Conquering rocks and sand dunes: China team Jiujiang racers successfully navigate the grueling Dakar Rally stages SS2-SS3.

Release time:

2026-01-07

The Dakar Rally competition has reached its climax. In the two different and grueling race stages, SS2 and SS3, which have just concluded, Jiujiang team not only completed the races for all the members successfully, but also achieved its most outstanding result since the start of the race – the Fan Gaoxiang/Zhao Kai crew secured a strong 21st place in SS3, crossing the finish line alongside legendary drivers such as Al-Attiyah and Loeb.

a completely different double test

Over the past two days, the drivers have experienced an extreme shift from "head-to-head" to "hidden dangers".

SS2 Stage was a pure "Car dismantling ground." From Yanbu to Alala, the 400-kilometer special stage was covered with exposed, sharp rocks. The cars were essentially moving forward amidst continuous impacts, with the suspension system enduring hundreds of high-frequency shocks per minute, making it the ultimate test for the shock absorbers.

SS3 Stage was a "test of wits". The 422-kilometer special stage around AlUla featured soft, sandy dirt roads that appeared smooth but were actually fraught with hidden dangers. Driver Fan Gaoxiang frankly stated after the race, "The rocks are buried under the sand like reefs, making it easy to get a tire blowout." Navigators had to make the most accurate navigation decisions in this vast "sand maze," as any mistake could mean getting lost and losing a significant amount of time.

Breakthrough Moment for China's Rising Stars

It was in SS3, this comprehensive and grueling test, that the Fan Gaoxiang/Zhao Kai team, participating for the first time, achieved a stunning breakthrough. With a steady pace and a flawless performance, they ultimately finished 21st in the stage. The significance of this achievement lies in the fact that they were closely followed by five-time Dakar champion Al-Attiyah and world rally legend Loeb.

This is no accident. It proves that this rising China team has the ability to compete with world-class drivers on the same complex battlefield in terms of speed control, route selection, and navigator coordination. Fan Gaoxiang remained calm after the race: "very satisfied, will continue to move forward steadily." –This is precisely the most valuable and pragmatic mindset for competing in the Dakar Rally.

the cornerstone of overall stability

Individual brilliance is inseparable from the solid foundation of the team. Under the two consecutive days extreme challenges of SS2 and SS3, Jiujiang team once again achieved the feat of having all six cars and all team members finish the race.

In the Dakar Rally, simply finishing the race is a victory, especially for a team participating for the first time. A 100% completion rate for three consecutive days is far more significant than ranking numbers.

The stability of a racing team is the sum of the stability of every aspect of the race. During the intense bumps of SS2 and the long sand runs of SS3, every core component of the car, especially those crucial for handling and safety—our shock absorbers—had to function flawlessly and continuously. Every smooth landing added a reliable foundation to the final results.

the real marathon is about to begin

However, the real Dakar-style test has only just begun. Next, the racers will face the race's first "marathon stage." From SS4 on January 7th to SS5 on January 8th, the crews will be far from their base camp support, spending a night independently in the wilderness and completing a total of nearly 800 kilometers of special stages. This is not only the ultimate test of the racers' physical strength and willpower, but also the extreme test of the car's mechanical durability. Without support, even the smallest malfunction could be magnified into a fatal blow that prevents them from continuing the race.

For Jiujiang Racing Team, past glories belong to yesterday. Conquering rocks and sand dunes has proven that China racing car has the potential to engage with the world; the upcoming solitary expversion will test whether this potential can be transformed into genuine, sustainable competitiveness.