Foj looks to Cooper tyres for 2010 Dakar

A veteran of the Dakar Rally is set to use Cooper-produced tyres in next year's racing event.

Spanish driver Xavier Foj will use the firm's rugged Discoverer STT tyres in the rally, which starts in South America on January 1st.

Competing in a Toyota Land Cruiser KXR alongside Argentine co-driver Pablo Jaton, Foj - who has competed in the rally for 18 years - praised the tyres for their "tremendous versatility".

He adds the tyres "are outstanding due to their reliability and great capacity for adapting to any type of terrain".

And they could prove particularly useful in the Dakar as the one-time winner of the 9,000 km event claims that drivers can experience vastly different surfaces in a single stage.

It will be the second time the Spaniard has used Discoverer STT tyres, as last year he drove without suffering any puncture or tyre problems.

Following his second place finish in the T2 Diesel class, he claimed the tyres were "definitely the right choice" for the rally.