Instaforex Loprais Team starts Silk Way Rally with two crews

The organizing team of the July 9-16 Silk Way Rally has released the starting list of the truck category consisting of 36 crews, which is the highest number in the rally’s history, including the two crews of InstaForex Loprais Team with Ales Loprais and Tomas Vratny (Bonver Dakar Team).

Already the first look at the starting list makes the Dakar fan happy, though even much more stunning competition is heading towards the Dakar 2012 in South America. One famous name has left the starting grids – Vladimir Chagin quit his racing career and will play a different role within the Kamaz team. Another big name has joined the rally – Hans Stacey returns. The winner of Dakar 2007 and Transorientale with Central Europe Rally will drive an Iveco special for Team de Rooy.

The local “sbornaya kommanda” of the Kamaz Team fields as many as seven (!) crews and places emphasis on the coming young generation of drivers after Chagin’s departure. Team’s No. 1 is last year’s winner, Eduard Nikolaev starting with the lowest number 300. Nikolaev also receives Chagin’s navigator, Sergey Savostin, who is full of experience after 15 years of racing at the top. Another Russian crew is lead by the experienced Firdaus Kabirov and the young Ayrat Mardeev whose father, Ilgizar, will be the team’s rapid assistance. The Cummins-powered Kamaz in Astana colors will be driven by Artur Ardavichus. For the Russians, Silk Way Rally is a great opportunity to test new crew members before actually sending them to the big Dakar. The Dutch squad is numerous this year. Team de Rooy sends two Iveco trucks driven by Hans Stacey and the Frenchman, Joseph Adua. Ginaf Rally Power starts in Russia for the first time and will field two trucks with Wuf and Edwin Van Ginkel. Team Veka MAN fields two trucks, with Peter Versluis and Pascal de Baar, with the support of a very fast Man truck of Toni Maurer Motorsports driven by the experienced Franz Echter.

From Hollnad, there will also be Johan Elfrink in his fast Mercedes Axor. Also the Czech participation is large – 4 Tatra trucks and 2 Liaz make the highest number of Czech trucks in the rally’s history. Ales Loprais will drive under the prestige starting number of 301, Tomas Vratny with 319. Ales Loprais will also introduce a new racing special. There will also be the Belarussian MAZ factory team and the fast Hungarian, Zoltan Kovacs.

(source: www.loprais.cz ; http://www.marathonrally.com/news/silk_way_rally_starting_list_of_the_trucks_offers_a_very_hard_competition_2011.18552.0.html)