Tatra 815 and Phoenix trucks have their cabins placed above the engine, while the third evolution of the Buggyra racing truck is already similar to most competitors in the Dakar race. The team communication manager, Jan Kalivoda, explained during yesterday’s presentation of the vehicle at the Buggyra Technology Center in Roudnice nad Labem that they saw this type of cabin as the only way to move forward in trucks.
Martin Šoltys will be driving the truck in Saudi Arabia in January, defending his sixth-place position. „I have been at the Buggyra Technology Center for almost two months now. It was very demanding, but I have to thank the team of mechanics. They were here all the time as well. Thanks to them, we were able to achieve incredible things, and the truck is ready,“ praised the driver for the excellent work of the mechanics.
They only had two months to assemble the truck. Although the project, named Evo3, started with initial design drawings two years ago, they were waiting for the current technical regulations for trucks. „The International Automobile Federation issued binding regulations only this summer, so just two months ago, you wouldn’t see much in the workshop. The fact that we managed to prepare our third evolution of the Dakar Tatra for departure in Barcelona is considered a small miracle,“ said Kalivoda.
In the truck category, Tatra Buggyra Evo3 team will also have two Tatra Phoenix trucks. The fifth-place defender, Jaroslav Valtr, and Daniel Stiblík will drive them, with Stiblík taking on the role of „very fast assistance.“ The team will be complemented by 19-year-old Aliyyah Kolocová in her Red-Lined REVO T1+ car as they make their debut in the elite Ultimate category (formerly known as T1).
