STYLE

We are planning

to return to both

the Dakar rally in South

America and Dakar itself.

Top manager and sportsman

behind the wheel of the TATRA racing truck

Tomáš Vrátný is the owner of a group of companies associated with ČSAD Ostrava. These include

KAR group, an authorized dealer and service of the IVECO BUS brand and one of the largest service

networks for passenger and freight transport in the Czech Republic; ADIP company, the leader in

the distribution of spare parts and accessories for the truck & bus segment; ČSAD Logistik Ostrava,

one of the largest carriers; the operator of a network of petrol stations and washing centres; and the

Fesh Fesh Group, which deals with motorsport projects, including running the Bonver Dakar Team.

Tomáš Vratný is also the head of this racing team and, in addition, a pilot of one of the specials. His

best position at the DAKAR rally was 14th place in 2015.

Your racing team’s name is Bonver Dakar Project.

Why will the original DAKAR rally crew focus on BAJA

RALLYE this year?

At the DAKAR rally, which our team has regularly

participated in since its foundation in 2012, we have

traditionally come somewhere between 11th and

35th. Over time, we have come to the conclusion that

we can manage a better sporting result that we all wish

to achieve with new, improved special vehicles. And

since we have two new vehicles under construction, it

is our priority to finish them in 2018, test them at the

BAJA RALLYE and prepare the vehicles and ourselves

for DAKAR 2019.

Your former ADRIA Team will go to South America. Is the split-up temporary or does the purchase

of the special vehicle mean your final withdrawal

from the Bonver Dakar Project?

One of the goals of the Bonver Dakar Project is to

prepare the vehicles and rent them to those who

are interested in participating in some of the longdistance cross country rallies. Our colleagues at Adria

have been cooperating with us in this way since 2016.

When they decided to take part in the DAKAR 2018

rally, we prepared a racing special for them, which

they bought. This is how we would like to implement

other client projects as well.

Are you planning your comeback to Dakar?

Yes, we are planning to return to both the Dakar rally

in South America and Dakar itself, which is the goal

of the Africa Eco Race rally from Morocco to Senegal

following the original race.

Will you draw on the experience of the Dakar overseas stages in the BAJA RALLYE race?

No doubt. We will miss our favourite sand dunes here,

but placing 2nd and 3rd at BAJA ARAGON 2017 in

Spain have shown that the experience gained in the

toughest races is very valuable. In addition, at BAJA

RALLYE we will be closer to other racing crews, which

are also of interest to us from a business cooperation

point of view.

I have heard that you have not yet decided whether

the team will participate in the Rally Africa Eco

Race.

The decision has already been made. Unfortunately

we won’t participate in the Africa Eco Race rally in

2018. While I personally am sorry, because at the

beginning of 2018 I wanted to try this beautiful African

rally, we have to subordinate our personal ambitions

and aspirations to the team strategy and get focused

on new special racing vehicles.

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POSITIV 2017/2018

What do you mean?

The ČSAD Ostrava Group, which I manage, has

expanded this year with Donorrere among other,

Donerre, the renowned French manufacturer of

sports shock absorbers, the Slovak company FRT with

a similar focus, and AMM Technology, which develops