Hennie's TreasuryONE Hilux en route to Saudi Arabia

TreasuryONE motorsport’s Hennie de Klerk and Juan Möhr and their hot new Toyota V8 powered Hilux, are locked, loaded, numbered, and ready for Dakar 2024.

The race car and team equipment is already en route to Saudi Arabia following a two-year build up to the big moment. The team will follow in good time for the January 5 start.

2018 Dakar rookie winner Hennie enjoyed a victorious debut racing his new WCT Engineering-built FIA T1+ TreasuryONE Toyota Hilux in the opening rounds Northern Off Road Championship earlier in 2023. Navigator Juan Möhr later took over the hot seat in the as the duo enjoyed further successes until they were fully satisfied with their pace aboard the new machine.

A week of dune training followed in July, before the TreasuryONE Hilux was stripped down to the bone for a nut and bolt rebuild by Tjaart from Prep Shop in September, in preparation for the Dakar. Hennie and Juan then shook the car down before it was locked, loaded and despatched for Saudi Arabia last week, the day that Dakar’s provisional entries and vehicle numbers were revealed.

“We have done everything in our power to prepare as best as we can for Dakar 2024,” Hennie de Klerk explained. “We delayed our efforts by a year to make sure that we better understand our all-new TreasuryONE Hilux T1+ and we have now put all we know from our two previous Dakars into making sure that we have left nothing to chance thanks Tjaart's meticulous efforts in building and preparing the car.

“I brought Juan aboard as navigator for Dakar 2024. He has six Dakars under his belt, both as navigator and crew member. I opted for Juan‘s combined experience and technical skills over navigation experience alone. We are working well together as a crew; the car is fantastic and the team gelled brilliantly as we gathered data and built up via our regional series to Dakar 2024.”

"We have several people to thank in the build up, including my 2018 rookie winning navigator Johann Smalberger and Smalberger Steel for all his support and our manager Roy Obery and Haval Edenvale for all his help. This really is a privateer effort, which is impossible to do without these great guys and mates. Every contribution to our effort is hugely appreciated! The next big step is the ASO's Dakar route announcement on 20 November, from were we can start refining our plans. Then its just a matter of flying over, final prep and racing!"

Unlike the factory biturbo V6 Gazoo Toyota Hiluxes, Hennie de Klerk’s WCT Engineering TreasuryONE Hilux T1+ follows a different route. Powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine, it also has a simpler, more rugged double damper suspension system to deliver serious amateur drivers with a vehicle capable of taking on the best, while still racing on a reasonable budget.

Hennie, Juan and the TreasuryONE Hilux will be number 258 for Dakar 2024. Not that the numbers make much of a difference to Hennie, his TreasuryONE Amarok was number 353 when he and Gerhard Schutte raced to rookie victory in Argentina in Dakar 2018. Hennie’s TreasuryONE Red-Lined VK56 was number 354 when he and Johann Smalberger finished the Saudi Arabian Dakar in 2020.

Hennie is however fully aware of the challenges of starting off 59th as per that competition number 258. "That's not great," he says. I'm a bit disappointed with such a high number because it means we start 59th in the short and very dusty 30 km prologue. That's going to be tough, we are going to struggle to overtake there and in the early running. But Dakar runs for 15 days long, so there will be plenty of time to overtake.

“It’s once again, been an adventure in itself to prepare for Dakar 2024 Hennie de Klerk concluded. “But we have put in the effort to make sure we have the best possible equipment and team to make it happen. Now it’s just a matter of arriving at the start physically and mentally ready for the huge challenge at hand. Let’s do this, team!”