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Two weeks, over 5.000 kilometers in timed stages over sand and rocks, crossing the whole of Saudi Arabia.<\/i><\/p>\n
YANBU, SAUDI ARABIA, January 31, 2024 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — That is the Dakar Rally. Legendary, challenging, pushing every participant to the limit. Or as Aliyyah Koloc puts it: \u201cThis Dakar was brutal. I feel like there was no time to have a break. Sometimes, in the morning, I did not particularly want to go out and drive.\u201d<\/p>\n But of course, she went. Every day, in her Buggyra Red-Lined Revo T1+ together with experienced French co-driver Sebastien Delauney. It was only her second Dakar and the first time the 19-year-old Dubai-born racer competed the Dakar in the top Ultimate car class, though in a non-turbo car. She didn\u2019t only meet some of the top-class drivers of the world personally, she beat them outright, finishing 25th overall, making her 12th overall in the FIA World Rally Raid Championship<\/p>\n The good days\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cOn the 48-hour-stage, I was in the same bivouac with most of the Dakar legends, so that was really cool,\u201d Aliyyah says with a big smile. \u201cI saw Sebastien Loeb, Carlos Sainz, and many others. It was a great experience sleeping under the stars, so those two days were for sure my favorite,\u201d Aliyyah remembers. <\/p>\n Martin Koloc, her father and team principal of Buggyra ZM Racing, summarizes Aliyyah\u2019s Dakar performance: “Aliyyah took on this challenging task admirably from the start. She drove flawlessly, confidently, though the second stage was marred by a manufacturing defect in the front axle. Nonetheless, we had no issues with reliability, and Aliyyah improved with every stage. Her excellent performance in Chrono48 reflects her mastery in the dunes, her strongest area. ” <\/p>\n \u2026 and the difficult ones<\/p>\n But of course, there were difficult days too. \u201cStage 11 was probably the worst day of those two weeks,\u201d Aliyyah explains. \u201cAt the beginning of the stage, we were going very slowly, so we wouldn’t get a puncture. A few cars got ahead of us, but then they had punctures and we passed them again. At about kilometer 300, we had our first puncture, then another. There was a lot going on, even in terms of navigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Martin Koloc explains the difficulties of the Dakar from a different perspective: \u201cThe Dakar tests the drivers’ mental toughness, not just their physical abilities. Aliyyah is strong in this regard too. For me, cross-country rallying is probably the world’s most mentally demanding sport. Each stage is like playing for the match point in tennis for seven straight hours. The smallest mistake can potentially end your Dakar. The average heart rate of the driver in the car is between 160 and 165 bpm, a testament to the physical and mental demands.\u201d<\/p>\n I love my team!<\/p>\n But the Dakar and motorsport in general is a team sport. Without the co-driver, the mechanics, the engineers, a driver couldn\u2019t participate in the Dakar though working with the team demands special skills of a driver. \u201cAliyyah is emerging as a team leader,\u201d says Martin Koloc. \u201cI see the team rallying behind her, she communicates well and shares all important information. But I am also incredibly proud of the team. They have been working hard, with incredible spirit and dedication,\u201d Martin explains. <\/p>\n Or in Aliyyah\u2019s word: \u201cMy goodness, the team was top. I love my team. Thank you!\u201d And continues: \u201cI am very happy with the result. I\u2019ll now have a short break before my next cross-country rally, the Hail in Saudi Arabia in early February. Until then, I\u2019ll be on the beach with a good book, spend some time with my family, and I won\u2019t think about racing until I need to again!\u201d<\/p>\n To prepare Aliyyah for a turbo-powered T1+ car, a testing program has been designed by Buggyra ZM Racing and Red-Lined, the manufacturer of the T1+ car, which will start 6th of March.<\/p>\n Buggyra Racing Organisation \n
Buggyra Powersports OU
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