Frenchman Franck Lagorce never got to race the Paris–Dakar Rally due to his other commitments, but in January will get to follow its original route. On Tuesday, the Africa Eco Race announced Lagorce has joined the organisation as an observer, where he will accompany organisers Jean-Louis Schlesser and Anthony Schlesser to see how the race is held.
While Lagorce has no Dakar Rally or Africa Eco Race experience, he is no stranger to rally raid. In 2001, he entered the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies (predecessor to the current World Rally-Raid Championship) in a Protruck. He and Schlesser are also good friends, the latter lending support to his Protruck when he competed in races after wards like the Rallye du Maroc.
Otherwise, his other obligations like racing the Andros Trophy prevented him from a Dakar pursuiit. A chance meeting with Jean-Louis at the Karting Jules Bianchi Marathon at Circuit Paul Ricard in September led to an opportunity.
“I had enriching relationships with my friends Hubert Auriol and René Metge, who spoke to me for years with great passion about this race. Unfortunately, my commitments to the Trophée Andros prevented me from experiencing the legendary rally-raid tracks,” Lagorce explained. “This year, I crossed paths with Jean-Louis Schlesser at the Jules Bianchi Marathon at Le Castellet, and he invited me to discover the Africa Eco Race. I couldn’t resist the offer.
“I participated in the World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with a pro truck in 2001, and I really enjoyed this discipline, so demanding and yet so human. I can’t wait to sleep in my sleeping bag under the tent, enjoy these simple moments, and take in the landscapes all the way to Lac Rose in Dakar.”
Lagorce is a multi-time race winner in the Andros Trophy. Before ice racing, he was a regular at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing from 1994 to 2003 for a variety of teams including Panoz, Cadillac, Mercedes, and Nissan. His best run came in 1996 when he finished second in the LMP1 class and seventh overall, driving a Courage C36 prototype for La Filière Elf with Henri Pescarolo and Emmanuel Collard.
Besides his Le Mans début, 1994 also saw him place runner-up in the International Formula 3000 Championship and run two Formula One events for Ligier; he retired from the Japanese Grand Prix then finished eleventh in Adelaide.
With the Andros Trophy having shut down at the end of the 2023/24 season, Lagorce mainly works as a journalist and racing television presenter.
“The entire Africa Eco Race team is thrilled to welcome Franck to this edition,” commented Schlesser. “He brings his expertise in sports event organisation and his experience as a driver, offering a fresh perspective on our event and sharing his insights. We will share with him our passion for the countries we cross, their stunning landscapes, and, above all, the people we meet and work closely with.”
The 2025 Africa Eco Race runs from 28 December to 12 January.