MKR Team Passed a Hell of a Test at the Dakar
11.2.2015
Spot on. The north-Bohemian MKR Technology team definitely have nothing to be ashamed of. They provided technical support to a total of five racing trucks, building two cars from scratch and constructing engines and electronic systems for three. The team accompanied all five cars along the track. Despite the fact that one third of crews had to quit the famous Dakar Rally, those carrying MKR label arrived at Buenos Aires save and sound. Eventually, the Dakar 2015 mission was 100% completed 100%.
„Yes, we can be satisfied. In many respects this was a premiere for us, but I still miss a big success – we have not managed to jump up on the podium and in the overall ranking, we did not make it to the prestigious top ten. That taints the impression a little. Worst of all, it was always just little things that you don’t take into account but make you lose a lot. It’s kind of strange to know that technology is developing in the speed of light but it can get stopped by a child disease. On the other hand, we learnt a great lesson here, and that was the ultimate goal. Most importantly, we wanted to get to the finish line save and sound and test the technology as much as possible, so that we can get ready for the next year. And that actually did work out,“ smiled MKR Technology’s team constructor Mario Kress.
The Germany-born constructor has lived permanently in the village of Židovice in the north of the Czech Republic and after more than twenty years in truck-racing championships he founded the MKR Adventure project, which focuses on distance and rally competitions. Last year’s Dakar was the very first one. Kress‘ group built an engine and technical support for Aleš Loprais, who finally occupied sixth position with it as the best Czech racer. This year MKR went really big. For the Dutch Mammoet Rallysport team they constructed two completely new Renault K520 4x4 trucks and prepared racing powertrains for all three Tatra Jamals of the Czech Bonver Dakar Project team. Bonver, Mammoet and MKR went to create a unique alliance, which proved to be incredibly beneficial and helpful for its members. However, it was one of the Renaults from Židovice who reached the greatest success, as Martin van den Brink attacked the stage podium several times. In the opening stage, his crew lost less than a minute on the winner, and recorded the best result in day two, when he finished on fourth place. He maintained to keep the pace with the rest of the „top ten“ and only stayed behind after his turbo cracked. It did not take long before things improved and van den Brink arrived seventh on day seven. In the next stage, he prioritized helping his colleagues over making a good result. Firstly, he helped his „team-mate“ Ardavichus to turn his Jamal back on its wheels and assisted his fellow Dutch de Baar on Renault. “At the Dakar you understand quite easily that good result is not the crucial thing here. Mario built some absolutely fantastic trucks. Driving them is pure pleasure. I’d say that the obstacles we had to overcome were just bad luck and a part of the whole Dakar affair. The essential thing that we found out though is that we are able to work together very well and we can set ourselves the boldest of goals for the future. We have things to improve and work on and we know what to do better next time. Speaking for myself, I’m happy,“ commented the friendly Dutch racer Martin van den Brink, who finished on seventeenth place overall. His countryman, and right-hand man in the race, Pascal de Baar finished thirty-first.
The best one of all the members of the above mentioned alliance was Tomáš Vrátný. The Bonver Dakar Project’s pilot made a life-time result at the Dakar. Although he claimed himself to be the weakest link of the Jamal trio, and climbed to the highest ladder in the overall ranking. In stage four he finished ninth, in stage five he even improved by one rank. However, fortune favoured him the most this year. Major accidents and technical issues avoided him. He arrived at Buenos Aires on fourteenth place. In any case, he would definitely deserve a fair-play „Gentleman of the Dakar“ award. During the entire race he helped his colleagues as well as opponents. He helped Ardavichus, de Baar and Martin Kolomý to get their trucks back on wheels and in stage eleven he rescued a drowned French crew’s car. “I’m not sorry at all that we lost. Helping them was totally worth it and it didn’t affect the overall ranking that much. The only outcome was that we started the next episode from worse position, which brings about some complications, but I know I’d do the same thing again,“ confessed Tomáš Vrátný, showing the true principle behind the Dakar.
It is no surprise that the Dakar is considered to be the toughest rally in the world. In the trucks category all racers are trying to beat the Kamaz domination. However, luck is always the decisive factor. This year it was Artur Ardavichus, with Daniel Kozlovský on board, who missed a bit of luck. Theoretically the strongest crew (Ardavichus already has one Beduin at home) lost time not only due to accidents but mainly because of the cracked turbo pipeline in stage seven. Although it was not clear for a long time whether they would remain in the race, the crew was able to get everything fixed by themselves and continue to the contest. Eventually, they made it to the finish on twenty-second place.
With all five trucks technically supported by MKR having completed the famous contest, 100% success rate only highlights the well-oiled co-operation of the entire alliance. „Engines by MKR Technology worked great. We are very happy with the co-operation with Mario Kress and will definitely continue in it. We believe it will soon bring the desired results,“ summarized Tomáš Vrátný, the rating boss of Bonver Dakar Project.
The two-week long torture did not allow any time for rest. The mechanics would work non-stop overnight and also the sections in the mountains, reaching up to five thousand metres above sea levels, were pretty exhausting for them. “It was a purgatory. At this altitude, your body misses oxygen, you suffer from headache and sleep deprivation. The boys agreed that each of us asked himself what he was actually doing at that place, because withstanding the pressure and exhaustion is simply impossible. But then you still come to the conclusion that it’s all been worth it. I can hardly describe the atmosphere of the entire event and then at the finish line, where crowds of people in Buenos Aires are simply going crazy and you are heroes to them. Dakar is just exceptional but who doesn’t experience it can’t understand,“ describes the excited Mario Kress.
While, the crews and support teams have gradually all returned home by now, yet the technology that sailed off from Argentina to the French Le Havre port will only get back at the end of February. “Another year of the Dakar rally started right after this year’s has ended. We found out where we need to speed up and verified what we need to focus on. To this end we have gathered loads of data and experience that we are going to use as much as we can. We know now that high-altitude test sessions will be necessary. You can’t trick physics, we need to make use of the potential of all our back-up so that we get even stronger for next year,“ concluded Mario Kress, the exceptionally skilled constructor, on the 2015 Dakar Rally.
