Daf rally team pulls out following a fatal crash
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• The 1988 Paris-Dakar rally has claimed the lives of two competitors. Kees van Loewezijn, the navigator on Dafs 95x2 TurboTwin was killed when his truck rolled during the eighth stage of the race.
Also on board were Leyland Dafs British mechanic Chris Ross and Dutch driver Theo van de Rijt. They have both been flown back to hospital in Eindhoven, Holland, where they are recovering from severe injuries. As a result of this tragedy, Daf has withdrawn its team from the race. A Daf research group has gone to Niger to undertake a technical enquiry.
The second fatality was Frenchman Patrick Canado, whose Range Rover hit the back of a Yamaha backup vehicle during the tenth stage of the race, in Niger. Canado's body was found 100 metres from his vehicle.
This year's route has come under considerable criticism from competitors, and the International Federation of Motor Sport has called for a meeting Pictured with the ill-fated Daf 95x2 TurboTwin shortly before the rally are (left toright): Kees van Loewezijn (navigator), mechanic Chris Ross from Leyland and (kneeling) Theo van de Rijt (driver).
to investigate Paris-Dakar safety procedures.
Rene Metge, this year's route organiser, has been accused of making the route too tough in an attempt to eliminate as many entrants as possible in the early stages. Ted Toleman, who was forced to retire due to backup difficulties (despite an excellent performance from his Austin Metro) is just one experienced driver who claims that this year's route is the roughest ever encountered.