Goodyear a Dakar winner

After two weeks and some 5,000 miles of battling in the most demanding terrain across the Arabian Desert, the Dakar Rally concluded with a second podium lockout by Kamaz-master. The all-conquering team took the top four positions with an intense battle between five-time winner Eduard Nikolaev and reigning Dakar champion Dmitry Sotnikov. Goodyear supplied tyres to each of these trucks.

At the final day of the rally-raid crew 500 of Sotnikov, supported by co-driver Ruslan Akhamadeev and mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzianov won the race for the second time with Nikolaev (with Evegenii Iakovlev and Vladimir Rybakov) in truck 505 just 9’ 58’ behind.

The two leaders were driving the new Kamaz-master K5 435091s trucks, with crew 501 (Shibalov/Nikitin/Tatarinov) in third and crew 509 (Karginov/Mokeev/Malkov), piloting the well-proven Kamaz-43509 model, in fourth place. Both truck models were equipped with standard Goodyear tyres, and the tyre maker notes that these include “similar advanced carcass and tyre technologies available to fleet operators across Europe.”

The domination of the Goodyear-shod trucks was underlined by all 13 stages being won by a Kamaz-master crew. Sotinikov took five stage wins and Nikolaev four. Karginov set down three fastest times, but unfortunately lost an hour with a technical issue on stage four. Karginov’s recovery was helped when a rival team stopped to assist, showing the spirit of cooperation that makes the Dakar such a unique event in the sporting world. Karginov’s crew rapidly bounced back, setting the fastest times on the following two stages to begin an inspirational fight back through the field.

Maximum speed with minimum downtime

“We came to the Dakar with two models of trucks, our proven winning 43509 and the innovative new K5 435091s. The fitment of Goodyear tyres was without any doubt of eminent importance in such a demanding event,” states Vladimir Chagin, head of the Kamaz-master sports team. “Our team performed superbly with meticulous preparation, and an outstanding execution of strategy across two very gruelling weeks of action. This high-level racing means we need tyres that provide traction and durability. The Goodyear Offroad has given us maximum speed with minimum downtime contributing to our success here.”

Maciej Szymanski, marketing director for Goodyear Commercial Europe, adds: “This was the 19th Dakar win for Kamaz-master. That is an extraordinary achievement and Goodyear is proud to have been chosen as a trusted companion by the team. The demanding new routes with hidden stones in the sandy tracks extensively tested the overall tyre performance. The teams reported they were delighted with the durability, cut resistance and outstanding traction throughout the Dakar. Goodyear uses events like the Dakar and the FIA European Truck Racing Championship to test tyres and technologies in extreme performance situations.”

Goodyear dominates top 10

Other impressive performances came from the Petronas Team De Rooy IVECO and Mammoet Rallysport Team De Rooy Iveco. The green team led by van Kasteren finished fifth and orange squad led by Martin van den Brink sixth, right after the four leading Kamaz crews. The teams were setting regular top three stage times during the race. In the middle of the race, they were being delayed thru technical issues. The winning spirit of the legendary Dutch team with a mix of young and experienced talent, on top of the expertise of their technical team made the team rise as phoenix in the last stages.

“We are extremely pleased to see the full podium and eight positions in the top ten occupied by Goodyear equipped teams,” Szymanski continues. “This showcases the outstanding performance and reliability levels of our standard tyres. The Goodyear Offroad is designed for low-heat generation at high speeds and is used in demanding operations such as quarries, mines, woods and emergency applications. This makes it the perfect choice for events such as the Dakar. Goodyear’s cool-running technology and innovative carcass design are also incorporated in our on-road product ranges, creating a tyre that is extremely resistant to wear and efficient with energy. These qualities are as essential to our everyday customers as they are to the winning teams.”

The 2022 Dakar featured a new route for the event’s third outing in Saudi Arabia. More than 50 teams battled across different categories for cars, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. The truck category was one of the most competitive classes. The revised stages featured new challenges with a higher percentage of desert sand, mixed with aggressive stone covered tracks.