Edward Ruszczyc hopes to compete in the Dakar Rally in 2027, and he has a roadmap to get there. A… Way to Dakar, if you will.

Ruszczyc is an entrepreneur who co-founded Displate, a Polish company that makes metal posters which can be mounted on walls and has partnerships with numerous brands like Marvel and Star Wars. He’s also closely involved with RedFox Automotive, who builds and restores Land Rover Defenders.

Under the RedFox name (which includes RedFox OffRoad Team and RedFox Racing), he also typically pilots Land Rovers in rock crawling and 4×4 races around Poland. In 2025, he ran the two RBI Sport rallies in Breslau and Tunisia.

Rallye Breslau came in a Land Rover Defender in the Extreme division, where he finished eighth in Car Open. The Fenix Rally, on the other hand, was in a Polaris RZR as he placed 21st in SSV.

These starts, as well as his 2026 itinerary, are part of what he calls the “Way to Dakar”. He revealed the project earlier in April at the 911Garage in Łomianki, where he was joined by Polish rally star and Dakar veteran Krzysztof Hołowczyc. Hołowczyc will be closely involved with the team as a guide.

Besides competing in the RMPST (Rajdowe Mistrzostwa Polski Samochodów Terenowych, Poland’s national championship), he and navigator Krzysztof Kubiś will run select rallies overseas like the upcoming Morocco Desert Challenge. They are signed up in a Taurus Evo Max.

“We’re starting the season exactly the way we want to run it: ambitious and without compromise,” Ruszczyc told Cross-Country Rally News. “The Morocco Desert Challenge is not an easy entry point, but that’s exactly why we’re here. From the very first kilometers, we want to face a real challenge and understand where we stand as a team. Every stage, every kilometer is a step towards Dakar. For eight days, you have to stay fully focused, read the terrain, react to changing conditions, and think several steps ahead.

“For us, this is the perfect test before the next stages of the project. This is where real experience is built.”

Featured image credit: RBI Media