Lucas Cruz

He started to race on 1994, when he race on the Catalonia Rally Championship. On 2001, he achieved his first victory in the Spanish Championship, together with the driver Txus Jaio on board a Ford Focus WRC, as part of the Carlos Sainz Junior Team.

After a few years racing on tarmac and gravel categories, he started to compete on off-road races with the driver José Luis Monterde, finishing the 2001 Dakar Rally as the first classified rookies and amateurs, driving a Nissan Patrol GR.{{cite web |url=http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/08dakar/team/driver_cruz_pop.html |title=Lucas S. Cruz |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231418/http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/motorsports/e/08dakar/team/driver_cruz_pop.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}

He tackled 2006 Dakar Rally as a truck co-driver for the Volkswagen Motorsport team, partnering with driver Josep Pujol.

On 2007 he signed for Mitsubishi, where he stayed for two years, along with Nani Roma as new teammate. They attended to 2007 and 2009 Dakar Rally, achieving 10th place as the best result on final classification. They also finished 2nd on Rally Transibérico and Baja Spain competitions on 2007, and 2nd again on the 2008 Baja Spain.

In May 2009, Cruz returned to Volkswagen team, this time to share the cockpit with former World Champion Carlos Sainz.{{cite web |url=http://www.dirtnewz.com/events-09/dakar2009/dakarVW-5-11-09.shtml |title=Al Attiyah and Cruz Senra new in Volkswagen Team |date=11 May 2009 |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005104652/http://www.dirtnewz.com/events-09/dakar2009/dakarVW-5-11-09.shtml |archive-date=5 October 2011 |url-status=dead }} The pairing achieved their first successes after winning the Rally dos Sertões{{cite web |url=http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/12623/carloz-sainz-wins-the-sert%C3%B5es-international-rally-2009 |title=Carloz Sainz wins the Sertões International Rally 2009 |date=6 July 2009 |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518115313/http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/12623/carloz-sainz-wins-the-sert%C3%B5es-international-rally-2009 |archive-date=18 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.oneighturbo.com/2009/06/25/rallye-dos-sertoes-carlos-sainz-takes-lead-in-brazil/ |title=Rallye dos Sertões: Carlos Sainz takes lead in Brazil |date=25 June 2009 |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912233003/http://www.oneighturbo.com/2009/06/25/rallye-dos-sertoes-carlos-sainz-takes-lead-in-brazil/ |archive-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead }} and the Silk Way Rally.{{cite web |url=http://race-dezert.com/home/volkswagen-wins-silk-way-rally-3103.html?show=slide |title=Volkswagen wins Silk Way Rally |date=14 September 2009 |accessdate=2010-01-17 }} The team formed by Sainz-Cruz completed their most important achievement after winning the 2010 Dakar Rally, ahead of another two Volkswagen cars, driven by Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mark Miller, respectively.{{cite web |url=http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/web/news/index.php?&flash=no&lg=e&st=410&id=3503 |title=Sainz and Cruz: a strong unit in the Volkswagen cockpit |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717231101/http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/web/news/index.php?&flash=no&lg=e&st=410&id=3503 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17012010/58/dakar-2010-cars-sainz-wins-first-dakar-rally.html |title=Dakar 2010 – Cars: Sainz wins first Dakar Rally |editor=Eurosport |date=16 January 2010 |accessdate=2010-01-17 }}

Cruz has gone onto win the 2018 Dakar Rally and 2020 Dakar Rally alongside Carlos Sainz, driving for Peugeot and Mini respectively.{{Cite web|title=Peugeot's Carlos Sainz Wins the 2018 Dakar Rally|url=https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/17843/peugeots-carlos-sainz-wins-the-2018-dakar-rally|access-date=2020-07-16|website=The Drive}}{{Cite web|title=Sainz wins 2020 Dakar Rally for X-raid Mini, Alonso 13th|url=https://www.motorsport.com/dakar/news/sainz-dakar-2020-victory/4654353/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=motorsport.com|language=en}}

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• {{Cite web |url=http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/web/news/index.php?PHPSESSID=pnnlfbvn&flash=&lg=e&st=42&op=id&id=2706 |title=Cruz's Profile on www.volkswagen-motorsport.com |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717231117/http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/web/news/index.php?PHPSESSID=pnnlfbvn&flash=&lg=e&st=42&op=id&id=2706 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}

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Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Dakar Rally drivers

Category:Catalan rally drivers

Category:Off-road racing drivers

Category:Dakar Rally co-drivers