Dakar 2024 // SS6: The first Dakar week ends with the 48h chrono stage

Dakar 2024 // SS6: The first Dakar week ends with the 48h chrono stage

01/12/2024

  • 17th place for Ignacio Casale in the Challenger classification
  • Holowczyc and Zala have to abandon stage

The new 48h chrono stage had been eagerly awaited. However, this sixth stage of the Dakar 2024 was not lucky for the X-raid team. The two X-raid 1000R Turbo side-by-sides of Ignacio Casale / Alvaro Leon and Annett Quandt / Annie Seel made it to the finish of the 549-kilometre stage. The Chilean duo secured 17th place, while the two ladies finished in 29th place.

Vaidotas Zala and Paulo Fiuza, who had enjoyed a successful Dakar so far, damaged their vehicle so badly after a heavy impact that they had to abandon the stage. Krzysztof Holowczyc and Lukasz Kurzeja were unlucky on several occasions. At the beginning of the stage, they collided with a side-by-side behind a dune. It took several hours to free the two vehicles. Later, the clutch broke down and the Polish duo had to spend the night in the middle of the dunes by the vehicle.

Pál Lónyai’s body did not want to play along. In the endless sea of sand and dunes of the “Empty Quarter”, he became sea or dune sick. He decided not to continue the sixth stage today and returned to the team early.

Tomorrow the riders can recover from the exertions of the past few days. The rest day in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh is coming up. Sleeping in, interviews and discussions with the team and engineers are the items on the programme for tomorrow. The service crew cannot rest. The vehicles are almost completely dismantled and prepared for the second week of the Dakar.

Quotes of the drivers

Vaidotas Zala (#214 MINI JCW Rally Plus):
“We had to abandon the 48h chrono stage. A collision on a dune had damaged one of our front suspension parts. We tried to drive on a bit, but in the end it was not possible to finish the stage. However, X-raid will repair the car and we will finish the remaining stages – as a matter of principle.”

Ignacio Casale (#309 X-raid 1000R Turbo):
“We have finished the 48h chrono stage. It was a tough stage where we had some problems with the gearbox. In the camp where we slept, we were able to solve the problem after five hours of work. And today, 100 kilometres before the finish, the four-wheel drive failed and we had to cover the dunes without it. It cost us a lot to reach the finish, but we were able to complete the famous 48h chrono stage. It was really very difficult and we are very tired.”

Dakar 2024 result SS6 (Challenger-class)
1. E. Goczal / O. Mena – Taurus – 7h 50m 44s
2. M. Goczal / S. Gospodarczyk – Taurus – 8h 06m 29s
3. C. Gutierrez / P. Moreno – Taurus – 8h 09m 40s
4. F. Lopez / J. Latrach – Can-Am – 8h 13m 04
5. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Taurus – 8h 13m 16s

17. I. Casale / A. Leon – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 10h 22m 00s

29. A. Quandt / A. Seel – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 13h 55m 25s

Overall standings (Challenger-class)
1. E. Goczal / O. Mena – Taurus – 26h 52m 02s
2. M. Guthrie / K. Walch – Taurus – 27h 54m 20s
3. C. Gutierrez / P. Moreno – Taurus – 28h 18m 36s
4. F. Lopez / J. Latrach – Can-Am – 28h 18m 54s
5. A. Jones / G. Gugelmin – Can-Am – 28h 42m 14s

23. A. Quandt / A. Seel – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 42h 41m 24s

26. I. Casale / A. Leon – X-raid 1000R Turbo – 61h 47m 59s

Back to list

X-raid Partners

  • MINI
  • John Cooper Works
  • 3.2.1 Perform
  • Baud Industries
  • BF Goodrich
  • Eldorado.gg
  • Humbility
  • PRF Gas Solutions
  • RAVENOL
  • RECARO
  • Reiger Suspension
  • Sparco S.p.A.
X-raid Partners

© 2025 X-raid Team.

X-raid Team