Pascal de Baar helped his rival and set the fourth-best time, Aliyyah Koloc fought bravely

The 2nd stage of the Dakar Rally, marked by difficulty and challenges for many favorites, yielded promising results for the Buggyra team.

AL DUWADIMI, SAUDI ARABIA, January 8, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Tatra Buggyra Racing team’s pilots secured two top ten finishes. Pascal de Baar, in his Tatra Buggyra EVO3, finished fourth despite assisting his compatriot Gerd Huzink with his vehicle. Jaroslav Valtr, piloting the Tatra Phoenix, struggled with navigation issues, finishing in fifth place. However, a subsequent penalty relegated him two places down. Newcomer Daniel Stiblík, in the second Tatra Phoenix, finished twenty-second. De Baar is now fourth in the overall standings, with Valtr closely behind in fifth and Stiblík in 20th.

The team confronted the well-known challenges of the competition. Aliyyah Koloc, piloting the RedLined Revo T1+ special, dealt with an unforeseen technical problem. After a strenuous self-repair effort, she crossed the finish line, securing the 61st position in the Ultimate category. Overall, she ranks 59th.

Pascal de Baar experienced significant drama on the track, notably when he helped his compatriot Gerd Huzink. The Dutch driver had tipped his truck onto its side at kilometer 44 and sought assistance from his rivals. Pascal swiftly responded, using ropes to right the Iveco, enabling Huzink to continue the competition.

Jaroslav Valtr’s run was hindered by navigation issues. He missed a checkpoint and, opting not to return in the opposite direction to avoid endangering others, he continued, which resulted in a 15-minute penalty at the finish for missing the checkpoint. Valtr also faced tire issues and had to change a wheel on the track.

Aliyyah Koloc faced a major challenge during the second stage of the rally. The 19-year-old started at a strong pace, matching her competitors. Yet, at kilometer 312, she encountered front axle damage. Despite this setback, the crew from Buggyra ZM Racing was determined to continue in the rally. Aliyyah and her navigator, Sébastien Delaunay, worked tirelessly on the track to repair the car amidst tough conditions and successfully resumed their race, heading towards the finish line.

Pascal de Baar (#605, Tatra Buggyra EVO3): “After making a few adjustments to the setup, I felt great. We encountered Gerd Huzink en route. He had flipped his truck, so we assisted him for about fifteen minutes. Then, we went full throttle to the finish, overtaking nearly all our rivals to secure fourth place.”

Jaroslav Valtr (#604, Tatra Phoenix): “We didn’t avoid a few mistakes, which cost us valuable time. We must learn from this experience. It’s fortunate that these issues arose early in the rally, providing us with a realization. Additionally, we had a problem with the tire rubber separating. It wasn’t punctured but ballooned, with wires coming loose, forcing us to stop a change it before it completely blew out.”

Aliyyah Koloc (#239, RedLined Revo T1+): “We struck a large rock with the front wheel, causing me to lose control of the car. Our suspension was damaged. It required a lot of work, but I am very happy that we managed the repair and completed the stage.”

Buggyra Racing Organisation
Buggyra Powersports OU
7256064169
buggyra@buggyra.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram