Ultimate Dakar racing team
Success for the Ouředníček & Barták Crew – After 6,000 km, They Conquered the Legendary Dakar
“I am a real Dakar racer now,” says Tomáš Ouředníček after returning from Dakar. Czech racers Tomáš Ouředníček and Lukáš Barták crossed the finish line of the Africa Eco Race this weekend in Dakar, Senegal, reaching their long-awaited goal at the famous Pink Lake (Lac Rose).
“It was an incredibly demanding but beautiful race,” says driver Tomáš Ouředníček.
Ouředníček and Barták set off on the route of Africa’s greatest adventure—run in the spirit of the original Paris–Dakar Rally—in their proven Toyota Hilux GR T1+ race special, competing under the colors of Toyota Gazoo Racing Czech. Over the course of two weeks and 6,000 kilometers, the crew tackled muddy tracks and snowdrifts in the Moroccan mountains, unpredictable Saharan dunes, scorching heat on salt flats, shifting sand fields, rocky ravines, and clouds of fine feš-feš dust.
Compared to last year, when the team from Velké Meziříčí was forced to retire early due to poor-quality fuel, this year’s edition in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal featured much stronger competition. Around fifty cars and twice as many motorcycles started the race.
“The pace was unbelievably fast and the race was quite dangerous. Many motorcyclists ended up in hospital, one car burned down completely, and many others retired,” the driver recalls.
“Our Toyota worked perfectly. The only minor issue was a faulty piston rod, which cost us half an hour during a puncture repair. We also made quite a few navigation mistakes, but thanks to excellent mechanics, service, and overall reliability, we were still able to keep up with the very best. We finished second twice and even won one stage. Later, however, we were administratively moved back to second place,” Ouředníček explained.
This year, the team also managed to avoid problems with poor-quality fuel, which had destroyed the engine last year and ended their fight for overall victory.
“We had fuel supplied by the organizers, but it turned out to be faulty again. Fortunately, our engineer discovered the issue in time, and we were able to secure high-quality aviation gasoline,” added the nine-time Dakar participant.
The organizers’ service also proved to be less than ideal.
“In one of the opening stages, we helped the crew of a crashed buggy, and it took a full three days before we managed to get the lost time deducted. Most of the stewards didn’t speak English, and much information never reached us at all. Communication with the organizers was extremely difficult this year,” Ouředníček complained.
The language barrier played a crucial role in the penultimate stage, where Ouředníček and Barták dropped from third to fifth place.
“The transfer from Mauritania to Senegal was accompanied by enormous chaos, during which a shock absorber also failed. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a routine repair taking just a few minutes, but due to organizational chaos, we didn’t have the part available. Our late arrival at the start was clearly caused by the organizers. Unfortunately, despite a personal promise from J.-L. Schlesser, we were unable to have this time—lost through no fault of our own—deducted, and in the final classification we fell from a podium position to fifth overall,” the driver explained.
Despite the slightly bitter ending, the team brought many positive experiences back from Africa.
“We experienced some truly beautiful stages, and we were very pleased that we didn’t get stuck even once during the entire rally—not even in the treacherous Mauritanian dunes, where we had no competition at all. And we made it to the real Dakar, so now we really are Dakar racers,” Ouředníček says with satisfaction.
“We are also very happy about the excellent result of biker Roman Krejčí and the performance of our Slovak friends Martin Benko and Marek Sýkora,” he added.
Despite tougher competition and less-than-perfect organization, the Africa Eco Race still retains its unique charm, according to Ouředníček.
“The African environment and the people are something that can hardly be put into words. And the atmosphere in the bivouac is truly exceptional. For example, one motorcyclist once came to thank me simply for overtaking him considerately. That probably wouldn’t happen anywhere else,” Ouředníček emphasized.
Although the equipment is still on its way back from Senegal, Toyota Gazoo Racing Czech is already preparing for the new season.
“We considered another major African event, the Morocco Desert Challenge, which we’ve won in the past. However, it takes place at the beginning of April, and it currently looks like we won’t manage to prepare the Hilux in time. We are definitely planning to compete in the European Championship races in Hungary this year, and we would also like to return to the World Championship series,” says Tomáš Ouředníček.
The African journey was also a tough test for the team’s support vehicles. The Funmover with an AGADOS DORA trailer handled broken roads, trackless terrain, and soft sand with ease. A civilian Toyota Hilux 4x4 2.8L from BS AUTO reliably transported the media team and at times helped pull the three-and-a-half-ton AGADOS trailer through treacherous sections. Liqui Moly oils lubricated the racing Hilux engine, gearbox, and differentials. XTline tools once again performed flawlessly in the hands of the mechanics. The MEDVĚD generator from Alfain supplied power to the entire bivouac, even during welding. PNEU KAFKA tires handled Africa’s demanding terrain. GOLDNUTRITION ensured energy and hydration for both crew and mechanics, while PRIM Dakar watches kept precise command time.
We would like to thank our beloved families, all our partners, friends, and fans for their boundless support during our dangerous African journey. With your support, we made it!
