Belen, 11 January
By the start of the 8th rally stage, there were 47 trucks from 55 started on 2 January in Buenos-Aires. That is an excellent statistics. Earlier after the rest day the percentage of participants, who ended the race due to technical problems, was higher. It proves again that the route of the first half was less harsh for people and their vehicles. Although, from today’s Salta – Belen stage special sections seem to become more similar to classic off-road Dakar. Belen is situated in the north-western Argentinian Provincia de Catamarca, well-known for its dry climate. The rally participants had to pass two SS at the length of 162 km and 232 km, separated by a 140 kilometer neutralization area.
Gerard de Rooy (Iveco) led the stage. Russian rivals of “KAMAZ-master” team were reliable and fast, too. The crew of Andrey Karginov saw Pieter Versluis (MAN) changing his wheel. Engine problems made the Belorussian Siarhei Viazovich (MAZ) leave the race at the first half of the timed section.
Airat MArdeev(#500), driver
“Today was a good special stage. There was long-awaited impassibility, but unfortunately, the engine did not allow us to play our heart out. First, the temperature of cooling liquid went up and near the critical range. Very often we had to reduce speed in order not to break the engine. Then we spent 9 min to replace a blown-out high pressure fuel pipe. First there was leakage of diesel fuel and the pressure disappeared in the fuel system. The engine died. Then we changed the pipe but the temperature did not improve and I had to contain the speed. The the very moment when we reached de Rooy, we seemed to overdrive him, but again I had to take my leg out of the gas pedal and he left us behind. 5 days of race are still ahead. Our rivals also make mistakes, their wheels puncture, technical issues occur. We will do our best in order to change the situation in the general classification.
Ruslan Akhmadeev (#508), mechanic
“The start of the special was fast – a curvy mountainous section, then followed heavy going hills, sand with grass and dried up river beds. The end of the first half of the timed section was also fast and curvy. In the neutralization area we changed a wheel as we noticed a puncture. It looks as if we had cut it with a rock. The second timed section was more challenging. The engine became hot, the temperature of exhaust gases went ahead. I watched the parameters and told the driver to reduce speed from time to time due to high-heat engine. The sands were quite tough, it was easy to stuck there (comparing with Astrakhan, the fraction here is much smaller, more shifting and loose). The marathon was in a good “KAMAZ” style. Among rivals we saw only LIAZ, stuck in the sand of a foothill. “
Trucks. Results of the 8th Stage (first 20 crews)
1. DE ROOY GERARD(IVECO) 04:41:59
2. NIKOLAEV EDUARD(KAMAZ) +00:02:35
3. KARGINOV ANDREY(KAMAZ) +00:05:23
4. VALTR JAROSLAV (TATRA)+00:13:38
5. SOTNIKOV DMITRY(KAMAZ) +00:13:47
6. VILLAGRA FEDERICO (IVECO) +00:14:35
7. STACEY HANS (MAN) +00:14:49
8. MARDEEV AIRAT (KAMAZ) +00:17:04
9. VAN GENUGTEN TON (IVECO) +00:17:34
10. VERSLUIS PIETER (MAN) + 00:19:00
11. VILA ROCA PEP (IVECO)+ 00:29:15
12. VAN DEN HEUVEL MAURIK (SCANIA)+00:34:29
13. MACIK MARTIN (LIAZ) + 00:35:11
14. HUIGEVOORT MARCEL(MAN)+ 00:38:35
15. VRATNY TOMAS(TATRA) +00:38:43
16. DE BAAR PASCAL (RENAULT TRUCKS) +00:43:55
17. SUGAWARA TERUHITO (HINO) + 00:51:10
18. ROTSAERT STEVEN(MAN) +00:54:09
19. HOONDERT ADWIN (DAF) +01:00:33
20. ARDAVICHUS Artur (TATRA) +01:16:13
21. FRANK TILBURGS (DAF)+ 01:19:25
Trucks. General Classification after Stage 8.
1. DE ROOY GERARD (IVECO) 25:49:26
2. VERSLUIS PIETER (MAN) +00:06:29
3. NIKOLAEV EDUARD (KAMAZ)+00:07:58
4. STACEY HANS (MAN) +00:20:46
5. MARDEEV AIRAT (KAMAZ) + 00:22:21
6. VILLAGRA FEDERICO (IVECO) + 0:24:39
7. VAN GENUGTEN TON (IVECO) + 00:41:03
8. KARGINOV ANDREY (KAMAZ) + 01:25:27
9. SOTNIKOV DMITRY (KAMAZ) +01:39:52
10. VILA ROCA PEP (IVECO)+ 01:49:51
11. VAN DEN HEUVEL MAURIK (SCANIA) +01:50:51
12. MACIK MARTIN (LIAZ) + 01:54:31
13. DE BAAR PASCAL (RENAULT TRUCKS) + 02:04:29
14. VALTR JAROSLAV (TATRA) +02:12:22
15. HUIGEVOORT MARCEL (MAN) +02:39:23
16. SUGAWARA TERUHITO (HINO) +03:07:24
17. VRATNY TOMAS (TATRA) +03:18:29
18. VASILEVSKI ALEKSANDR (MAZ)+ 03:44:39
19. ARDAVICHUS Artur (TATRA) +03:47:14
20. HOONDERT ADWIN (DAF) +04:14:21
