The 45th edition of the Dakar is history. Valtr was aiming for his maiden triumph on the final stage today, but a penalty eventually relegated him to third.

TALLIN, ESTONIA, January 15, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This time, all three Buggyra ZM Racing Tatras were in the top ten of today‘s stage. Josef Machacek completed his 20th Dakar, while Aliyyah Koloc unfortunately didn’t see the finish line of her first Dakar. After yesterday's technical problems, the organizers did not allow her to start today's timed section. Jaroslav Valtr secured fifth place overall with his third position in the final stage. Right behind him in the overall standings is Martin Šoltys, who set the tenth best time today. Róbert Kasák finished ninth tdoay (and thus the best result this year), making him 16th overall. Josef Macháček finished just outside the top 10 in 11th overall of the T3 - Light Prototypes category, he was 25th today. Radovan Kazarka in a Tatra Puma confirmed third place in his Dakar Classic today.

Jaroslav Valtr treated the last stage as one long sprint. "Today's stage was very fast, we were always going full throttle. We didn't catch one waypoint at the beginning, so we let it go, kept going and tried to catch Martin Maciek. The Tatra is unbelievable. We drove on to these little grassy patches and bumps, but we drove full spead. and made up a lot of time in this section. It was a good day and it made up for the unfortunate day before yesterday," said the Tatra Phoenix pilot. "I'm happy to have finished the Dakar, that's the most important thing for me. I have a negative score so far, so I'm happy to be at the finish. I'm happy, I might even cry, so I try to control myself," added an emotional Tatra Buggyra ZM Racing team driver.

His team-mate Martin Šoltys was not hiding his joy at finishing the Dakar. This year's edition was definitely the hardest of all those held in Saudi Arabia. It was also the longest. I am glad that our Tatra which we put together at the last minute, implementing a number of new items but using the old base type, made it to the end. A lot of people didn't give us much of a chance, so I am happy." He also paid tribute to the Buggyra mechanics. "I'm also glad that we had a perfect team of mechanics around the truck who were able to keep the Tatra in good shape throughout the Dakar. Everybody has problems during the Dakar, it is just that some people admit to them and others don’t. Thanks to the mechanics, we made it to the end, so have to thank them a lot," said Martin Šoltys with emotion in his voice.

Then he briefly described the final 135-km long Dakar stage. "Today's stage was tricky from a navigation‘s point of view. Right after the start, there were two waypoints close together, a lot of people were going back. We drove on to get to the finish. We have a big lead on the crews behind us, so there was no need to panic," said the Tatra 815 pilot.

You could also see the joy on Róbert Kasák's face. "We are at the finish line, there is nothing else to say. I have no words. During the last leg, we had a little race. It is a big responsibility to take the whole crew on the last meters of the Dakar. It is a great victory for everyone to complete such a difficult event. The Tatra did a great job all along but our bodies didn't. We had a slow start as we hadn’t been training regularly. But despite all the issues, our result is great. The Argentine Dakar was difficult, but this one was the hardest I have done so far," admitted the Tatra Buggyra Slovakian driver.

After the last stage, Josef Macháček did not hide his enthusiasm for the route and his Buggyra Can-Am DV 21. I finished all the Dakars that I started in a Can-Am. The last stage was supposed to be beautiful, driving along the sea shore, but the weather turned it into one big mud pit. I had a great time with my navigator, David Schovanek. He got in at the very last minute, but soon showed that he really understood navigation, so I could concentrate on the driving. Technical racing is part of the sport. It's fifty percent driver and fifty percent technique," explained the Buggyra ZM Academy driver.
The 65-year-old was perhaps most surprised by his own fitness. "The luxury that the Buggyra team provides in terms of sleeping, comfort and security allows us to concentrate fully on the racing. We were completely relaxed. I'd love to do the Dakar again," he praised Buggyra's facilities.

Unfortunately, 18-year-old debutant Aliyyah Koloc did not see the finish line of her debut Dakar Rally start. The organisers did not allow her to start the final stage due to delays. "Everybody worked all night on the Can-Am, to fix the technical issues the car had experienced yesterday. Nobody went to sleep and some things were still being fixed at the road section. „However, it's clear that when everything worksas it should, Aliyyah is able to drive at the front of the field and gain experience. It's the basis for future starts," said Buggyra team principal Martin Koloc.

The participants of the Dakar Classic completed only one road section today without a timed section. Nothing could change Radovan Kazarka's third place overall in this category. "I am experiencing feelings that you maybe only have once in a lifetime. We are also lucky as racers. I owe this succes to the whole crew. It was hard work and a lot of sacrifices," said the Tatra Puma driver, assessing his result this year.

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