The Crowd1 Racing Team: a roaring future awaits

Most of us have blood running through our veins. For George van Wijk, Ambassador 3 Star and legend in the Crowd1 family, it’s engine oil.


George has three passions: his family, Crowd1 and motorsport. How do you combine those passions? For George, the answer was clear: establishing the Crowd1 Racing Team, with the aim of participating in one of the most exciting, gruelling and prestigious motorsports events in the world: the Dakar Rally.

Success weighs 1,350kg

George has partnered with elite Dutch car manufacturer Fast & Speed for the Crowd1 team car - and it’s not just any racing car. It’s an EVO IV Buggy with a 4.4 litre V8 engine, 310 horsepower and Reiger suspension. The EVO IV has a six-speed sequential gearbox, and is equipped with an internal front and rear tire pressure system, a hydraulic lifting system and a stabiliser system on the front and rear axles. On top of all that, it carries a weight of 1,350kg. That’s a lot to take in! For racing fans, it’s music to their ears; for those of us with less motorsport knowledge, here’s what it means: the car is tough, it’s fast - and it can go anywhere.

More than a rally raid team

The Crowd1 racing team and car was first unveiled at the prestigious Gran Canaria Rally Heroes event in November 2021. It’s made up of legends of motorsport and adventure, with veterans of the Camel Trophy and other well-known races being part of the support team. For George, the focus of competing is not only on winning though: "We are going to do more than run. Our goal will be to tell stories of self-improvement, stories of challenges to the norm. Crowd1 is a global organisation and, in our team, the sports structure will coexist with a powerful media infrastructure that aims to give voice to those truly exciting stories."

A thrilling roster of races ahead

What’s next for the Crowd1 Racing Team? They’ll be a fixture on the worldwide rally raid circuit (“rally raid” refers to long distance off-road racing). In the buildup to Dakar Rally 2023, there are a few races on the roster, all of them tough but fun jaunts through challenging terrain, reserved for only the most tenacious of competitors. There is, for instance, the Rally de Andalucia, which features 5 stages of between 200 and 300km per day. What about the Baja de Aragon? Kilometres of dust, heat, and rocky and stony clay. And then, the holy grail: The Dakar Rally, 15,000km of unforgiving terrain. Only the best can make it there - and that’s why George is single-minded about the team’s success.

Anyone who’s familiar with the Dakar Rally knows that roads are few and far between. But George van Wijk has never been one for convention. We’ll be watching the progress of the Crowd1 Racing Team with interest. Go go go!