Lucas Cruz facts for kids

Lucas Cruz in 2018.

Lucas Cruz Senra was born on December 26, 1974, in Barcelona, Spain. He is a Spanish computer engineer. However, he is most famous as a rally racing co-driver. A co-driver helps the main driver navigate and win races.

Lucas Cruz's Racing Career

Lucas Cruz began his racing journey in 1994. He competed in the Catalonia Rally Championship. In 2001, he won his first big race in the Spanish Championship. He was with driver Txus Jaio in a Ford Focus WRC car. They were part of the Carlos Sainz Junior Team.

Off-Road Adventures

After racing on regular roads and dirt tracks, Lucas started competing in off-road races. These races happen on very rough terrain. He teamed up with driver José Luis Monterde. They finished the 2001 Dakar Rally as the best new drivers. They drove a Nissan Patrol GR.

In 2006, Lucas became a co-driver for a truck team. He joined the Volkswagen Motorsport team. He partnered with driver Josep Pujol for the 2006 Dakar Rally.

Teaming Up with Nani Roma

In 2007, Lucas joined Mitsubishi. He stayed there for two years. His new teammate was Nani Roma. They raced in the 2007 Dakar Rally and the 2009 Dakar Rally. Their best finish was 10th place. They also came in second place in the Rally Transibérico and Baja Spain races in 2007. They were second again in the 2008 Baja Spain.

Partnering with Carlos Sainz

In May 2009, Cruz returned to the Volkswagen team. This time, he teamed up with the famous former World Champion, Carlos Sainz. They quickly started winning races. They won the Rally dos Sertões and the Silk Way Rally.

Their biggest win came in the 2010 Dakar Rally. Sainz and Cruz won the race. They finished ahead of two other Volkswagen cars. Those cars were driven by Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mark Miller.

Lucas Cruz has continued to achieve great success with Carlos Sainz. They won the 2018 Dakar Rally while driving for Peugeot. They also won the 2020 Dakar Rally with Mini.

Dakar Rally Results

Lucas Cruz has had many strong finishes in the challenging Dakar Rally. Here are some of his results:

See also

In Spanish: Lucas Cruz para niños