Sport

The Petrobras Lubrax Team, known for its twenty participations in the Paris-Dakar Rally and for its 18 podiums, performed very well in this tenth edition of the International Sertões Rally, Latin America’s biggest off road event.

The team consists of Jean Azevedo on bikes, Klever Kolberg and Lourival Roldan in cars and André Azevedo in trucks.

BIKES

• Rider: Jean Azevedo
• Date of birth: 02/19/1974

Born in São José dos Campos, interior of the state of São Paulo, he is the youngest brother of his teammate, André Azevedo. "When André participated in the Dakar Rally for the first time, I started riding motocross at my family’s farm," he recalled. Now, Jean is getting ready for his tenth participation in the world’s biggest off road rally.

Additionally, he is one of current day’s main motorcycle riders, holding six Brazilian Cross Country Rally championships and five wins in the Sertões Rally, matching his brother’s marks.

• Background:
• 1995: 4th place in the Nevada Rally – USA – 400-cc Bikes
• Champion of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• 1996: 3rd place in the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• 1997: Brazilian Endurance Champion - "B" Bikes
• Champion Paris-Dakar – Production Bikes
• 1998: 5th place of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Runner-up in the RN 2000 Rally - Overall Bikes
• 1999: 3rd place in the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• 2000: Champion of the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - General
• Champion of the Baja Cup - Overall Bikes
• Two-time champion of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Silver Medalist in the Six Days Endurance - Overall Bikes
• 3rd place in the Brazilian Endurance - "B" Bikes
• 2002: Three-time champion of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Two-time Brazilian Endurance Champion - "C" Bikes
• Two-time Brazilian Champion of Cross Country Rally - General
• 2003: Two-time champion of the Paris-Dakar Rally – Production Bikes
• 5th place in the Paris-Dakar Rally - Overall Bikes
• Three-time champion of the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - General
• 2004: 14th place in the Paris-Dakar Rally - Overall Bikes
• Two-time champion of the “Oil” Rally - Overall Bikes
• Champion of the “Mountain” Rally - Overall Bikes
• Four-time champion of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Champion of the “Coffee” Rally - Overall Bikes
• Champion of the “Terra Brasil” Rally - Overall Bikes
• Five-time champion of the Baja Cup - Overall Bikes
• Four-time champion of the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - Overall Bikes
• 2005: 7th place in the Paris-Dakar Rally - Overall Bikes
• Three-time champion of the “Oil” Rally - Overall Bikes
• Five-time champion of the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Champion of the “Mountain” Baja - Overall Bikes
• Five-time champion of the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - Overall Bikes
• 2006: 3rd place in the Sertões Rally - Overall Bikes
• Three-time champion of the RN 1500 Rally - Overall Bikes
• 3rd place in the International Pharaoh Rally - Overall Bikes
• 1st place in the Bolpebra (Bolivia-Peru-Brazil) Rally - Overall Bikes
• 3rd place in the Egypt Rally (stage of the world championship) - Overall Bikes
• Six-time champion of the Brazilian Cross-Country Rally - Overall Bikes
• 2007: 25th place in the Dakar Rally - Overall Bikes
• Four-time champion of the RN 1500 Rally – Overall Bikes

• Rider: Rodolpho Mattheis
• Date of birth: 12/28/1981

Born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, and the new member of the Petrobras Lubrax Team in the Bike category, Rodolpho is getting ready for his big challenge: participating in the Dakar Rally for the first time in January 2008. He was a downhill athlete for ten years and after having met Jean Azevedo decided to be a bike rider. Since 2005, he has been participating in off road competitions and collecting wins in his category.

To make his training even more effective, since May Rodolpho has been living in São José dos Campos to train with Jean Azevedo. A hundred percent focused on his goal, i.e., ending the Dakar, the rider believes it is possible to make his dreams come true with a lot of planning and determination.

• Background:
• 2005: 1st place in the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - Marathon Bike Category
• 2006: 1st place in the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - Production Category
• 2007: 2nd place in the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - Production Category

CAR

• Driver: João Franciosi
• Date of birth: 02/18/1964

This Rio Grande do Sul native, now living in Bahia, can be considered one of Brazilian auto racing’s main promises. In his second participation in the Sertões Rally, in 2006, Franciosi won as the result of his regular performance in the stages. On off road tracks, his experience only involved his participation in the Autocross championships, driving a cage-type vehicle on off road tracks.

Because of his excellent results, the 4th place in the 2005 edition of the Sertões, his win in 2006, and his runner-up position there in 2007, the driver will debut in the 2008 Dakar.

• Background:
• 1991: 2nd place in the Bahia Autocross Championship – General
• 1992 to 2003: 1st place in the Bahia Autocross Championship – General
• 2005: 4th place in the Sertões Rally – General
• 2nd place in the Brasília Mitsubishi Cup – Master
• 5th place in the “Amigos” Rally – General
• 2006: 1st place in the “Amigos” Rally – Production
• 1st place in the Sertões Rally – General
• 2007: 2nd place in the Sertões Rally – General

• Navigator: Lourival Roldan
• Date of birth: 09/17/58

This is navigator Lourival Roldan’s return to the Petrobras Lubrax Team. Experienced, the São Paulo native has been a competition director since 2003 and has been a member of the Mitsubishi Motorsports organizing committee since 1995.

In 2003, he participated in the Dakar Rally for the first time and ended 13th in the Overall classification and 3rd in the Super Production Diesel category. The navigator is confident in his participation in the 2008 edition of the Dakar. “I know the car very well and am excited because I will ride with Franciosi, who is an excellent driver.”

• Background:
• 1988: São Paulo Champion of regularity rally (as a driver)
• 1990: Rio de Janeiro Champion of speed rally (navigator)
• 1991-1993: Three-time Rio de Janeiro Runner-up of regularity rally (navigator)
• 1994: Rio de Janeiro Champion and São Paulo Champion of regularity rally (navigator)
• 1996: Brazilian speed rally Champion A6 category (navigator) with Reinaldo Varela
• 2001: Champion of the Baja Cup – TT2 Car category, Runner-up in the Brazilian Cross Country Rally - TT2 category, with Klever Kolberg.
• 2002: Champion of the “Energia” Rally and of the “Amigos” Rally; Runner-up of the Sertões Rally.
• 2003: Champion of the “Coffee” Rally and of the “Rota Sul.”
• Paris-Dakar Rally – debut with Klever Kolberg. 13th place in the General Car category and 3rd place in the Super Production Diesel category.
• 2004: Champion of the Super Production Diesel category, Runner-up in the Brazilian Cross-Country Rally with Klever Kolberg. Best results: victory in the Terra Brasil Rally and “Mountain” Rally and 2nd place in the Rota Sul Rally in the 2004 Baja Cup.
• Paris-Dakar Rally – 11th place in the General Car category – 4th in the Super Production Diesel category.
• 2005: Paris-Dakar Rally – 3rd participation in the world’s biggest rally with Klever Kolberg, ending 16th in the General Car category.
• 2006: Champion of the RN-1500 Rally with Riamburgo Ximenes as the driver. Champion of the “Serra Azul” Rally (4th stage of the Brazilian championship) with Ingo Hoffmann as the driver.
• Champion of the Brazilian Cross Country Rally – Prototype category, navigating for Ingo Hoffmann, and Runner-up in the General category
• 2007: 2007 Lisbon–Dakar. Debut in the Red Line team with Ceará driver Riamburgo Ximenes, ending 52nd.
• Four-time champion of the “Amigos” Rally, with Ingo Hoffmann
• Runner-up in the Brazilian Cross Country Rally – General and Prototype category with Ingo Hoffmann

TRUCK

• Driver: André Azevedo
• Date of birth: 08/07/59

An engineer, André Azevedo let his passion for speed overcome him when, in 1988, he was among the first Brazilians to compete in the Dakar Rally. From then on, his name went into the world off road history books for good. In January 2007, he completed his 20th participation in the event.

He kicked his career off in the Bikes category and was even a navigator in the Sertões Rally, winning twice in the Car category. He is currently a truck driver on the Petrobras Lubrax Team and has won the Sertões three times as well. The only competitor who has accumulated the same amount of wins (5) in this event was his younger brother, Jean Azevedo.

• Background:
• 1985: Runner-up in the “Independence” Endurance – Bikes
• 1986: Runner-up in the “Independence” Endurance – Bikes
• 1987: Champion of the “Mountains” Endurance – Bikes
• 1989: Runner-up in the “Independence” Endurance – Bikes
• 1990: Runner-up in the Paris-Dakar Rally – 600-cc Bikes
• 1991: Champion of the Paris-Dakar Rally - Marathon Bikes
• 1993: 3rd place in the Paris-Dakar Rally - Marathon Bikes
• 1994: Runner-up in the Paris-Dakar Rally – Mono-cylinder Marathon Bikes
• 1995: 4th place in the Paris-Moscow-Beijing Rally - Production Bikes
• 1997: Runner-up in the Dakar-Agades-Dakar Rally - Production Bikes
• Champion of the Sertões Rally – Cars
• 1998: Two-time champion of the Sertões Rally – Cars
• 1999: 3rd place in the Granada-Dakar Rally – Trucks
• 2000: 4th place in the Paris-Dakar Rally - Cairo - Trucks
• Champion of the Sertões Rally – Trucks
• 2002: Champion of the Sertões Rally – Trucks
• 2003: Runner-up in the Paris-Dakar Rally – Trucks
• Runner-up in the Sertões Rally – Trucks
• 2004: 6th place in the Paris-Dakar Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the Sertões Rally – Trucks
• 2005: Champion of the “Balneário Camboriú” Baja - Trucks
• Champion of the “Mountain” Baja – Trucks
• 2006: 4th place in the Lisbon-Dakar Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Haras Paulista” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Alto do Tietê” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Rota dos Bandeirantes” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Ilha 74” Rally– Trucks
• Champion of the São Paulo Cross Country Rally Championship – Trucks
• 3rd place in the Sertões Rally - T 4.2 Trucks
• 1st place in the “Amigos” Rally – Trucks
• 2007: 5th place in the overall classification of the Dakar Rally - General Trucks
• 2nd place in the Sertões Rally - T4.2 Trucks

• Navigator: Maykel Justo
• Date of birth: 08/12/79

Maykel used to participate in raid events in the Paraíba Valley region, where he was born, and was invited to be André Azevedo’s navigator in the 2005 Sertões Rally. He unfortunately did not make his way to the podium in his debut, but surprised Azevedo for his force and competency in managing the problems they faced throughout the competition. That was when he was invited to race the Dakar Rally.

In his first Dakar participation, he ended fourth among the Trucks that entered the rally. Now, the André Azevedo / Maykel Justo duo is in tune and is promising great participations in the upcoming competitions.

• Background:
• 2003: 2nd place in the Vale Raid Cup
• 2004: 2nd place in the Vale Raid Cup
• 2005: 1st place in the 300 Year Rally - Trucks
• 1st place in the “Balneário Camboriú” Baja – Trucks
• 2006: Champion of the “Haras Paulista” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Alto do Tietê” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Rota dos Bandeirantes” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the “Ilha 74” Rally – Trucks
• Champion of the São Paulo Cross Country Rally Championship – Trucks
• 3rd place in the Sertões Rally - T 4.2 Trucks
• 1st place in the “Amigos” Rally – Trucks
• 2007: 5th place in the overall classification of the Dakar Rally - General Trucks
• 2nd place in the Sertões Rally - T4.2 Trucks