Aliyyah Koloc struggles with navigation tablet, Tatras fight for top positions

Even the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally did not make it easy for the competitors.

HAIL, SAUDI ARABIA, January 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Aliyyah Koloc from Buggyra ZM Racing, participating in the elite class of Ultimate cars, faced complications due to the failure of her roadbook. It failed to mark one of her checkpoints, resulting in a 15-minute penalty that dropped her from 26th to 33rd position. The team is attempting to reverse the penalty, as the second satnav in the car successfully picked up the checkpoint. The Tatra Buggyra ZM Racing pilots once again confirmed their determination to compete. Jaroslav Valtr, in the Tatra Phoenix, secured fifth place today, while Pascal de Baar in the Tatra Buggyra EVO3 finished sixth. Daniel Stiblík, in the second Phoenix, ended up 16th. All three are now competing outside the absolute standings.

“There was fast sand on the track today, which was favorable. We didn’t have any problems, just some navigation issues. We struggled to find the waypoint, and there were a lot of bumps,” said the only 19-year-old driver of the RedLined Revo T1+.

Navigator Sébastien Delaunay described problems with the electronic roadbook. “I had a lot of issues with the GPS. One of the two GPS devices in the car wasn’t functioning properly, so we had to restart it and switch to the other one. It was complicated. Navigation is already challenging, but when you add another problem, it makes for a terrible day for the navigator,” explained the Frenchman.

Jaroslav Valtr managed to improve his mood today after the previous technical issues. “Today’s stage was physically demanding and very rough. I am glad that we managed to complete the stage without any stops, repairs, or the various problems we faced throughout the race,” said the experienced driver.

Pascal de Baar noted that as the end of the competition nears, the organizers are not easing the difficulty of the stages. “Everyone thinks they are nearing the end, and then comes a real tough Dakar stage, which suits me quite well. The only complication today was a loose turbo, but we managed to fix it really quickly. We only had one puncture,” said the pleased Dutchman.

Daniel Stiblík encountered initial complications on the sand terrain right at the beginning. “There was sand, which is not exactly our favorite terrain. After about ten kilometers, we didn’t go up the dune and almost got stuck. But then we got going and it went well. Overall, the track suited me. It was tough, fast, and very rough. That suits the Tatra, too. We rode the last thirty kilometers in darkness and dust, but we made it to the finish,” he said.

Buggyra Racing Organisation
Buggyra Powersports OU
+ + 372 5606-4169
buggyra@buggyra.com
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