Defects spoil podium dreams in Baja Aragon

29.7.2015

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Teruel - Two defects in the very finish killed pilot Arthur Ardavichus’ podium dreams on his way to defending last year’s victory in the Spanish Baja Aragon Rally. On the track there was also our mechanic Jakub Hřava with Ardavichus in the cabin. Eventually, the Kazakhstani-Czech crew occupied sixth place, while the race was dominated by De Rooy from the Netherlands. The best Tatra and Bonver Dakar Project’s pilot was Tomáš Vrátný, who came in a fourth place by only a narrow margin.

“The track was very rocky, and so punched tyres slowed down and annoyed other crews as well. Although our main goal was to conduct a maximum of tests on the racing technology, Arthur hoped for defending his triumph from last year. He definitely had it in him, because the time lost by changing the tyres matched his loss on De Rooy. All in all, the team is satisfied with what we got, but Arthur was a little disappointed,“ admitted the team executive Klára Kress.

Our MKR Technology had several representatives in Spain. Customized engines developed by our team were driving a total of three trucks. In addition to the two Tatra Jamals of the Bonver Dakar Project with Arthur Ardavichus’ and Tomáš Vrátný’s crews, there was the Tatra Phoenix piloted by the Dutch Gert Huzink. Carrying a driving unit from our Židovice workshop the truck made its debut in Spain. In the face of all the trouble on the track, fourth place is a very successful result. In the overall ranking, Tomáš Vrátný’s crew came close to the podium in fourth place, while Ardavichus and his crew mechanic Jakub Hřava came sixth and Gert Huzink eleventh. Another Tatra pilot Martin Kolomý ranked behind him.

                Crews of this year’s Baja Aragon had to pass four speed tests in three days. The rally opened with a five-kilometre long prologue, in which Ardavichus finished fourth, followed by Vrátný right behind him and Huzink closing the top ten. In stage two, the 152-kilometre distance from Calamocha to Calatayud, Ardavichus showed his strength and triumphed, while Vrátný finished on third spot. Test number three from Calatayud to Teruel consisted of two hundred and fifty kilometres and brought silver to Tomáš Vrátný. Unfortunately, this was when Ardavichus lost valuable time due to a double defect and crossed the finish line on eleventh place. Huzink arrived on seventh. In the concluding 125-kilometre long stage from Calamocha to Teruel Ardavichus finished on fifth place, with Vrátný on eighth and Huzink on tenth. Consequently, it was the former Rally Dakar winner Gerard De Rooy who celebrated an overall win. “Actually, the Dakar is the ultimate goal of ours. During the year we try to explore as many race opportunities as possible in order to test new components in hard conditions and constantly move forward with our preparations.  I’m very happy with the path we’re walking now,“ smiled the team’s chief designer Mario Kress.

Results: 1. De Rooy (Iveco) 8:33:46, 2. Vila (Iveco) +1:41, 3. Macík (Liaz) +9:01, 4. Vrátný (Tatra) +19:19, 5. Hoondert (DAF) +27:35, 6. Ardavičus (Tatra) +41:57, 11. Huzink (Tatra Phoenix) +2:20:52, 12. Kolomý (Tatra) +2:22:36.

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