Notching up a win in the notoriously difficult Dakar rally, a combination of Dmitry Sotnikov’s participation and the durability of Goodyear standard OFFROAD ORD tyres proved to make for a record-breaking outing for the top 3 podium winning team.
KAMAZ and Goodyear Celebrate a Record-Breaking Spree
Winning the Dakar 12-day rally-raid for the 18th time, whilst managing a full top 3 podium win, the KAMAZ-master factory team have managed to break more than one record, with Goodyear at their side as official tyre partner.
It is Dmitry Sotnikov’s first Dakar Gold since his participation to 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”).
KAMAZ-master were aided in their victory by their enthusiastic team spirit and the team having one clear objective: to get a KAMAZ-master truck represented 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 course is frequently cited as a tough rally, with Vladimir Chagin, Team Manager of KAMAZ-master saying, “The Dakar can never become a routine course 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.” He added, “Even in these extreme motorsport marathons, still every second counts 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.”
“Warmest congratulations to the entire KAMAZ-master team. Obtaining Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Dakar truck segment, which is an astonishing achievement and showcases the outstanding race expertise of the team and technical mastery of these trucks and their equipment.” Maciej Szymanski, Marketing Director for Goodyear Commercial Europe said with pride. “Without any doubt, the performance of our tyres was tested to the maximum, which was 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 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 criteria when looking to gaining increased uptime, enhanced overall mileage performance and extending the tyre service life, whilst supporting the industry’s sustainable transportation objectives.
