Silk Way Rally 2012: Loprais preparations + Video

LopraisMANtesting2012

InstaForex Eurol Veka Team Tops the SWR 2012 Preparations by Testing Session in Slovakia

Under a close supervision of Peter Verluis, Eurol Veka MAN team owner and an experienced racing pilot himself, Ales Loprais was chasing the red MAN special for 800 kilometers of a grueling test ride in Slovak sands. Fans can distinguish some visual changes in the truck appearance: Ales is using his own wheels, which he previously used on his Tatra trucks since 2008, and the logos of Ales’ main partners, including the general partner of InstaForex, are pasted on the truck as well. Therefore, this year’s Silk Way Rally will be driven by Ales in a joint team called InstaForex Eurol Veka.

Speaking of the race crew, Ales will use an international crew, with an experienced navigator, Serge Bruynkens of Belgium, and mechanic Frank Deenen of the Netherlands. It is Ales’ second international crew after two races driven with Jaro Miskolci of Slovakia.

The entire racing fleet will be dispatched from the team base in Holland on July 3. At the same time, the Frenstat’s base of Loprais team will be left by the assistance Tatra 4×4 called “Philharmony” with a sleeping and conference capacity. “Me and other race crews will fly all the way to the start in Moscow on July 5,” Ales says.

However, one Tatra truck will not be missing in the lineup of the racing crews. Svoboda Team will join efforts with Ales Loprais for this year in Russia and therefore the traditional orange color will be replaced by the red-and-white team markup. “This year we drive together. The Svoboda Team made a hard debut in Russia last year and managed to finish the race. Before that, the team was well known in smaller races and the Czech truck trial. This time, they will use our FRT – Loprais Shocks absorbers, which should make the much faster on the track. We’ll see. I am certainly looking forward to this cooperation,” Ales adds.

Needless to say, fans should not miss a thing of this year’s SWR. The race will be broadcasted by Eurosport to all European countries. In addition to that, Eurol Veka MAN team will have its own film crew and one cameraman will accompany also the Loprais squad. Press cars will include also the team doctor and Loprais’ physiotherapist who will look after Ales’ spine and muscles after each stage.

Silk way rally 2012 is also the first racing event, in which Ales Loprais will represent the Dakar edition of Edox watches as their exclusive ambassador.

The race will start on July 7, 2012 on the Red Square of Moscow and conclude after 8 tough stages in Gelendzhik near the olympic Sochi.

Source: Jiri Vintr/Loprais Team

VIDEO: http://loprais.cz/loprais/index.php?obsah=zobraz&id_clanku=818