-- For Aliyyah and Martin Koloc and the entire Buggyra ZM Racing Team, today is also the moment to reset and carry on, despite a very challenging first Dakar week.
The opening stages have tested the team in every possible way. Mechanical issues and unplanned delays have prevented results from matching their potential. Yet something else has stood out: teamwork and a shared commitment to keep going.
Aliyyah: Pushing forward through the toughest days
For 21-year-old Aliyyah, the Dakar has been a mental and physical battle from the very first kilometer. Stage 1 saw a clutch failure and damaged power steering, which continued into stage 2. Stage 3 brought more clutch issues. Still, every morning she returned to her car with the same discipline and determination. “It’s really hard to go out again after days like that. But that’s the Dakar. And the only option is to keep going,” Aliyyah says.
Martin: A first Dakar shaped by family values
While Aliyyah is pushing toward her fourth Dakar finish, Martin is experiencing his very first Dakar from behind the wheel after years of managing the team from the bivouac.
But the reality of the rally quickly took its toll. A broken finger, gearbox trouble, engine issues and three unfinished stages left him unable to continue.
However, stepping out of the car does not mean stepping away from the team. Martin will remain fully involved in the bivouac, supporting Aliyyah and contributing to the team’s data collection, development work, and day-to-day decisions.
His role in the early stages reflected that commitment. In stage 1, Martin stayed almost an hour with Aliyyah, helping diagnose and repair what he could in the desert. In stage 3, he stopped again when she faced more technical issues, at the same moment teammate Karel Poslední, racing in the truck category for Buggyra ZM Racing, also stopped to assist. Ultimately, Téo Calvet, from the Buggyra Academy and a close friend of Aliyyah, towed her to the refueling point. It was a chain of solidarity typical of the Dakar, but even more so typical of Buggyra’s DNA.
Two drivers, one shared goal
Aliyyah and Martin Koloc have very different driving styles, which means different stresses on their vehicles and often different problems. But that difference has become an advantage. For the first week, they combine their feedback and data each day to help the team engineers improve both cars further. With Martin now out of the race, the focus shifts entirely to Aliyyah and the continued improvement of the V6 turbo powering her Red-Lined Revo T1+. Martin will remain closely involved in the technical discussions from the bivouac.
The team behind the scenes
With two cars experiencing different issues nearly every day, Buggyra’s mechanics and support crew often have to work late into the night to rebuild the vehicles after each stage. Despite the long hours and little sleep, their commitment is unwavering and their goal clear: to give Aliyyah the best possible machine to continue.
A tough Dakar, but a united team
With Aliyyah running 60th in the Ultimate category and Martin no longer continuing, the results do not tell the full story of this Dakar. This week has been defined by teamwork and family spirit. And the refusal to give up when things get tough.
The Dakar is far from over. And neither is Aliyyah, backed by her team and family.
TRUCK: The day off was no holiday, with hard work going on at the Buggyra bivouac
Although Saturday was officially a rest day at the Dakar Rally, it was anything but quiet at the truck bivouac of the Buggyra ZM Racing team. This applied to both Martin Šoltys’ Buggyra Invictus and Karel Poslední’s Tatra Buggyra EVO3. Intensive work was carried out on both vehicles to ensure they could continue in the world’s toughest rally.
Both Buggyra ZM Racing drivers looked back on the demanding opening half of the Dakar Rally.
Martin Šoltys’ truck was towed to the bivouac during the fifth stage, and the driver did not hide his emotions upon arrival. “After the first stop because of the turbo, we reached the first neutralisation, but then the engine stopped completely. We had an oil issue and, rather than destroy the engine, we decided to stop. We tried to fix the problem, but it wasn’t possible on the spot. Our assistance vehicle came to help us, but it got stuck on the way. Eventually, we managed to reach the bivouac,” he said.
Šoltys described the first half of the Dakar Rally as bittersweet. “Unfortunately, we still have problems with the turbo. Thanks to our result in the prologue, we started the first stage from fourth position, which was great. But then the turbo issue came. We started the second stage from the very back and spent two days fighting our way forward. In the following stage, we were fourth again. Then came the unfortunate fifth stage, when we dropped back once more. Tomorrow we start again from scratch. But that’s just how Dakar is,” said the Buggyra Invictus driver.
He then literally washed away the stress of racing in a small pool prepared for relaxation by the team’s partner, Albixon. “The pool really helped, so I’m fine now. We swam and relaxed. Thanks to Albixon, it was great,” said Martin Šoltys.
Karel Poslední had to spend the night between the sixth stage and the rest day out in the dunes. “When we were about five metres from the top of the dune, we always had to reposition, so we tried different lines. Because we were delayed, all the exits in the dark were still through big holes. In one of them we rolled over. We waited there for about an hour, then other trucks put us back on our wheels. We slept there and drove to the bivouac in the morning,” Poslední explained.
Poslední also has mixed feelings about the first half of the Dakar Rally. “There are technical issues. Yesterday I didn’t have enough power in the dunes. But the cooperation within the crew works perfectly,” he added.
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Contact Info:
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