The 'Dakar' is the most famous of rally-raids and hold many cherished qualities of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Like Jean-Luc Blanchemain this year in a buggy, several endurance drivers have taken to the desert.

Jacky Ickx, remains the only driver to win both events. In 1983, seven months after his sixth and final success at Le Mans, he brought home victory in his Mercedes 280 GE in the Senegalese capital. The Belgian was nearly able to with Peugeot 405 in 1989. In 2000, he teamed with his daughter Vanina, now a major competitor of 'twice around the clock'.

Henri Pescarolo, four-time winner and a record number of entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (thirty three), has sixteen starts and a class win in the Dakar (1997).

René Metge combines three successes in Africa, and a fifth place in the Sarthe in 1982, Porsche 935 K3. He also finished seventh at Le Mans in 1986 with a Porsche 961 four-wheel drive.

Luc Alphand has long conducted his joint programs in both disciplines. In 2006, former skier had a tour de force by winning the Dakar and finishing third in the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Spearhead of Team Sauber Mercedes, Jean-Louis Schlesser was very close to victory at Le Mans in 1991, before winning the Dakar in 1999 and 2000 on his own buggy.

Finally, among the many drivers who have excelled in both competitions, we can cite in particular Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Ukyo Katayama, Jacques Laffite, Jochen Mass, and ... French cartoon hero Michel Vaillant!