Dakar Rally 2023 winner features Allison transmission

Racing truck competing in the Dakar rally (Photo: Allison)

A Team De Rooy racing truck fitted with an Allison 4000 Series transmission has won the 2023 Dakar Rally. The 45th running of famous race had a course which extended from the Red Sea to Dammam, on the Arabian Gulf. In total, the distance covered was 8549 km.

“This Dakar was one of the toughest ones I can remember and one with many surprises,” said Gerard De Rooy, team caption and owner, Team De Rooy. “With the Allison fully automatic transmission the teams were able to drive full speed and with full power to the wheels through the toughest terrain.”

It’s not wholly surprising that the winning truck featured an Allison transmission. Such is the suitability of the hardware, almost all of the 25 trucks competing in this year’s event were using automatic gearboxes from the Tier 1 supplier. All trucks which placed in the top 10 were equipped with Allison transmissions.

The Allision 4000 Series transmission is designed for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and is widely used around the world in heavy-duty construction, refuse, defence, and fire and rescue trucks.

Allison’s automatic transmissions include several features which make them suitable for motorsport. For example, the torque converter smoothly multiplies engine torque, delivering more power to the wheels for faster acceleration and better manoeuvrability. Shifts are made taking into account payload and surface grip and grade.

In addition, an intregral retarder helps drivers to show vehicles down, reducing wear on the braking system. It also helps to reduce heat build up in the wheels and tyres, useful when driving in hot sand.