18th Dakar gold for Goodyear-shod truck team

On Saturday the Kamaz-Master factory team once again achieved a category win in the toughest rally in the world, the Dakar. As well as coming first in the 12-day rally-raid for the 18th time, team members also occupied the other spots on the podium. Official tyre partner Goodyear is thrilled with the result.

Victory in the 2021 event is Dmitry Sotnikov’s first Dakar gold since he began participating in 2014. Together with co-driver Ruslan Akhmadeev and mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov, Sotnikov’s vehicle took the lead as of stage one and never left its leading position in the general rankings, winning five out of the 12 stages. Kamaz-Master truck teams captained by Anton Shibalov and Airat Mardeev finished second and third respectively in the truck category. Defending Dakar 2020 champion Andrey Karginov experienced issues during the first two stages of the race and thus passes on his title to teammate Sotnikov.

“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,” comments Kamaz-Master team manager Vladimir Chagin. “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.”

Tyre performance tested to the limit

“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,” adds 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 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 directly contributing to increased uptime, enhanced overall mileage performance and extending the tyre service life, supporting the industry’s sustainable transportation objectives.