Židovice trucks arrived like a train

9.1.2021

All three trucks from MKR Technology fit into the elite ten in the 6th stage of the Dakar Rally. In addition, they arrived like a train pretty much together. Before the one-day break, which will follow on Saturday, there is a great mood in the bivouac of the Czech-Dutch team.

"We can be satisfied with the stage. Today, the boys made it a bit of their own race. Even at the control points, it could be seen that they were competing each other, rather than the rest of the field. They keep the spirit high. It helps the overall mood, which is great due to this. We have to admit that we aimed for better results and that it did not turn out exactly as we imagined, so it's great that the boys have such an attitude. I believe that we will still succeed, because the situation has not been ideal, but it's not bad though," remarked Mario Kress, head of the MKR Technology design team.

Friday's 6th stage from Al Qaisumah to Ha'il was a total of six hundred and twenty kilometers long. The timed section measured almost four hundred and fifty kilometers. Once again, the only hybrid special in the competition, Gert Huzink’s Renault from the Riwald Dakar team, was doing great. He was driving around sixth position, but another a quarter of an hour penalty eventually pushed him back to the tenth place. But all three North Bohemian trucks from Kress' workshop were in the top ten. Martin van den Brink, with on-board mechanic Daniel Kozlovský, finished eighth and Pascal de Baar was right behind him. Russian Mardeev with Kamaz won the stage.

Sotnikov is still leading the race. Van den Brink returned to the seventh place, de Baar is eleventh. Saturday is a day off, and on Sunday the Dakar will turn into the second half. The 7th stage will be the second longest of this year, both in terms of total distance and timed section. The program will have a total of 737 km including a 448 km of a timed special section. "The boys came to the bivouac without major scars this time. I would like to say how we will relax during the next day off, but there is nothing much to look forward to. The trucks had a big payload, so a good overall maintenance is waiting for them to be in the best possible condition for the second half," added Mario Kress.