Eduard Nikolaev is back. Last year he was assigned to the role of strategist of the Kamaz Master team, while in the 44th edition of the Dakar dedicated to trucks, the Russian wanted to take back the role of leader. And he immediately made things clear by winning the prologue of just 19 km with the new weapon that they developed in Naberezhnye Chelny: the Kamaz K5 435091 is a completely new vehicle available only to the “Tsar” and the winner of the last year, Dmitry Sotnikov who finished just seven seconds behind the five-time winner of the Dakar.
Here is Nikolaev’s driving seat on the new Kamaz
Photo by: ASO
The other two crews formed by Andrey Karginov and Anton Shibalov are competing with the well-known Kamaz 43509 who have given the Russian army a poker that speaks volumes about the ambitions of the Master team, immediately able to make a big difference.
The new Kamaz K5 435091, while maintaining a very competitive mechanics, is easily recognized by the shorter wheelbase and the significantly narrower cab, derived from a quarry truck.
Behind the very favorites, Ignacio Casale is a bit surprising: the Chilean last year dedicated himself to the bison of the road after being the undisputed dominator in buggies. With the Tatra of Buggyra Racing he has the ambition to aim high, being able to count on a vehicle that has been evolved in the engine, capable of 1,130 hp against the 950 of 2021 and in the gearbox that has now become automatic.
Casale, ninth in 2021, finished 27 seconds from the top, but just three seconds from Shibalov’s fourth Kamaz, demonstrating the leap in quality that has been made in the Tatra. Behind the Chilean comes another surprise: we are talking about Gert Huzink who brought the Renault C460 Hybrid to sixth place ahead of three Iveco Powerstars. Thanks to the technical support of the Czech MKR Technology, the Dutchman managed to solve many problems that the first hybrid truck had revealed in the previous two years.
More was expected from the return to the Dakar of the Petronas De Rooy team: the Dutch team placed Van Kasteren and dad Van den Brinke in seventh and ninth place, while between the two was inserted Martin Macik, color bearer of Big Shock Racing. A prudent start by Iveco in the prologue, because it will only start to get serious tomorrow.
The top 10 is completed by another Renault truck, the K250 of the excellent Pascal De Baar, who put the Prague of the highly anticipated Alec Loprais behind him.
The general classification
Prologue (Jeddah – Ha’il)
special: 19 km; transfer: 595 km; total: 614 km
Pos. |
Pilot / Mechanic / Navigator |
Truck |
Time / posting |
1. |
Nikolaev-Iakovlev-Rybakov |
Kamaz K5 435091 |
13’01 “ |
2. |
Sotnikov-Akhmadeev-Akhmetzianov |
Kamaz K5 435091 |
+07 “ |
3. |
Karginov-Mokeev-Malkov |
Kamaz 43509 |
+15 “ |
4. |
Shibalov-Nikitin-Tatarinov |
Kamaz 43509 |
+24 “ |
5. |
Casale-Leon-Sikola |
Tatra Phoenix |
+27 “ |
6. |
Huzink-Buursen-Roesink |
Renault C460 Hybrid |
+34 “ |
7. |
Van Kasteren-Snijders-Rodewald |
Iveco Powerstar |
+37 “ |
8. |
Macik-Tomasek-Svanda |
Iveco Powerstar |
+41 “ |
9. |
But Van den Brink-Willemsen-Der Kinderen |
Iveco Powerstar |
+45 “ |
10. |
De Baar-Van der Vaet-Slootjes |
Renault K520 |
+48 “ |
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