Dakar 2024 // SS5: Zala continues to work his way forward
01/10/2024
- Ninth place in the Ultimate classification today
- New 48h chrono stage tomorrow
Vaidotas Zala and Paulo Fiuza also manage to score points on the fifth stage to Shubaytah with a consistent driving style. On the 118 kilometres through the sea of dunes of the “Empty Quarter”, the MINI JCW Rally Plus crew achieved ninth place in the Ultimate classification. In the overall standings, Zala and Fiuza gained a position and are now in eighth place. Krzysztof Holowczyc and Lukaksz Kurzeja crossed the finish line in 34th place.
For Ignacio Casale and Alvaro Leon in the X-raid 1000R Turbo, it looked like another top position for a long time. However, they lost a lot of time in the final kilometres and ultimately had to settle for 25th place. His team-mates Annett Quandt and Annie Seel finished the stage in 31st place, followed by Pal Lonyai and Filippo Ippolito in the third X-raid 1000R Turbo.
After the Dakar had only briefly visited the dunes over the past few days, the full dune programme was on the agenda today. The 118-kilometre stage took the crews into the “Empty Quarter”, where there is little more than sand.
But that was just a foretaste of the next two days. Thursday and Friday also have “dunes galore” on the programme. However, the conditions will be even tougher. A special marathon stage has to be mastered. During the 48h chrono stage, the participants will have to spend the night in bivouacs in the desert without their teams and without any connection to the outside world. The pilots will not know exactly how the two days have gone for them until they cross the finish line on Friday.
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Quotes of the drivers
Vaidotas Zala (#214 MINI JCW Rally Plus):
“Today we got a taste of the 48h chrono stage that awaits us. It will be very demanding! The dunes are no joke – the average speed is low and it’s hot. The next two days will be about survival!”
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Dakar 2024 – result SS5 (Ultimate-class)
1. N. Al-Attiyah / M. Baumel – Prodrive – 1h 37m 25s
2. G. Chicherit / A. Winocq – Toyota – 1h 39m 16s
3. J. Yacopini / D. Oliveras – Toyota – 1h 39m 23s
4. Y. Al-Rajhi / T. Gottschalk – Toyota – 1h 39m 25s
5. G. de Mevius / X. Panseri – Toyota – 1h 40m 33s
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9. V. Zala / P. Fiuza – MINI JCW Rally Plus – 1h 43m 40s
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35. K. Holowczyc / L. Kurzeja – MINI JCW Rally Plus – 1h 53m 37s
Overall standings (Ultimate-class)
1. Y. Al-Rajhi / T. Gottschalk – Toyota – 17h 24m 04s
3. N. Al-Attyiah / M. Baumel – Prodrive – 17h 33m 07s
2. C. Sainz / L. Cruz – Audi – 17h 35m 35s
4. M. Ekström / E. Bergkvist – Audi – 17h 47m 02s
5. M. Serradori / L. Minaudier – Century – 17h 55m 04s
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7. V. Zala / P. Fiuza – MINI JCW Rally Plus – 18h 01m 11s
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50. K. Holowczyc / L. Kurzeja – MINI JCW Rally Plus – 50h 06m 25s
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Dakar 2024 result SS5 (Challenger-class)
1. F. Lopez / J. Latrach – Can-Am – 1h 40m 47s
2. A. Jones / G. Gugelmin – Can-Am – 1h 42m 51s
3. E. Goczal / O. Mena – Taurus – 1h 42m 53s
4. N. Cavigliasso / V. Pertegarini – Taurus – 1h 44m 25s
5. S. Alsaif / N. Alkuwari – OT3 – 1h 44m 46s
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25. I. Casale / A. Leon – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 2h 01m 45s
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31. A. Quandt / A. Seel – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 2h 09m 53s
32. P. Lonyai / F. Ippolito – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 2h 10m 46s
Overall standings (Challenger-class)
1. E. Goczal / O. Mena – Taurus – 19h 01m 18s
2. M. Goczal / M. Marton – Taurus – 19h 36m 08s
3. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Taurus – 19h 41m 04s
4. F. Lopez / J. Latrach – Can-Am – 20h 05m 50s
5. A. Jones / G. Gugelmin – Can-Am – 20h 06m 30s
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30. A. Quandt / A. Seel – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 28h 45m 59s
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33. I. Casale / A. Leon – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 51h 25m 59s
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35. P. Lonyai / F. Ippolito – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 56h 30m 07s
