The Dakar truck category could well be called ‘Formula KAMAZ’. And it is that the domain of the Russian firm is so great that seeing a winner with a vehicle of another brand is impossible. It even seems complicated that someone who does not wear the blue tones that define KAMAZ sneaks into the final podium of the rally. In the 44th edition of the Dakar Rally, KAMAZ’s performance has been undeniable, defeating his rivals by ‘crushing’. This is the only way to achieve a 1-2-3-4 in the final classification leaving the fifth classified to three hours.
With the new KAMAZ truck flying through the desert to the rhythm of the first motorcycle and car swords, the only doubt that there was was knowing which driver of the Russian firm was going to take the Dakar 2022. Dmitry Sotnikov started as the rival to beat after winning the Dakar 2021, but the truth is that the competition was much tougher. The return of Eduard Nikolaev with four Dakar victories behind him and the presence of Andrey Karginov in the team, this one with two ‘Touareg’, made things difficult for the youngest driver in the formation.
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The thirteen partial victories corresponding to the prologue and the twelve stages have been for the KAMAZ pilots. And in the first week of the race it was clear that the bear skin was going to sell very expensive. Eduard Nikolaev scored the prologue and the fourth stage, while Andrey Karginov won the second, fifth and sixth stages, although his problems in the fourth special left him out of the real fight for the ‘Touareg’ after losing more than an hour and a half.
Dmitry Sotnikov managed to win the critical first stage and the third with a positive balance for his interests until the rest day. In fact, Sotnikov closed the first half of the rally with a 10-minute lead over Nikolaev, a circumstance that allowed the reigning Dakar champion take on an exchange of blows with your partner. In fact, leaving aside the seventh stage, the only one won by Anton Shibalov, the rest of the specials were divided between the two great protagonists of the Dakar.
And in this direct duel, Sotnikov managed to nullify all of Nikolaev’s attacks until reaching the last stage with an advantage of 8 minutes and 18 seconds. Sufficient income, since Dmitry still had the strength to win the last special stage of the rally and confirm his final victory. An even sweeter success than the one achieved last year because of the level of competition, but above all places Dmitry Sotnikov as the new tsar of KAMAZ in the Dakar with two consecutive ‘Touareg’.