Buggyra keeps pushing after longest penultimate stage of Dakar Rally 2021 is over
Buggyra is now close to a historical achievement. Four crews are in the TOP 10 and Josef Macháček fights for a light prototypes category victory.
Just like yesterday, the Buggyra Zero Mileage Racing team decided to use Tomáš Enge as protection for Macháček. The Dakar Legend finished in 6th place today. “We don’t want to be just travelling to the end, so we pushed a bit today. But that also meant another puncture, even though it was a quick fix again. I really appreciate having Tomáš Enge having our backs. It makes us feel better, knowing that if anything goes wrong, we’ve got a second crew ready to help us,“ said the current light prototypes category leader.
Tomáš Enge holds 10th place in the overall standings, following technical issues in the opening stages. But he is doing a great job as a bodyguard. Today, he finished in 9th position. “I’ve got to say I’m sad that it’s about to end. Once again, I’ve learnt a lot today. I’m studying Josef’s line through the dunes. I keep learning something every day and I can’t wait to utilise that experience next year,“ said Tomáš Enge.
Martin Šoltys managed to finish in 7th place. His mechanics worked tirelessly, round the clock, and today’s result was a great reward to them. “At the beginning, we lost a lot of time by overtaking slower buggies. But then, in the 2nd half of the stage, we were flying again. It was a rough route, nothing easy, but we’re happy. Big thanks to the mechanics who worked until the morning,” said Martin Šoltys, who is 9th in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, Ignacio Casale’s Tatra truck faced some technical difficulties at the start. Luckily, it happened just 20 kilometres before a neutral zone, where the whole Tatra Buggyra Racing team was waiting. Despite a small loss, the crew could continue to the end.
The guys put the vehicle together and we could continue. It was a nice stage, with riverbeds and dunes. There was a variety. It’s our first year and I’m glad that we’ve shown our strength. Not just as a crew, but also in technical aspects. I’m looking forward to the future,” said Ignacio Casale, who is currently 10th in the standings.
But the final stage is not going to be easy. The crews must do another 447 kilometres, out of which 200 will be timed. And there will be dunes again.
