Part of this year’s 43rd Dakar Rally is the newly introduced Classic category. Cars that took part in the Dakar until the year 2000 and specials that were part of the legendary group in the World Rally Championship are allowed to start here.
The Czechs have their representatives at the start. It is a crew composed of motorcycle riders and great friends – Ondřej Klymčiw and Petr Angelo Vlček, who drive a Škoda 130 LR.
Fans are happy
Although historic vehicles are not, for obvious reasons, competitive, they inherently form the DNA of a legend called the Dakar. Many fans will certainly remember the pioneering times of the eighties and nineties when looking at these beauties. Participants will find spartan accommodation, the warmth of campfires and many old memories to come to life.
Crews of historical specials share the same bivouac with all participants in the competition. They will not drive as demanding stages as all other categories, they will be waiting for them on shorter sections of the ride. They go through stages up to a maximum of three hundred kilometers a day, taking into account the technical and performance characteristics of cars to avoid mechanical problems and engine overheating. There will be fewer dunes, but more sandy and rocky surfaces.
Clock race
They will not be evaluated classically according to the time achieved, but a classification according to the regularity ride awaits them. The classification will be drawn up each day on the basis of compliance with the average speeds determined for each of several areas according to precise criteria. Crews have itineraries, designated points on the track of each stage. For each, they must calculate the time for the next and must arrive at the specified time. Points are charged for early or late arrivals. The fewer points, the better the result and ranking. “By not going at maximum speed, to the fastest time achieved, it will be mainly about good navigation and strategy. Everything counts down on a small display and it is more demanding than we could have imagined. You will be a few seconds late and have trouble catching up on another check so that you don’t get points, “says Klymčiw.
Dakar Director David Castera said: “Classic vehicles will race against the clock, not against them. These vehicles still have something to tell us and are in good condition to stand in the Saudi desert. “
They just missed the camel
The engine in the Škoda 130 LR is based on the original one hundred and twenty and was later produced with a volume of 1300 cm3. Another version was created for Group B in a series of 200 pieces for the Ministry of the Interior. They already had an aluminum head, which was being prepared for the Škoda Favorit model. “We used regulations for the Dakar and we use a crankshaft from the 1400 engine, which is stiffer overall and has a longer service life. The contents rise to 1390 cm3. Another significant change are two Weber carburetors with a diameter of 45 millimeters laid horizontally. The output is 127 hp and could be higher, but the compression ratio is made so that we will only be able to refuel with classic 95 octane petrol, ”says Kottek. The former head of Škoda Motorsport was an important advisor and assistant to the Czech crew in preparation for the trip to Saudi Arabia.
In the first stage, the Czech crew wandered a bit, once narrowly missed a running camel, with a weaker engine, they even managed to overtake a Mercedes Benz G-Class and, unfortunately, also fell into the sand. In any case, under the second stage, Ondřej Klymčiw and Petr Angelo Vlček were in a great sixth place out of twenty-four starting crews! “This is a Dakar with everything,” Ondřej said after the third stage and continued: “With a Mitsubishi ATV, I wouldn’t jump over where I was sending the Škoda. At one point, both rear wheels bent a little, but the car holds. The Škoda is simply amazing, “said Klymčiw after the last stage.
Interim results
1.Douton, Etienne (Fr./Buggy Sunhill 1979) 227 points; 2. Donatiu, Serrat Puig (Sp. / Mitsubishi Montero 706) 703; 3. F. and J. Verdaguer (Fr./Buggy Sunhill 1982/1983) 1146; 4. Revuelta, Sanchez Hernandez (Šp. / Toyota Land Cruiser) 1463; 5. Lamarre, Laroche (Fr./Mitsubishi Pajero) 1688; 6. Klymčiw, Vlček (Czech Republic / Škoda 130 LR) 1843
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