King Shocks debuts class T5 support truck

King Shocks debuts T5 support truck for 2010 Dakar Rally.

There is a certain type of person who seeks out the road less traveled. They go out of their way to challenge themselves way beyond what most people could or would. Some sail around the world or climb Mount Everest. Others compete in the Baja 1000 or one of the toughest tests of man and machine, the Dakar Rally.

The Dakar Rally, which historically ran from the streets of Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal on the African continent, now starts and finishes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The course traverses South America from Argentina to Chile and back during a 17 day, 9000 kilometer, torture test. The epic race traverses both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, the Atacama Desert, known as the driest place on earth and crosses the Andes mountain range, twice. It's just the kind of race that appeals to the engineers at King Shocks.

Vehicles running King shocks have raced the Dakar Rally for years but for the first time, King will be there with a full blown T5 class support rig. Class T5 is for full size support trucks. These trucks don't compete in the race but instead provide all the needed tools, parts and supplies necessary for this type of multi-stage racing. The trucks travel from the start to the finishing area of each day's stage for the entire race. King's Dakar support rig is a Mercedes, Actros, 6X6. The Actros is powered by a 12 liter turbocharged and intercooled v6 putting out 470 horsepower and 1800 Lb/Ft of torque. The power is then fed through the transmission's twelve forward and four reverse gears to the three driving axles. The truck carries 475 gallons of diesel to feed the powerful engine over great distances between stops and rides on King 3.0 smooth bodies with remote reservoirs. Out back the truck hauls the necessary tools and parts needed to tune or rebuild any King Shocks in the field and directly supports two King race teams.

The mobile shop gives King engineers the chance to work with racers in the heat of competition under the most grueling conditions on a wide array of vehicles. The real world data obtained allows rapid progress developing new designs. This dedication to research and development sets King apart from the competition and goes way beyond what other manufacturers offer. King Shocks is proud to bring this level of support to the Dakar Rally.

-credit: kingshocks