The seventh stage, which marked the start of the second half of the Dakar Rally, brought both joy and trouble for the Buggyra ZM Racing team in the truck category.
-- Martin Šoltys literally swallowed dust but still managed to secure seventh place in the stage behind the wheel of the Buggyra Invictus. Karel Poslední, however, struggled with an automatic gearbox issue in the Tatra Buggyra EVO3 and and managed to complete the entire stage.
Martin Šoltys was positive about the day’s stage. “It was fast at the beginning. Then came the dunes, which were absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, there were only 50 kilometres of them, followed by plains and a lot of dust. We were eating dust for 200 kilometres — just dust, dust, dust,” said the experienced driver.
“In the dunes we overtook a lot of buggies and trucks, but after that it was no longer possible. There was dust everywhere and overtaking was impossible, but it was a beautiful stage. We really enjoyed the drive and, most importantly, the truck worked perfectly today, so I’m satisfied,” added the Buggyra Invictus driver.
“We have to fight our way forward again step by step, there’s nothing else we can do,” he added.
Onboard mechanic Tomáš Šikola praised the way Martin Šoltys handled the dunes. “Martin must have had some kind of spy out there. He surfed the dunes beautifully — it was amazing,” he said.
Karel Poslední was troubled by automatic gearbox problems during the stage. The crew had to stop twice along the route. The issue was eventually fixed, however, and the crew reached the finish of the stage after dark.
“We went into emergency mode twice. Filip Škrobánek was working on the issue, we lost about four hours, and we didn’t reach the dunes until around half past four in the afternoon. We definitely didn’t want to spend the night in the dunes. Fortunately, we got through the sand and managed to complete the entire stage. We’re here and we’re still in the race,” said Karel Poslední as he described the demanding day.
ULTIMATE: Aliyyah Koloc reaches finish of challenging stage 7
Aliyyah Koloc remained the sole Buggyra ZM Racing representative in the 2026 Dakar Rally as the event resumed on Sunday with stage 7 from Riyadh to Wadi Ad Dawasir. In the Ultimate category, the 21-year-old brought her Red-Lined REVO T1+ to the finish of the demanding 460-kilometer special stage, closing the day in 56th position.
Together with her navigator Marcin Pasek, Aliyyah faced more setbacks, including a technical issue early in the stage that required her to stop for repairs. “It was another long day that had a bit of everything: dunes, fast sections, and slow rocky parts. Unfortunately, around kilometer 50, we had an oil leak, so we had to stop and try to fix it, which cost us time ,” said Aliyyah.
The delay dropped the crew into heavy dust behind other competitors, complicating both pace and navigation. “Today we spent a lot of time in the dust, and it will be similar tomorrow, because we’ll be starting from the back again,” she added.
The closing kilometers brought another setback: “About 40 kilometers from the finish, we had a puncture and had to change the wheel,“ Aliyyah explained. The crew reached the finish wihtout further incidents. The Dakar continues tomorrow with stage 8, a loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir featuring 481 kilometers against the clock and 236 kilometers of liaison. Reliability and careful tire management are expected to play a key role as the second week of the Dakar challenges the remaining competitors.
https://www.facebook.com/BUGGYRA
https://twitter.com/buggyra_racing
https://www.linkedin.com/company/buggyra-racing
https://www.instagram.com/buggyra_racing/
https://www.tiktok.com/@buggyra
Contact Info:
Name: Buggyra Organisation
Email: Send Email
Organization: Buggyra Organisation
Address: La Villa 19, Galerie Charles III, 98000 Monaco
Phone: +37780094459
Website: http://www.buggyra.com
Release ID: 89180612
Should you identify any discrepancies, concerns, or inaccuracies in the content provided in this press release or require assistance with a press release takedown, we strongly urge you to notify us promptly by contacting error@releasecontact.com (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our responsive team is committed to addressing your concerns within 8 hours by taking necessary actions to resolve identified issues diligently or guiding you through the necessary steps for removal. Our dedication lies in providing accurate and reliable information.
