Juknevičius, having dealt with the problems: we arrived with a car “sneezing” and shaking

Second gear section. Bisha – Vadi al Davasyras

In the second Dakar Adventure of 2021, 457 kilometers of speed tests awaited the joy of testing hands, feet and head with 135 kilometers of public roads before the start of the stage and 93 kilometers after finishing the new home of the Dakar Als Rally. .

The race organizers decided to make the second section of speed even more difficult by mixing the start times of different vehicle classes. The KREDA team, which finished 45th on Sunday, was pushed to starting position 72 on Monday morning, having to abandon more than a dozen slower trucks, light prototypes and SSV motorcycles.

Pushing due to the space in this vehicle meat grinder and not having enough room to bend, the racers sitting in the car cabs had to handle more than a kilogram of dust and drive slower to their limits, waiting for the right moment to double.

According to the racing regulations, riders on the Priority list have the option to move up the line for the start of the speed section the following day if they have reached the finish line in a lower position due to any obstacle and want to start the next day from a higher position to avoid on a dangerous track of slower cars on the track, where every inch of the track is fighting.

Such wish must be formalized at the official request of the team navigator to the organizers, but Antanas Juknevičius, as a rider included in said list, decided not to exercise this right and overcome the challenges prepared by the organizers on his own. He also made this choice in Dakar last year.

Dunes returning to Dakar

The endless sand dunes and impressive dunes are the symbols of the highest quality of Dakar, decorating and crowning all that the Dakar Rally is associated with the soldiers of Dakar who live in the spirit of adventure seekers. After criticizing the lack of unlimited sandy deserts on the tracks last year, this year the ASO (an organization that has decided to “move” the world’s toughest marathon rally across the Atlantic and “settle” on the Arabian Peninsula ).

How do runners rate this day?

“One of the best speed sections. Probably none of them existed last year. Dakar, aesthetically beautiful and in general, a very good speed section that you would like every day. And there were good dunes, and they are always rewarding.

There was no one to praise the Dakar last year because it was the worst possible shadow of the Dakar. And this year it’s a completely different story. I must admit I did it a bit early in the speed section, beating one of the slower buggies starting at the front. I saw a touring car, I was scared, I hit the brake with a lightning bolt and we sat down. I had to work with 7-6 minutes to dig sand. And it is very unfortunate, because during that time many cars already ahead passed us, “said the driver Antanas Juknevičius after finishing.

“As much as. And then instead of driving at a speed of about 170 km / h, you drive on a slower train with a top speed of about 130 km / h,” said Darius Vaičiulis, the team’s navigator.

“Yes, it was difficult to bend, but we were able to go back to many places, but we cut the circle in the dust. And doubling into a blind zone in Dakar is a complete lottery. 10 times everything works out, but this time it can be fatal, and then you have to jump out of the car and get to work, but these are just the little things.

Just before the last waypoint, we were hit by fuel pumps and the car started sneezing. None of them worked, we turned on the backup, but the situation did not improve and we were completely desperate, but then we reconnected the two pumps and started working.

It happened 160 kilometers before the finish line. We reached the finish line with a shake and “sneeze” machine. I have around 3 bars of pressure when both pumps are connected, but our great mechanics will fix everything and find out where the problem was. We are happy to be at the finish line, ”added runner Antanas Juknevičius.

Starting in the speed section from position 72, the KREDA team, like last year, found themselves in a sandwich of heavier and slower technique, where patiently waiting for the most suitable moment to perform one curve after another, drowning in the balls of dust that rose in ascending positions. Finally, after spending 5 hours and 13 minutes on the track, the crew reached the finish line, tentatively in 40th place.