Aliyyah Koloc and navigator Marcin Pasek complete the long-distance rally raid in Northwestern China despite a lost stage.
-- Buggyra ZM Racing has completed the Dunhuang Rally in Gansu Province, northwestern China, the second of three events in its China campaign, all run within one month. 22-year-old Dubai-born Aliyyah Koloc and her Polish co-driver Marcin Pasek ran in the top ten in the early parts of the rally before a technical issue ended their third stage. They returned for the finale, finishing 44th overall and 26th in the T1+ class among 57 classified crews. Over the event, Koloc showed extremely strong pace, running as high as 9th overall, and finishing as the fastest woman in the field.
Aliyyah and Marcin competed in the top T1+ category in a JJ3 car, again supported by JJ Sport, the experienced Chinese racing squad and racing arm of Hebei-based Jiujiang Group. The rally covered 1,170 competitive kilometers over four special stages, plus an 11 km prologue on the Danghe riverbed. The terrain was very demanding, ranging from dry riverbeds and canyons to the open Gobi Desert and towering dunes.
Technical issues stop strong result
The crew made a strong start. They finished the prologue 9th, just 27.1 seconds behind the leader, then took 9th again on the 300-kilometer first stage through the Gobi Desert. On the 210-kilometer second stage, they finished 14th in a tightly packed midfield, with only six seconds behind the car ahead.
The 400-kilometer third stage through the Nankumutag Desert proved the toughest of the rally, with only 39 crews recording a time. Due to a technical issue, Aliyyah and her navigator also couldn’t complete the stage. However, they were back at the start of the 260-kilometer final stage the next day and finished 33rd in the T1+ category.
“Unfortunately, we had a technical issue during Special Stage 3 that prevented us from completing the stage,” said Martin Koloc, Buggyra ZM Racing’s team principal. “The team worked hard to get the car ready, and we were pleased to be back on the start line for the final stage. Thank you to everyone for their support.”
For Aliyyah, the rally was a valuable test of the car. “It was a really tough rally, and we definitely learned a lot,” she said. “The terrain was very rough, and the navigation was always really difficult. It wasn’t the result we wanted, but it’s a good experience, and I’m happy to be back in the JJ car and drive it more.”
For navigator Marcin Pasek, the event wasn’t easy either. “The stages were tough. In some places they reminded me a bit of the Dakar. Unfortunately, the technical issue took our time and, I think, a good position, because overall we could be in the top ten,” he said. “But that’s part of motorsport. We will try to do our best in the next rally.”
Team principal Martin Koloc looked back on the event as a demanding one for both car and crew. “The Dunhuang rally was extremely tough,” he said. “All these stages were beyond extreme, very demanding for the car and for the crew. We finished, and although we lost one stage with technical troubles, we gained a lot of experience and a lot of great kilometers for the drivers’ development.”
What’s next
The car will now be serviced, and the team will try to get some rest before a 2,000-kilometer transfer to the Yecheng Rally in the Kashgar Prefecture of southern Xinjiang, near the Kunlun Mountains. The event runs from October 17 to 23 and will close the team’s China campaign for the year.
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