De Baar helps his teammate Valtr

In today’s fifth stage of the Dakar Rally, Aliyyah Koloc improved upon her best finish from her debut season in the elite Ultimate class.

SHUBAYTAH, SAUDI ARABIA, January 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Representing the Buggyra ZM Racing team, she achieved 24th position in her RedLined Revo T1+ car, losing just 11 minutes to four-time event winner Nasser Al Attiyah. This result moved her up to 50th overall. The Tatra Buggyra ZM Racing trucks continued their strong performance, with Pascal de Baar in the Tatra Buggyra EVO3 clinching fourth in the endless dunes, while Jaroslav Valtr in the Tatra Phoenix finished twelfth. Currently, Pascal holds the fourth overall position, with Jaroslav just two spots behind.

Emerging from her car, Aliyyah Koloc was all smiles and positively spirited. She expressed her love for dune racing, especially during a relatively short stage like today’s, and felt very appreciative of her result. Being only 11 minutes behind Dakar legend Nasser Al Attiyah, at just 19 years old, is a testament to her exceptional pace and skill.

Pascal de Baar experienced his much-anticipated dunes. This terrain is the reason he participates in the Dakar Rally. However, the fifth stage brought its fair share of adventures. In the dunes, he encountered Jaroslav Valtr stuck in the sand and assisted him, enabling him to continue the competition. A dramatic moment followed when a buggy crashed right in front of de Baar, narrowly avoiding a collision.

Jaroslav Valtr thoroughly enjoyed his duels with the desert. He recounted only one regret – a delay at the exit of a large dune. Fortunately, Pascal was there to help him, keeping him in the race.

Daniel Stiblík, competing in the second Phoenix, encountered challenges yet demonstrated remarkable resilience in this stage. After a promising start, misfortune nearly halted his progress just before the finish. Despite this setback, Stiblík managed to restart the Tatra and successfully crossed the finish line.

Aliyyah Koloc (#239, RedLined Revo T1+): “I feel very, very good. I enjoyed it a lot today. The way to the start of the special stage was really long, but Seb drove most of the time, so it was a pretty relaxing morning. The stage was all about dunes, and they were a lot of fun. They weren’t particularly hard, just nice and smooth, although some were broken, requiring us to be cautious. I was careful not to take risks or damage the car but still tried to maintain speed. We passed several cars and trucks. It was a fresh and busy day, fewer kilometers but lots of fun. Being just 11 minutes behind the first car – and that’s Nasser – is really great for me. We’re competing at the highest level, and everyone is happy with our pace. This result is my best yet, and I’m really satisfied with today.”

Pascal de Baar (#605, Tatra Buggyra EVO3): “After five seconds of questioning my enjoyment of the dunes, I reminded myself this is why I come here. We drove full speed, but the car got a bit hot. We haven’t optimized the cooling system completely yet, so I had to ease off the throttle. I overtook Jaroslav, who was stuck on a dune. He probably thought I was just passing him, but taking him from the front is easier because you can see exactly what you’re doing. I pulled him off the dune and all was fine. About 20 kilometers from the end, a buggy passed us in a hurry, hit a dune, and flipped right in front of us. We had to brake hard to avoid running it over. It was a scary moment, and it took me twenty minutes to calm down.”

Jaroslav Valtr (#604, Tatra Phoenix): “Navigating was relatively easy; we mostly followed tracks. There was one big dune I attempted twice. The second time, I should have bypassed it but instead tried to jump over and got stuck. We tried using bags, but it didn’t work. After about ten to twelve minutes, Pascal came by and saved us.”

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