• Dmitry Sotnikov obtains 18th Dakar victory for the legendary factory team

• The extraordinary durability of Goodyear standard Offroad Ord tyres confirmed to be the perfect companion to the victorious team.

The Rally Dakar 2021 is 43rd edition of Rally Dakar, one of the most important events in this scope. Motorcycles, quads, cars, light vehicles and side by side, trucks and a new category, Daker Classic, composed with auto and trucks prior to 2000, started the competition from the city of Jeddah on the January 2nd and ended it to the same city on 15th, for a total of 8000km.

It was the second time that this race is carried out entirely in Saudi Arabia.

On 15th January 2021, the Kamaz-master factory team won, once again, the Dakar. Not only did they win the 12-day rally-raid for the 18^th time, but also managed a full Top 3 podium win, breaking more than one record with Goodyear as their official tyre partner.

It is Dmitry Sotnikov’s first Dakar Gold since his participation in the race in 2014. Together with co-driver Ruslan Akhmadeev and mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov, Crew N° 507 took the lead as of Stage 1 and never left its leading position in the general rankings obtaining five out of twelve-stage victories during the 2021 edition. Anton Shibalov of crew N° 501, reconfirmed his Dakar Silver for the second time in a row just 00H 41’ 38” behind teammate Sotnikov. Dakar veteran, Airat Mardeev, and crew N° 509 was awarded bronze (+01H 16’ 35”). Competitors Martin Macik in 4^th position (+01 47’ 51”) of Big Shock Racing, Ales Loprais, Instaforex Loprais Praga in 5^th (+02H 02’ 31”), and Aliaksai Vishneuski of Maz Autosport in 6^th showcased fierce close racing competition during the twelve grueling stages. Defending Dakar 2020 champion Andrey Karginov faced misfortune during the first two stages and passes on his title to teammate Dmitry Sotnikov.

One of the ingredients to the success of Kamaz-master is their magnanimous team spirit. Although the impressive blue trucks will go full blast to bring home the next stage victory, their crews will not show any competition amongst themselves. The team has one clear joint objective, get a Kamaz-master truck on the highest level of the Dakar podium at the final finish, or ideally, a full TOP 3 as they proved this year. 

The Dakar is called by many the toughest rally in the world and this year’s edition honored its title.

“The Dakar can never become a routine and demands meticulous preparation, disciplined clockwise operations and outstanding teamwork. Trucks, driving and navigation skills and the expertise of the mechanics were repeatedly tested as never before in the Dakar 2021. The smallest detail had to be attended and the team worked day and night to come to this remarkable result.”

explains Vladimir Chagin, team manager of KAMAZ-master.

“Even in these extreme motorsport marathons, still every second count during the stages. Besides our advanced in-house developed truck technology, there is one vital part to keep the crews going, robust tyres. Speed is of the essence; however, uptime is even more important in order to stay ahead of the competition. With Goodyear as our trusted tyre partner, our teams count on the extraordinary durability and excellent traction of the standard Goodyear Offroad Ord tyres to support them getting victoriously to the next finish line, no matter how unexpected the circumstances or how big the challenge is.”

concluded Chagin.

“Warmest congratulations to the entire Kamaz-master team. Obtaining Gold, Silver, and Bronze in the Dakar truck segment is an astonishing achievement and showcasing the outstanding race expertise of the team and technical mastery of these trucks and their equipment,”

says Maciej Szymanski, Marketing Director for Goodyear Commercial Europe.

“Without any doubt, the performance of our tyres was tested to the maximum being the only touchpoint to this year’s entirely new route. Their robust durability, cut resistance, and enhanced traction are key to the immaculate performance of the team, in the same way as we support today’s demanding transport operations of our customers.”

Goodyear, also an exclusive tyre partner of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship is known to test its standard road-going product ranges under very extreme usage conditions. In particular, the endurance of its advanced carcass technology is a key testing criterion directly contributing to increased uptime, enhanced overall mileage performance, and extending the tire service life, supporting the industry’s sustainable transportation objectives.

Source: Goodyear