In his first time competing in the H1.A class, defending H2.A winner Jörg Sand was impressive as he scored his first overall top ten at the Dakar Classic in seventh. His G-Mercedes G-Class was themed after the G-Wagon that Jacky Ickx drove to victory at the 1983 Paris–Dakar Rally, and it was only fitting that his service trucks were the same vehicles that supported Ickx’s campaign.

Besides the G-Wagon for Sand, which was fielded under the Völkel Dakar Team banner in partnership with Rallyeraid-Club-Germany, the team also had a pair of Mercedes-Benz NG 2636 6×6 trucks. One was piloted by Alexander Schmidt while Robert Thiele was in the other, both making their Dakar driving debuts.

The NG line was produced by Mercedes from 1973 to 1988 before being replaced by the SK series. While Sand’s G-Wagon was a replica, Schmidt and Thiele’s trucks were the original vehicles that assisted Ickx at the 1983 Dakar. In 1986 and 1987, the NGs were loaned to Mitsubishi, who had formed a Dakar program just a few years prior. Schmidt’s NG even raced the Silk Way Rally in 2012 and won the ten-liter engine class.

As service trucks, they drove in the H1T.A class and finished at the bottom of the order. Thiele’s #918 finished 76th overall with Schmidt right behind. Vincent Cupers was the only other H1T.A truck with his Unimog, which was tasked with helping the Land Cruisers of Team Pevéle Aventure (Christophe Berteloot, David Cupers, and Patrick Doby). Thus, Thiele was technically the overall winner for the category.

A release from Daimler Truck reads:

In this year’s Dakar Rallye, which is considered the ultimate test for man and machine, the VÖLKEL Rallye Team was able to impress for the second time in a row with its two Mercedes-Benz Service Trucks.

The two so-called “Fast-Assistant Trucks” Mercedes-Benz NG 2636 6×6 were supporting the Völkel team as a rolling workshop. Both Mercedes-Benz trucks were once on the road together with the legendary winning car of the 1983 Dakar Rallye, a Mercedes 280GE (then driver: Jacky Ickx, Claude Brasseur). The two trucks were originally delivered to the Mitsubishi Dakar Team in 1986 and 1987.

From sleeping bags to workbenches, the two classics had everything on board to provide the rallye team with the best possible supplies, including tools and replacement parts.

Both service trucks have a V10 engine with a displacement of 18.5 liters and 360 hp, enabling them to reach maximum speeds of 128 km/h and 80 km/h on sand. With their 6×6 all-wheel drive, the trucks are perfectly equipped for the challenges of the world’s toughest rallye.

The NG with number #917 was run by driver Alexander Schmidt, navigator Jan Dippel and photographer Nils Schmidt. The truck with the number #918 was driven by Robert Thiele, navigated by Markus Klesse and Daniel Schatz was on board as a racing mechanic.

The team’s objective was to be placed in the top 10, and after over 5,000 kilometers in the race and 12 stages, the VÖLKEL RALLYE crew is happy about its 7th place. Also thanks to the support of the two Mercedes-Benz Truck legends.

Featured image credit: Murilo Matos / FOTOP