Navigator David Křípal of the ULTIMATE DAKAR team brings home his fifth medal for successfully completing the toughest motorsport event on the planet, the Rally Dakar in Saudi Arabia. Although he had planned to take this year’s edition at a more relaxed pace in a support vehicle, he once again found himself in the thick of competitive racing. “It happened right in the middle of the New Year’s Eve prologue. The race was already in full swing when the French team Offroad Concept started looking for a navigator with a valid license. It took barely an hour before I was sitting in a competitive racing buggy next to a Frenchman I had never met,” describes the forty-year-old navigator.
This year, David Křípal headed to the Arabian Peninsula in a support Toyota Land Cruiser alongside “his” driver Tomáš Ouředníček. The main purpose was to get acquainted with the facilities of the factory team Toyota Gazoo Racing and Overdrive Racing, which they would soon join. A quick substitution was also considered as an alternative. And that’s exactly what happened. “The French team’s navigator had a license problem, so I quickly handled the administrative check-in and within a few minutes I was wearing his helmet, suit, and even his socks. I only had to quickly borrow size 47 boots from a crew that had already completed the prologue,” described Křípal.
Alongside driver Antoine Galland, they finished nineteenth in the T1.2 class buggy already in the first stage. “It’s incredible how they managed. Antony barely speaks English, and David doesn’t speak French. If they spoke Czech together, it would have been the same,” commented Ouředníček. “Later I learned some basic things about direction changes and distances in French, the rest was in English,” added Křípal with a smile.
While the car worked flawlessly at the beginning, in the subsequent very tough stages Křípal had the opportunity to confirm his reputation as a skilled mechanic and also that the team motto “never give up” still applies to him. “We had such technical problems that several times it nearly meant the end of our competition. In the desert, for example, a tire inflation hose burst, another time all the engine oil leaked out. But we always managed to pull through with all our strength,” described the navigator.
The biggest problem, however, hit the French-Czech crew in the last stage. “The wheel suspension broke off while driving. Fortunately, nothing happened to us, but the car had no brakes and no functioning steering. We lost two hours repairing it, then we got stuck and burned the clutch. Complete despair,” described the navigator.
Even in this situation, the crew managed to get the car moving and finished the last stage of the entire Dakar as the very last machine of the whole competition caravan. “I am very proud of David. He achieved an incredible score of five starts and five Dakar finishes,” highlights Tomáš Ouředníček.
Thank you for cheering us on
A high school student will race the Dakar
December 21, 2022, 4:55 PM
Current news from all regions of the Czech Republic. Events, interesting stories, topics from your region…
Video report: https://cnn.iprima.cz/porady/zpravy-z-regionu/stredoskolak-pojede-dakar
Breaking news: https://rouckova.cz
The 2023 route is only for the tough
Today the organizers revealed the 2023 route. It will be longer, more demanding, and as the organizer himself announces – only for the tough! Starting from Sea Camp on the shores of the Red Sea and ending on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, where competitors after a four-day Empty Quarter adventure, including a marathon stage, will discover the shores of the Arabian Gulf. The 45th edition of the Dakar is the toughest since the rally arrived in Saudi Arabia.
Link:
Dakar warriors Ouředníček and Křípal to saddle up the factory special Toyota Hilux Gazoo Racing
Seasoned Dakar veterans of the Czech ULTIMATE DAKAR team, Tomáš Ouředníček and David Křípal, will fulfill their next racing dream. From the 2023 season, they will have at their disposal the latest specification of the factory racing special Toyota Hilux GR T1+. “I am incredibly happy. Getting into a factory car is every driver’s dream,” says driver Tomáš Ouředníček.
Thanks to the support of Toyota Czech Republic, after a demanding approval process, the Czech racers will get their hands on a top-class machine that is conceptually identical to this year’s Dakar-winning car. “We worked hard for a long time to earn the opportunity to sit in a factory car. It is a great reward for our performance and perseverance. Our team motto ‘never give up’, which we still resolutely follow, certainly helped us,” added the driver.
The Dakar special of the T1+ category is coming from the South African workshops of the Toyota Gazoo Racing factory team. Czech mechanics have already completed their first week-long practical training to meet the strict service processes. “For a while it even looked like we could make it to the start of Rally Dakar 2023. However, negotiations and the entire approval process took so long that it is ultimately not possible for logistical reasons,” says Ouředníček, adding that together with David Křípal they will closely follow the factory team’s operations at Dakar 23 and prepare for the next racing season.
It will begin for the Czech crew in spring with intensive training in Spain and in African dunes. The first major competitive test will be at the end of April at the biggest African race, the Morocco Desert Challenge, where the team would like to build on their famous victory from 2017. Additionally, selected FIA World Championship, FIA World Cup, and FIA European Championship events are in the preliminary schedule. The crew wants to capitalize on all their experience at Rally Dakar 2024, and in the following season attempt to score points in the entire demanding World Championship series (FIA WRRC). “The fact that we will have the chance to proudly represent the Czech Republic and compete for the best possible results in world-class competition is a great honor and also a commitment for us,” concluded driver Tomáš Ouředníček.
Link to website: http://ultimatedakar.cz/novinky/
Olga Roučková is preparing for Dakar 2023.
Links:
CZECH SAMURAIS NEWSLETTER
This season we can witness one of the historic milestones, as a brand new Czech crew enters the most extreme race on the planet for the first time. It is Czech Samurais – Lostav racing team, which will be presented on October 10, 2022. Our family team will welcome a new racing car, a new support truck, and most importantly a crew with mechanics.
Compared to last year, the team will grow by 4 members. In 2022, the team consisted of 4 people – a driver, a navigator, and two mechanics.
Before we get to the full team presentation, here’s a little preview from the Roudnice workshops. Where engineers are assembling a Toyota Land Cruiser 90 and once again breathing life into our trusty Suzuki Samurai. In parallel, we are preparing team clothing, merch for fans, as well as a brand new visualization of all three vehicles, both racing cars and the support vehicle.
Key dates:
- Official team reveal October 10, 2022, then we will plan driving for the competition winner together
- Official team races, where we will reveal the design of racing cars, truck, and also clothing: Oct 28 – Oct 30 (the winner can be part of the current team here)
- Within 14 days after Oct 28, the Official team press conference will take place at OC Stromovka in Prague
- Equipment departure to France – Nov 25–30, 2022
- Team departure – Dec 28, 2022
- Dec 28–29, 2022 – Equipment pickup at Dakar
- Dec 29–30, 2022 – Final technical inspections
- Dec 31, 2022 – Prologue
- Jan 1–15, 2023 – DAKAR
- Jan 15, 2023 – Ceremony, award announcements
What do you think?
Photographer: Petr Šedivý, IG – @sedivyphotography, web – www.sedivyphotography.com
Source: https://rouckova.cz/
THREE YEARS WERE HELL. I’M SURPRISED I DIDN’T DIE OR RUN AWAY, SAYS OLGA ROUČKOVÁ.
The racer with the appearance of a delicate princess actually has not only a body of steel, but also nerves and willpower. This year she is preparing for her fourth Dakar and inspiring women who struggle to find confidence behind the wheel.
We met Ollie Roučková at the presentation of the project Women Rent Cars, of which she became the proud patron. The initiative aims not only to help women with personal mobility but to boost their confidence behind the wheel and teach them to wave off gender stereotypes. The likeable blonde could give university lectures about the latter. Fifteen years ago, she literally ‘pushed her way’ into the world of quad racing, where no girl had ever set foot. As the first woman, she began beating her male competitors decisively. In 2018, as the first Czech woman, she crossed the finish line of the Rallye Dakar, naturally on a quad. She repeated the world’s most famous endurance race two more times, once in a buggy and once behind the wheel of a Suzuki Samurai in the ‘veteran’ Classic category, again successfully. And on August 1, she announced on her Facebook page that she has been accepted for the 2023 edition. It would be hard to find a better example of strong willpower and healthy self-confidence, because however fairy-tale her story sounds, behind it lies a lot of bruises, pain, disappointment, and unimaginable hard work.
How confident was Ollie at eighteen in driving school?
Quite confident. It probably wasn’t proper, but I drove there in a car. (laughs) I was already riding a quad and they taught me to drive a car at home, so I drove to driving school like a big show-off via back roads. But when I was getting my motorcycle license before that, it wasn’t much of a triumph. There was this big heavy guy sitting behind me, I could barely carry him, the motorcycle wouldn’t go, I couldn’t see properly in the mirrors… The whole time I felt like I couldn’t do anything.
How did a quad come to mind as a teenager? Was anyone in the family equally obsessed, or was it friends?
Nobody at home was obsessed, mom had a Škoda 120 and a car was just a means to get to the doctor, go shopping, or on vacation. Motorcycles – no way, they weren’t even discussed at home, “that’s dangerous, you’re not getting on one.” But then I had one of my first dates and the boyfriend arrived on a quad. I wondered why he loved it so much, I needed to try it, and the petrol bug jumped over. That’s how it started.
Then you got something of your own…
First it was a 200cc Yamaha Blaster, two-stroke, so from today’s perspective absolute nonsense. But back then I was thrilled, that it was mine and I could ride. Then I switched to a four-stroke, that was more comfortable and I didn’t have to keep fixing things, which I couldn’t do at all. A Kawasaki 400 lasted me quite a while before I moved to the more powerful Raptor 700 also from Yamaha. That one stayed with me for fifteen years, only the engines were replaced.
But from riding around in the forest to racing is still quite a journey.
When I got a road-registered quad, we started doing expeditions and rides with a group of friends. I was the only one with a small quad with a rear rack and the guys had big quads, so they were always pulling me out of somewhere. I was constantly standing somewhere with a tow rope and it was incredibly demanding because I couldn’t ride properly, didn’t have proper equipment, and the guys thought it was hilarious. First we rode through Czechia, then we started going to Israel, Greece, Romania.
So it started as a hobby.
Exactly. For me it was an enormous freedom. I wasn’t dependent on anyone. I enjoyed riding alone and discovering – the mentality of people, the cuisine, everything. On a quad you can get to places you normally can’t. Eventually I got fed up with that and a friend pointed out that there were races somewhere. Information was hard to find back then. There wasn’t much internet, so mainly in newspapers. In the closed community, everyone looked at me quite strangely as a girl, the beginnings were really rough. I had absolutely terrible equipment, I crashed at every race, an ambulance regularly took me away. The first three years were hell, today I’m surprised I didn’t kill myself or give up.
How did you manage in a male-dominated group? Were you used to it?
There were girls who rode as backpack passengers, so I had some female company there. But none of them drove. Over time, maybe over six years, it changed a bit, then we had girls-only groups too. But since I was little, my friends have been mostly guys. Guys are more straightforward than girls. A guy will tell you straight up: look, you’re being stupid because… A girl plots. So even now I feel more comfortable among men. The only thing that always annoyed me was that I had to work much harder to keep up with them.
How much harder did you have to work?
When everyone was sleeping, I was training. I trained all the time. At the beginning I didn’t have a physiotherapist or a coach, so I just rode and lifted weights. I trained for four years for my first Dakar. Two years were exploratory, then they didn’t accept me and I worked even harder. It’s mainly about the mindset and about never giving up.
So you were getting beaten up at races for a few years, leaving by ambulance, and then something changed.
It changed when I got the opportunity to ride for a team that provided me with proper equipment. A great quad, proper clothing, a lightweight helmet. I started perfecting my riding even more. I went with racers, mainly motorcyclists, and before races we walked the track. I asked about everything, I learned to read the track and determine the ideal line. That helped me enormously too – that I wasn’t too lazy to walk maybe ten kilometers like that.
Did you meet any women at the races?
Not at the beginning, I was a complete anomaly. It started maybe seven years ago. It’s wonderful to watch young female racers grow up and pursue their goals. And I’m very glad I can be a role model for them.
What reactions do you perceive from your male colleagues?
At the beginning there was nothing. Just ride with us, move aside and don’t get in the way. So I didn’t get in the way, didn’t crash into anyone and didn’t change my line, which is the basics. Then I started overtaking them and they noticed. When we raced the national championship and I won, I felt a lot of rivalry. The guys couldn’t wrap their heads around how a girl who’s like a racing greyhound among bulldogs could go that fast. I still feel they don’t quite accept it.
After so many years you must surely have their respect.
I hope so. But I don’t really notice it. I do my thing, I know why I do what I do. You can’t let these things get to you.
Do you have friends among the racers?
I do, from the Dakar I have friends for life and death, because we met in very intense situations. When a guy is lying under a motorcycle and doesn’t know what’s happening, you’re reviving him – those are unforgettable moments. For example, the wife of one motorcyclist, who by the way is a physics and math teacher who gave himself the Dakar as a gift, always waited at the end of the stage with snacks for him and for me. These are almost family bonds that I have all over the world.
This year you’ll race the Dakar in a car for the second time. Does that mean the quad is definitively passé?
I rode one just the day before yesterday and I have to say something a bit harsh. I don’t miss the handlebars, on the contrary I’ve really started enjoying the steering wheel and a car. It’s something completely different. I’m probably at an age where I want to be safe, I’m not such a daredevil anymore. I’m not hanging up the quad just yet, I’ll definitely do some races for fun, but now I mainly want to drive a car. I want to race at full throttle while being more careful. Also so that my family can have peace of mind.
Do you even have time for life outside racing?
At the beginning, not really. With the quad, only the quad existed. Especially my girlfriends – yes, I have female friends too – it took them a long time to understand why I didn’t have time to go for coffee, to the cinema, on vacation. I had incredibly hard training and it was equally hard for me to raise money, I needed to earn millions to do one race. But they eventually accepted it. Those who didn’t, left my life. But now I have time for my personal life too. I treat racing as a job that I love, but when I’m off, I’m off and I simply don’t answer the phone.
Aren’t you a bit weird to your girlfriends?
I’ve always been weird and always will be. They’re weird to me too. (laughs) But they’ve learned to live with the alien. They already know that a quad tire for Christmas will make me happy, and I’ve learned to buy a handbag.
Do you maintain any girly dimension in your life?
At home I’m definitely a girl. I cook, I clean, but the rest is on my husband. I’m not going to fix cars or nail shelves. I’m a completely normal woman, I just have a weird job.
What does your husband say about racing? Isn’t he scared?
Of course he’s scared. The first Dakar was fine. He didn’t know yet what it was about. He said to go for a ride. (laughs) Then he saw it on TV and got scared. Now we have a deal – when I don’t call, everything’s fine. When I call, there’s a problem. There were fractures, I was in the hospital, I know he was scared, but he never told me “forget about it.”
And what does he say about the purely male company in motorsport?
This is a bit tricky. It probably doesn’t do any relationship good. But I don’t really talk about the guys from work at home. For me it’s work. When I go for a ride, I go for a ride, and that’s it for me.
What kind of driver are you in civilian life?
I’m Miss Daisy’s driver. I drive slowly, calmly, though sometimes I do get wound up and I can throw my Transporter into a drift. But I let off enough steam at races that I don’t want to kill myself in civilian life. When I see what drivers do now… Every other one is staring at their phone, not watching the road. When I’m driving someone, I won’t text, I’ll pull over for that. If they took my license, I couldn’t race either. But to this day I can’t park and don’t want to learn. I always need a huge parking space! (laughs)
Photographer: Petr Šedivý, IG – @sedivyphotography, web – www.sedivyphotography.com
Source: https://www.denik.cz/
CZECH SAMURAIS DAKAR 2023 – WE’RE GOING TOGETHER
“Hi, the most demanding race on the planet, the Dakar Rally, is approaching and the Czech Samurais team will be at the start for the FOURTH time. I would very much like to stand at the start alongside you, as in previous years! For the upcoming 2023 edition, we have many changes prepared, let’s look together at the individual changes/preparations/team development,” says Ollie Roučková.
Dakar 2023 – two crews!:
For the next edition of the Dakar Rally, our Czech Samurais team will expand with a second racing crew, but our expansion doesn’t stop there – to have the best possible comfort, we acquired a support truck along with a press car, which will provide facilities for drivers, but mainly transport all the components we absolutely need for the Dakar.
- New crew – Ondřej Martinec and Toyota
- New crew composition for Suzuki Samurai
- New support truck
- New press car
- New advertising space for partners (support truck, press car, team facilities – tents, flags, floors: all of this is fully at your disposal)
- New team facilities (bigger, nicer, more elaborate with team partners)
- New challenges – we’re going for first places in the Classic category
–Ondřej Martinec with Toyota – Classic H2 Category
– Ollie Roučková with Suzuki Samurai – Classic H1 Category (we are still waiting for the rules to be published, we are interested in racing in the new original category)
- The team will grow by 4 new members and two cars (Dakar 2022 consisted of – a driver, co-driver and 2 mechanics, 1 support van, 1 Suzuki Samurai)
– Dakar 2023, people – 2 crews, 4 mechanics, 2 journalists
– Dakar 2023, cars – 1 Suzuki Samurai, 1 Toyota, 1 support truck, 1 press car - New team rally regularity racing car – VW Golf 2 (with this car we will race across the Czech Republic so we don’t damage the Dakar equipment)
Dakar days in the Czech Republic – we are newly planning custom-tailored Rally events with Czech Samurais:
- for fans
- for partners
- for companies
- for journalists / press / radio
Czech Samurais Dakar Exhibition:
Our cooperation doesn’t end with the Dakar; we will participate with the entire Samurai exhibition in various shows/events across the Czech Republic. Both during preparations for the Dakar in 2022 and especially after Dakar 2023.
Will you join us for the brand new season/Dakar 2023?
Source: https://rouckova.cz/
PODCAST CELISKA #vApexu [CELIŠKA IN THE APEX]
🦊 Podcast Celiska #vApexu [celiška in the apex]: Want to discover spicy stories no one has ever heard? Opinions and perspectives on various topics and life experiences of the most interesting personalities connected by a passion for the smell of gasoline and life on two wheels? Then the show Celiska #vApexu is for you, but it’s not just about motorcycles! Eliška Coufalová, a motorcycle riding instructor and a prominent figure of the Czech moto scene, gets under the skin of the most interesting guests in her podcast. Ride #vApexu with us.
👉 Project STROPcast: STROPcast is the first Czech podcast platform under the wings of the STROP media film production. We simply want to support and give space to those who have something to say. We decided to help them create interesting content that entertains us, and we believe it will entertain you too. Let’s create and support this unique project together.
Source: https://rouckova.cz/
ULTIMATE DAKAR AT THE LEGENDY FESTIVAL 2022
The biggest motorsport festival Legendy resumed its finest tradition after a forced two-year pandemic break. Real automotive gems were on display in the renovated part of the Holešovice exhibition grounds. The ULTIMATEDAKAR team has not missed a single edition of this festival and, together with its partners, prepared a large exhibition again this year.
Fortunately, the changeable weather settled on Saturday into sunshine, blue skies, and pleasant warmth. Saturday visitors eagerly poured into the entire grounds and admired the beautiful machines. Initial estimates suggest attendance of up to 25,000 visitors, and the Dakar exhibition’s activity reflected that. A rainy Sunday slightly reduced the influx of fans, but there was all the more room to enjoy the entire exhibition at a slower pace.
Tomáš Ouředníček was a guest of the SPEED stage and in the afternoon also of the Garáž.cz stage, where he revealed the team’s upcoming plans. Pleasant meetings with partners, hundreds of poster signings, demonstrations of Dakar technology, handshakes with fans, many group photos – the team didn’t stop all day.
The Junior buggy YAMAHA of the team’s youngest driver Matěj Ouředníček was also a big attraction. Many parents of children who tried sitting in the buggy inquired about how to start their children’s racing careers. Many lovers of fast wheels also tried sitting in the Dakar car Toyota Landcruiser 120 and admired the support Toyotas in detail. The centerpiece of the exhibition was once again the team’s service vehicle Ford F-750 Funmover, whose guided tour was widely enjoyed by fans.
Everyone also wanted to say hello to David Křípal, who however was presenting awards at a young mechanics competition in Bratislava at the same time, and so he couldn’t enjoy the Legendy festival with his team. “We fully enjoyed the amazing friendly atmosphere. Nothing can replace personal meetings with partners and fans, and the festival really charged us with energy for further work,” evaluates the demanding weekend Tomáš Ouředníček. With great exaggeration, the team also presented the “new team racing car.” The Traxxas Slash ULTIMATE 1:10 4×4 model in the team’s racing design attracted well-deserved attention not only from children.
The real, new, full-scale 1:1 Dakar special will be presented to fans by the ULTIMATE DAKAR team in the summer.
Photo: ULTIMATE DAKAR, Martin Blažek, Jaroslav Blažek, Ondřej Čapka, Vojtěch Konopištský
Source: http://ultimatedakar.cz/
A GOLDEN START TO THE NEW SEASON FOR ULTIMATE DAKAR
The 2022 racing season was launched with the RIVERSIDE BAJA race in the Hungarian Papoc–Kapuvar area. This event is part of not only the Hungarian championship but also the FIA Central Europe Zone (CEZ).
Tomáš Ouředníček and navigator David Křípal unexpectedly seized this opportunity. The ULTIMATE DAKAR team with the support of Jihlava-based Toyota HS Automobil had prepared their TOYOTA LandCruiser 120 for a new international client, but he was ultimately unable to participate for personal reasons, and our Czech crew decided at the last minute to test the T2 category car in a competitive race.
“We decided to use our favorite Hungarian event RiverSide Baja to test new tires from the company Pneu Kafka and try out a new suspension setup,” commented Tomáš Ouředníček on the last-minute decision. “We had never raced in the T2 category and that’s why I was looking forward to how we’d tackle this challenge, especially in the tough conditions of a muddy track,” added navigator David Křípal.
The weather forecast for Hungary was very bad, and in reality the track after intensive rain was even worse than expected. Moreover, harsh conditions were compounded by a strong icy wind. After passing the technical inspections, the race began with two short special stages. Already in the first one, our crew managed to overtake their competitor in a Toyota Landcruiser 200 (V8), who had started a minute ahead of them. In the next stage, the lead was increased further, so the Czech crew could count on a time advantage in the Saturday stages and begin testing various setups and swapping between two different tire sets.
The track slowly began to dry due to strong wind, it wasn’t supposed to rain anymore, but it started snowing lightly in the last special stage. The fifth special stage was completely canceled after a motorcycle accident. The Czech Toyota Landcruiser endured even this broken and muddy track, reaching a top speed of 162 km/h on fast sections, reliably finished the race and won all special stages.
Tomáš Ouředníček and David Křípal, with a comfortable lead of 14:31, won 1st place in their T2 category and scored maximum points in both the FIA CEZ Central European Championship and the Hungarian Championship.
The second crew with a Hummer H3evo had both bad luck and good luck. The car of the Romanian crew Mihai Ban – Ion Catalin had arrived at RiverSide practically straight from the Dakar rally. For logistical reasons, it was not possible to transport the car for service and overhaul to the UltimateDakar workshops in the Czech Republic. Mihai Ban decided to simply start without inspecting the car. After completing the first special stage (4th place T1), the engine started making sounds that foreshadowed the end of their race. Team mechanics attempted to open the engine and after a long examination, the fault and cause of the knocking was found: a seized timing mechanism. If a spare part had been available, the repair would have been simple, but at this point it meant the end of the race for the Romanians. Great fortune that this didn’t happen at the Dakar!
“After a long time in the cabin of a racing car and for the very first time in T2. It was a valuable experience, I think we fine-tuned the car and obtained new data about tires and suspension, I enjoyed David’s perfect navigation. It’s a shame our Romanian crew didn’t finish, but I’m also very pleased with the T1 result and overall standings, where Mirek Zapletal with Marek Sýkora won.” evaluates Tomáš Ouředníček
Navigator David Křípal adds: “A spacious and quiet cabin, well-tuned suspension, but obviously much lower pace than what we’re used to from T1. The Landcruiser is a reliable machine and Tomáš and I enjoyed the race. First place is a beautiful reward. After a long time, we put together a reliable group of excellent and honest mechanics and our success is definitely a great compliment to them.”
Source: http://ultimatedakar.cz/
RALLYE ÚSLAVA 2022 – PREMIERE WITH A NEW FEMALE NAVIGATOR! WOMEN’S TEAM FOR DAKAR 2023
“This girl raced her first rally the day before yesterday. She finished twentieth.
I present to you my new female navigator for Dakar 2023,” that’s how Ollie Roučková from the Czech Samurais team announced, as they say while still hot, immediately after finishing the Revival Rallye Úslava 2022, the change of her navigator. Well, a female navigator…
On March 25 and 26, 2022, the fourth edition of the motorsport competition Revival Rallye Úslava 2022 took place. It was again special stages in the form of regularity driving, i.e. maintaining the prescribed driving average in a given section. Spectators saw interesting cars from veterans with a year of manufacture before 1945 to contemporary vehicles.
Ollie Roučková took to the start with her Dakar special Suzuki Samurai. The Dakar special, thanks to its date of manufacture, fell into category C; the starting field was truly packed, big racing names sparkled with racing gems. The girls handled the rally more than well, finishing 8th in the category, 20th overall.
“Our journey began right at Rally Úslava, when I sat in the navigator’s seat for the very first time, basically going into the unknown. I had never done any regularity competition. I was getting familiar with the navigation instruments early in the morning before the Rally, when Robert Knobloch taught me to use them. Ollie and I are best friends, training partners, and we really enjoyed the race. It’s just a shame I overlooked one checkpoint that catapulted us from a podium position to eighth. That really upsets me. Next time I know what to watch out for,” answered our new navigator when asked what the very first Rally in the navigator’s seat was like.
- Women’s team for Dakar 2023
- 8th place in category C
- 20th place overall
- Rally Úslava Blovice
- CAR – SUZUKI SAMURAI
BLONDE SAMURAI WOMEN’S TEAM FOR DAKAR 2023
Rally Úslava kicked off the long road to the starting ramp of Rally DAKAR 2023, you can follow how the all-female team performs on the social media pages of Czech Samurais and on the website www.rouckova.cz.
How the navigator, for whom rally is just a hobby because her civilian job is a movement therapist, will improve or worsen, you can find out at the next rally in which the “blonde samurai women” will start, which should be:
May 20 and 21, 2022 – Rallye Český Krumlov Revival
Complete information including the final press release can be found on the website: https://rouckova.cz/novinky/
Photographer: Petr Šedivý, IG – @sedivyphotography, web – www.sedivyphotography.com
Source: https://rouckova.cz/
Follow Dakar 2022 with us
SAMURAI HISTORICALLY FINISHES DAKAR FOR THE SECOND TIME
“Remember that even the hardest hour in your life has only 60 minutes. For us it was the hardest 8,000 km, but also the time we spent in the workshop, where together and with your help we built from absolute scrap “racing” special… Thank you all for the support!!! Samík did it and we with him, our little Suzuki Samurai 1.3. f
I’m bringing home an overall 128th place across categories in the “Classics”. Nothing to be ashamed of, after all we started from absolute zero. On the contrary, I’m proud of our team for everything we achieved! Now we know that in the next edition we can compete with the top, that we have what it takes. And that’s the most important thing.
Thank you so much for your support in this year’s Dakar rally, without you we wouldn’t be standing at the finish!!!!! I’m looking forward to more racing together, events, and lots more racing fun.” – Ollie Roučková
Complete information including the final press release can be found on the website: https://rouckova.cz/novinky/
Information from previous Rally Dakar editions can be found in the article