Buggyra Heading towards Dakar with Star Team of Kolomý – Loprais
The nearly impossible has come true. Side by side with Martin Kolomý the colours of the Tatra Buggyra Racing team will be defended at Dakar Rally 2017 by Aleš Loprais. The ambitions of both pilots are high and their successful materialisation involving raking among the elite top ten should be helped by Tatra Phoenix racing specials.
The triggering mechanism leading towards Loprais´ engagement was final cancellation of David Vršecký´s participation in the rally. “The team let the responsibility for the decision completely on me, which I see on the one hand as great honour, but on the other as enormous responsibility. Although my doctors did not categorically prohibit my participation, none of them confirmed to me that I would be capable of full performance for the whole two weeks,” said David adding that he will participate in the Dakar 2017 event as the head of the technical section.
“Although we regret David´s decision, on the other hand we acknowledge his responsibility towards the team,” said Jan Kalivoda, the team manager, facing the difficult task to engage a second pilot. “We had a couple of pilots in view. Martin Prokop ranked second with Phoenix at Baja Aragon, and also Tomáš Ouředníček had had his bit over at the steering wheel of Phoenix. We also intensely negotiated with Karel Trněný,“ was Jan Kalivoda´s recapitulation of the hard work of the past couple of months. Eventually fortune had its say when Aleš Loprais accepted invitation to one of the testing sessions.
“The team management offered me a ride in the latest evolutional stage of the Dakar racing special Tatra Phoenix. At that time Buggyra testing took place at the Kopřivnice polygon, close to my home,” says Aleš Loprais, the new pilot of Instaforex Tatra Buggyra Racing team together with his crew including Jan Tománek and Jiří Stross. “Of course I was interested, for my last experience with Tatra dated back to 2014 when I tested Fat Boy.“
Despite the long experience of the Loprais family with the unique concept of the Tatra chassis, the new Phoenix was a pleasant surprise to Aleš. “We reached the stage when my joining the team required just the imaginary last step. We joined forces to take the step and operatively prepared a series of test drives in Slovakia and Hungary, where the final adjustment of shock absorber setting and stabilisation for my style of driving will be made. This is a big challenge for me for Martin Kolomý and I can together think of a big success.“
Martin Kolomý does not have the slightest problem with the new team member either. “Engagement of Aleš is a very successful step, in my opinion. The way towards team success leads via a higher number of equally quick pilots. In addition, in the past two years Aleš sucked the atmosphere of foreign teams and I believe that his experience can be very interesting and inspiring for us.“
The Tatra Buggyra Racing team has built the second Tatra Phoenix racing special in its technology centre at Roudnice nad Labem, for Martin Kolomý and Kilian brothers. “The past two weeks were very busy in the workshop. Many thanks to the mechanics who managed to complete Phoenix two. The three-day tests were very successful,” appreciated the efforts of the whole team David Vršecký, under whose guidance the new racing special was constructed.
