, IMPACT, and PCI Racing. Follow Team AL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter at @teamlerner
