Pascal Feryn and Kurt Keysers (Toyota Hilux) emerged victorious in the Africa Eco Race for cars on Sunday afternoon. The duo finished second at 3h45:08 in the open category of cars, trucks, and SSVs, following the overall winner Gautier Paulin (Apache). Meanwhile, the truck of team Feryn Dakar Sport, with members Tom De Leeuw, Cedric Feryn, and Bjorn Burgelman driving a Ginaf, secured an eighth-place overall finish and claimed the third spot on the podium for trucks.
Today at 5:37 PM, the fifteenth Africa Eco Race concluded with a non-timed stage to Lac Rose in Senegal. “I was a bit nervous before the start,” said Pascal Feryn. “We would start with ten SSVs and cars in a row. I didn’t get away well, had to chase immediately and was then hit by a kind of tidal wave when the sea rose surprisingly quickly. Although it was not on time, I wanted to be the first to reach the beach of Lac Rose at all costs. Ultimately I succeeded. It was breathtaking.” This marked Pascal Feryn as the first Belgian driver to clinch victory in the car classification of the Africa Eco Race.
After the floats arrived at Lac Rose, preparations for the closing ceremony took place. “I became emotional on stage and thought of my son Maxim, who died in a traffic accident seven years ago,” said Feryn. “Our cars were equipped with a license plate with the letters MF followed by a number. We had a logo made for him that sticks on every vehicle. He rode with us and helped us. This was for him and for Jackie.”
Koen Wauters, who left the bivouac on Monday, expressed how proud he was of the team’s performance. He missed the team during the week, especially hearing about their experiences during the rally. He also commended Pascal and Kurt for their achievements and shared his appreciation for the new cars, as well as the overall rally experience in Africa.
In the motorcycle category, Italian Jacopo Cerutti (Aprilia) emerged as the overall winner, with Nicolas Charlier (Yamaha) securing ninth place.