Buenos Aires, January 2. The territory of Technopolis in Buenos Aires - it's something like the exhibition of national economy achievements of the Argentine. Today there are a lot of people. Argentine capital is always crowded, but now there isn't enough room to swing a cat. January 4, 36th marathon rally "Dakar" will start from here. Now all participants of the race, the organizers and the accredited press - hundreds of representatives from different countries - pass administrative and technical checks. To get to rally’s route, which passes through the territory of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, each participant must submit a personal file, make photo, get the documents for the car, install navigation equipment, and sports commissioners should carefully check the machine for compliance with the technical regulations of the race.
"KAMAZ-master" team arrived to Argentina by two groups. January, 2 everybody was already there and there were preparatory work on the race bivouac. All the main rivals are occupied by the same things. There is no only the team of Gerard de Rooy on the bivouac. Dutch are busy with fine-tuning of their cars in the Argentine branch of IVECO. The company is very interested in the successful performance of its team and provides them all possible assistance. The bonnet truck IVECO Torpedo this year has been modified specially to reduce the time spent in a rally on the replacement of main components and assemblies. Two such cars participate in the race; the second is designed specifically for partner of De Rooy - Hans Stacey (winner of "Dakar-2007", prizewinner of "Dakar-2006" and "Dakar 2012"). Pep Villa - third member of the Dutch team - goes on IVECO Trakker, the truck with configuration, traditional for rally raids.
Let’s continue a brief overview of the main candidates for Dakar trophies in trucks category. Veka MAN Truck Team – one of the leaders of the world rally in trucks category, which has now very fast and experienced Ales Loprais, (his Tatra was not allowed to compete because of the noncompliance to technical regulation of the race) placed a bet on - Peter Versluis and prizewinner of «Dakar-2010» Marcel Van Vliet.
But, at the last moment Versluis refused to participate in the rally, because he need to concentrate on his business affected by the economic crisis.
Tatra Buggyra Racing Team will definitely claim to prizes in trucks category. According to the general opinion of experts it has everything for that purpose: excellent financing, an experienced pilot Martin Coloma, good team and a nice car equipped with an engine prepared by professionals from Buggyra team.
Dutchman Martin van den Brink, align with MKR Adventure team and gaining financial support of powerful companies Mario Kress, Mammoet and Eurol has created an entirely new Renault truck with the engine D13 Volvo. The machine weighs a minimum allowed by rules 8500 kilograms, made with the support of Renault-France, ZF-Germany.
Wuf and Edwin Van Ginkel from GINAF team equipped this year their race cars with completely automatic gearbox Allison and don't hide their intention to take the highest places in trucks category.
For "MAZ-SPORTavto" team this "Dakar" will be the fourth, and as Belarusian team hopes, the most successful. Belarusians will participate in the race on 3 sports cars. The most successful crew of "MAZ-SPORTavto" team with the pilot Sergey Vyazovich took record 11th place at last Dakar.
"Bonnet" theme is becoming more and more popular on "Dakar". The crews of Bonver Dakar Project team before the race carried out tests of the updated Tatra truck on military ground in Slovakia. For the new season the car is seriously modified. The truck has the original design - the platform of Tatra Jamal, bonnet prototype with independent suspension on the back bone bearer frame, shock absorbers and steering dampers Doneere; engine - Renault MKR 1050 hp. The dry weight of the car corresponds to the regulations of FIA and weights not more than 8500 kg. The car has a maximum speed of 200 km / h and can accelerate to "hundred" in 8 seconds!
In response to the fact that "Dakar" becomes more and more high-speed race, the Japanese team HINO gradually modifies engines. In 2015, cars are equipped with the engine A09C, which is 1 liter more than the J08C series engine, used in the past.
The head of "KAMAZ-master" team Vladimir Chagin, commenting on the upcoming Dakar, also paid attention to the question of increasing speeds in trucks category: "The truth of Dakar rally always was: the winner is not the one who goes fast, but the one who does not break. But now the time has come to say: the winner is the one who goes quickly and does not break. Speeds really grew very much! The trucks category of "Dakar" keeps its fans in suspense right to the end of the race. I think that the peculiar phenomenon of trucks category is the fact that after many thousands of kilometers the time difference of those who stand on a podium is just a few minutes! This is one more proof of the hot and exciting fight which awaits us this year!"
64 cars are declared.in trucks category. 4 IVECO, 7 TATRA, 13 MAN, 3 MAZ, 6 GINAF, 13 DAF, 4 RENAULT, 5 MERCEDES and 2 HINO will take part in the race. "KAMAZ-master" team will participate on four sports trucks.
№500 A. Karginov - A. Mokeev – I. Leonov,
№502 E. Nikolaev– Е.Yakovlev – R. Akhmadeev,
№507 А. Mardeev – А. Belyaev – D. Svistunov,
№520 D. Sotnikov – I. Devyatkin - А. Aferin
For the crews of "blue armada" besides the increased competition the race will be difficult due to the fact that according to the requirements of the regulations on the reduction of the volume of truck engines up to 16.5 liters, all KAMAZes for the Dakar are equipped with Liebherr engine. Experts note that due to the cancellation of "Silk Way Rally", "KAMAZ-master" had not enough competitive practices and time for fine-tuning of new power units. It is clear that their testing in the conditions of the forthcoming 2-week extreme race is very risky thing, but forward-looking.
Already by 2 pm local time "KAMAZ-master" sports trucks successfully passed technical checks and moved to Parc fermé. Administrative checks for team members have also been completed. The ceremonial start of the race will be held on January 3, and January 4 in the morning the caravan of the rally will go from Buenos Aires to its first special stage in the direction of the town of Villa Carlos Paz.
