Meet the competitors – Albert Roelofs

In a series of blog posts we will introduce competitors who shared their experience at Rallye Breslau or other event of RBI Sport in the interview.

1) Who are you? What is your occupation?

Albert Roelofs, 58 years, working in the agriculture / dairy sector. Candy Pajero Team Holland

2) How did it start with your off-road passion? Since when are you rallying/driving off-road? What is your rally experience?

In 1984 I bought my first Pajero, became a member of a local 4WD club, later member of the Pajero Club Holland, started driving rallies in 1988. Drove the Munich Marrakesch Rally 3 times, several rallies in Europe, Tuareg Rally and Carta Rally is Morocco, El Chott in Tunisia.

3) You already have taken part in Rallye Breslau. When was your first participation? Share with us the first experience.

2020 was my first entry with the Breslau Rally.

4) In which class are you competing in the Breslau? Did you drive in a different class or category or do you remain faithful to one specific class/category?

I drove the limited cars category. Always stayed loyal to the standard class as I always enjoyed to drive a standard car as standard as possible.

5) Tell us more about your rally vehicle.

My Pajero was a V6 , 3.5 liter with a petrol engine. Besides the safety features like roll cage it was pretty much standard except the double shock absorbers front and back axle.

6) What is special about Rallye Breslau? What drives you to participate in this rally? What are in your point of view the main features of this event that makes it different to other rallies?

The main reason for me was that I decided on 2019, after finishing the Carta Rally to stop my Rally ‘’career’’ in 2020. Covid 19 came, all rallies been cancelled in Morocco and I already had signed up in March 2020 for the Breslau.

The Breslau stands out in it’s organization! Great and exact road books, excellent and foremost friendly staff and everybody involved is so dedicated!

7) Share something from your rally vehicle preparation for Rallye Breslau, that can be useful to other competitors.

Always make sure you do things right! Never save money on safety! After all, Motorsport can be dangerous but you got it in your own hands as long you follow the safety rules. Prepare your vehicle good and get it ready long before you start at a rally.

Organization of your car and your team are key elements.
A good preparation is half of the win or at least to make it to the finish.

8) Have you already taken part in other rally events of RBI Sport? Which ones.

I drove the Baja Deutschland.

9) What are your next rally plans?

The Breslau Rally 2020 was my last Rally. After 32 years being involved and participated in numerous rallies, I felt it was time to stop. Various reasons I could bring up however the decision was made, as I wrote earlier in 2019 and I am a person who sticks to his word!

What remains are the fantastic memories of all rallies I drove in numerous different ountries, the fantastic sceneries, the competition among other participants but more important, the comradely between and with each other. Most important are the uncountable friendships I made with so many people. But as a saying goes, you can take a man out of rallies, you never take rallies out of a man.

Somehow I still will be involved with rally raids but likely more on a sideline and this could be as a spectator or being involved in the organization of a rally.

On a final note, I still got many people calling or contacting me with questions or that they need information about rallies. And this is what I really like to do, hand out my experiences of the last 30 years of the do’s and don’ts which might be helpful to especially younger future rally enthusiasts around the globe. Because if younger people do not enter the sport of rallying, the sport will stop if the next generation does not step in.