The KMAMK Team finished the legendary Dakar 2022 rally in the Dakar Classic competition, which consisted of vintage cars manufactured before 1999. In 2022, 142 cars started in the Dakar Classic category.
The KMAMK team participated in the Dakar Rally on a Renault Kerax D-50 4×4 sports truck with an engine volume of 12.8 liters and a power of about 700 hp.
First pilot
Second pilot
Mechanic
The Team’s Start number 913
KMAMK Team results
in the H1Т light trucks group
in the Dakar Classic competition
| Stage | 1А | 1В | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage results | 110 | 68 | — | 116 | 105 | 110 | 96 | 98 | 109 | 79 | 81 | 92 | 100 |
| General ranking | 110 | 68 | 68 | 93 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 88 | 88 | 80 | 78 | 77 | 77 |
Day 14 | Stage 12 | Finish
The Team’s current ranking
Day 13 | Stage 11
The Team’s current ranking
Day 12 | Stage 10
The Team’s current ranking
Day 11 | Stage 9
The Team’s current ranking
Despite the intricate course today, we navigated the race without major technical difficulties. The mechanics’ tireless efforts until late last night on the Renault Kerax paid off. The truck handled well today. We traversed an intriguing speed track, multiple navigation zones, and some desert routes. Overall, we covered nearly 600 kilometers, achieving exceptional results on the speed sections!
Day 10 | Stage 8
The Team’s current ranking
With each passing day, the Dakar rally is getting more and more difficult. Equipment is reaching its limits, and participants are teetering on the brink of exhaustion. Yet, they persevere.
Today’s itinerary spanned over 700 kilometres. Our team departed early but will return to the bivouac late in the evening.
The Ukrainian crew of KMAMК made a promising start, securing favourable results on the initial scoring sections. However, as the route traversed sand dunes, the truck once again displayed hiccups in the desert. The Kerax underwent repairs until late yesterday, and today, the Ukrainian crew worked their magic on the truck right in the desert. They dug out the “beast” from the sand trap by deflating the tires, allowing us to proceed. Then, the transmission malfunctioned again. Certain gears wouldn’t engage, and at times, the clutch completely failed. Serhii Martovenko had more thrills than ever today. Despite the setbacks, the crew managed to get the equipment operational to complete the entire scoring distance of the day. Now, they face another 300 kilometres through the desert to reach the bivouac.
Day 9 | Stage 7
The Team’s current ranking
An early start at 4:45 AM.
The 3.5-hour transfer proved quite exhausting for the participants, followed by another full day of hellish competition on exceptionally challenging desert roads and off-road terrain. As predicted, each day presents new hurdles.
Our crew covered nearly 550 kilometres today, encountering fresh challenges at every turn. Speed sections, navigation challenges, and dangerous sections for tires tested our limits. If it weren’t for Serhii Malyk’s expertise, the Renault Kerax would have been performing backflips over the desert. The team miraculously managed to escape a situation that threatened their Dakar journey. Yesterday’s surgery on the truck yielded positive results. The gearbox performed better, though it occasionally seemed on the verge of failure. The engine, on the other hand, proved more capricious, still not delivering its full potential.
Day 8 | Rest Day
The Team’s current ranking
Today marks a rest day at the Dakar marathon, but there’s plenty of work to be done in the bivouac (the area where teams and vehicles are located). This applies to most participants, including the Ukrainians – the crew of Serhii Malyk, Lyubomyr Shumakov, and Serhii Martovenko.
Throughout the day, the team has been working on repairing the transmission, engine, and hydraulic system of the Renault Kerax truck. The hydraulics, in particular, enable tire pressure adjustment, raising or lowering it depending on road conditions. However, this system has been malfunctioning for some time. Today, with more time dedicated to working on the vehicle, a thorough diagnosis was conducted. It turned out that a few days ago, on a rugged rocky road, the hydraulic system sustained damage. This malfunction has been rectified today.
Nevertheless, work continues on the engine and transmission. Pinpointing the gear shifting malfunction remains a challenge. As a result, the truck struggles with lower gears. This significantly complicates vehicle handling in slow, challenging off-road sections, which are abundant on Dakar.
Six scoring days are behind us, with an equal number ahead. However, the second half doesn’t promise to be any easier. On the contrary, based on the briefing today, tomorrow’s stage is expected to be even more demanding than the previous ones. In the Dakar Classic category, the first cars will depart the bivouac at 4:45 AM! This is why the briefing for participants was held today at 6:00 PM instead of the usual 8:00 PM. The mechanics still have time until morning, while the athletes can gather their energy and try to get some early rest.
Day 7 | Stage 6
The Team’s current ranking
A new stage, new challenges! Serhii Malyk, Lyubomyr Shumakov, and Serhii Martovenko continue to fight difficult routes, off-road, and deserts of Saudi Arabia. It seems that the engine and gearbox are trying to further strengthen the scenario of the organisers. As of today, 5 cylinders out of 6 are working in the power unit.
The entire lower row of the gearbox failed, which led to immersion in desert sands. On one of the dunes, the Kerax did not have enough low speed and the truck simply sank into the sand. The car had to be simply dug out, but this unpleasant situation showed how competitors become the most loyal friends when you need them. Friends from France, Team holeshot compétition on a MAN truck, helped to pull out the truck of the Ukrainian crew. And finally, we reached the equator! Tomorrow is one day of rest. And then? Then there are still as many exhausting kilometres.
Day 6 | Stage 5
The Team’s current ranking
The KMAMК crew made every effort to return the lost positions from previous stages.
The truck has problems with the gearbox and the engine, which takes more and more time to repair. The team, in turn, is doing everything possible to catch up on the lost minutes. Today, in the standings in their class, they moved up to 11th place.
Due to the absence of the organiser’s helicopter and some other rescue services, a large scoring section of the route was cancelled. As a result, all cars of the Dakar Classic category were sent back to the bivouac, which is located in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, for these three days.
On the 6th day, the participants of the rally-raid are at the limit of their strength, the transport is on reserve power, and the equator of the competition is still not visible… we hope that tomorrow we will cross this psychological and kilometre milestone. But this day will definitely not be easier.
Day 5 | Stage 4
The Team’s current ranking
This was a very difficult distance. Today, the KMAMК team finally realised that with each passing day, the organisers add even more pepper to this marathon. The competition distance is increasing, the difficulty of the roads is increasing to the maximum: hard rocky sections of the way, sands, large navigation zones without marked roads, only with green traffic directions. The equipment sometimes gives up, today there were engine problems.
The crew is constantly faced with a choice: speed or presence. Competitors are not having it any easier: frequent accidents, somersaults in the air, retirement from the distance due to vehicle malfunction.
Day 4 | Stage 3
The Team’s current ranking
Today was a challenging day for the Ukrainian crew of Serhii Malyk, Lyubomyr Shumakov, and Serhii Martovenko at Dakar. The distance was almost 600 kilometers, and the race included a variety of different events.
A new test was added today: orientation. Participants had to cover long distances without the help of satellite navigation. The route largely passed through desert areas without roads. Most of the participants got lost.
The crew noticed that the organisers deliberately set such time limits for some of the tests that it is very difficult to meet them even without making mistakes. Thus, it is clear that the results of Dakar Classic today will be led not only by the fastest, but also by the most attentive and careful athletes.
Given that a significant part of today’s distance passed through desert sandy areas, the pressure in the Renault Kerax tyres had to be reduced. On the one hand, this prevents the car from getting stuck in the sand. On the other hand, the risk of damaging the tires or “unshoeing” the wheel in the event of a collision with a stone increases. Nevertheless, the crew successfully reached the finish line today.
After tomorrow’s race, the athletes will arrive at a new location. They will sleep and service their equipment near the city of Riyadh. This is slightly south-southeast. However, there is no need to expect a significant difference in the weather. It was +13 degrees Celsius today (about +16 degrees Celsius tomorrow), and at night it was up to +6 degrees Celsius… desert winter. The details of tomorrow’s route will be announced at the briefing after 8 p.m.
Day 3 | Stage 2
The Team’s current ranking
Today was supposed to be one of the marathon days at Dakar. The crew of the KMAMK team, Serhii Malyk, Lyubomyr Shumakov, and Serhii Martovenko, as well as other participants in the Dakar Classic category, were supposed to spend this and the next day without the support of the team and mechanics. However, winter in Saudi Arabia has manifested itself in inclement weather. Heavy rains have changed the marathon’s script today. Most of the dirt roads have become muddy and difficult to pass, even for off-road sports equipment. In addition, many places have been flooded with water. So much so that lakes have formed. In places with a depth at which an off-road vehicle sinks under water up to the window line. All competition sections for today have been canceled.
At Dakar, participants only stay in one place for a day or two, constantly moving along the marathon route further and further. Today’s bivouac (service area and place where competition participants sleep) was flooded with water up to the knees. Everyone had to be redirected to the next location. Thus, the route for today has been significantly changed. Alternative roads were used. Tomorrow, the crew of the KMAMK team and other participants of Dakar Classic will face a difficult distance of about 580 km.
Day 2 | Stage 1B
The Team’s current ranking
Our team completed 333 km through the relentless desert, covering 514 km of the total distance. Every meter tested our skills as we navigated through pits, ramps, and treacherous stones. Despite the extreme challenges, our team secured 68th place in the Dakar Classic category and 8th position in the Light trucks standings.
Our team finished the stage without significant equipment or navigation issues. Tomorrow, the crew faces a true marathon stage, traversing nearly 700 km of roads, including desert sections. This demands an early departure from the bivouac before 7 a.m. and a late arrival at the next location after 7 p.m. The crew must handle any car maintenance issues independently, as technical support will be unavailable.
Day 1 | Stage 1А
The Team’s current ranking
Started!
Today we raised our yellow-blue flag over the hardest rally raid in the World — Dakar 2022. The team of Serhii Malyk, Lyubomyr Shumakov and Serhii Martovenko completed the first stage with first trials. Gearbox, tyre inflation system and navigation failed.
13th place in the Light trucks group and 110th in the Dakar Classic General ranking. A tough distance of 300 km is waiting for us tomorrow, two days of the marathon are ahead, which means that there will be no technical assistance for the next 48 hours.
