POLARIS

J.D. 

• Joao Dias made his Dakar debut in 2023 in the T5 category, not as a driver but as a mechanic for the X-Raid assistance truck.
• The Dakar had been a long-standing dream. Having the opportunity to participate in the T5 category without any competitive goals gave him an insider's perspective on the struggle, effort, demands, learning and resilience associated with the ultimate motorsport challenge.
• It was an opportunity that arose after his first-year racing in 2022 when he became the national champion in the T3 category, winning every race he participated in.
• In 2023, he focused on international competition and became the European class champion in his first year.
• For 2024, his goals included defending both titles. Beyond achieving that, he claimed his first overall victory at the Baja Italy, secured an overall win in the national championship at the Baja Oeste, and was in contention for the overall title until the final race of the championship.
• As preparation for Dakar, he also participated in the Rallye du Maroc for the second time and competed in the last three World Cup races: Jordan, where he achieved 3rd place overall and Qatar, where he finished 3rd place overall
• Unfortunately, his Dakar debut behind the wheel did not go according to plan. An engine problem on Stage 2 saw Joao down in 148th place overall and forced to switch to the Dakar Experience category. Finishing 156th on stage 10 didn’t do much for his morale either!
• Since then, Joao has switched to a Polaris and recruited Daniel Jordao as co-driver.