Dakar. The world's toughest off-road competition. Just mentioning its name makes your pulse race. Epic and sporting fuel this eagerly awaited motorsport event that pushes both machines and riders to the limits. In just two weeks, the teams' year-long work will be put into play, a project in which Uniracing also plays a leading role with its work decorating and protecting up to 12 motorcycles in this edition.
With eleven participations under its belt, Uniracing has added value in its GRASTEC® technology for decorating and protecting motorcycles. This is the belief of the Monster Energy Honda Team, the Sherco TVS Rally Factory, and Twintrail Racing Team, as well as riders Albert Martín and Javi Vega, who all rely on this Spanish company's technology to protect their motorcycles in such a demanding event as the Dakar.
That a team like the Monster Energy Honda Team is betting on Uniracing is the best example of the quality of its products. For this edition, the official team with the golden wing has in its ranks the American Ricky Brabec (dorsal 9), the Chileans Nacho Cornejo (dorsal 11) and Pablo Quintanilla (dorsal 7) and the Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren (dorsal 42). This year they are joined by the Spaniard Tosha Schareina (dorsal 68), winner of the last edition of the Baja Aragón, Desafío Ruta 40 and clear contender for victory in the Dakar, and the American Skyler Howes (dorsal 10), third place in the last Dakar and who switches from Husqvarna to Honda.
With this star-studded line-up, it's clear that the Monster Energy Honda Team is going all out for the Dakar, a rally where Uniracing and its GRASTEC® technology are also present with the Sherco TVS Rally Factory and its riders such as the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino (number 15), the Portuguese Rui Gonçalves (number 19) and the Indian Harith Noah Koitha Veettil (number 20).
The Original by Motul category, the most authentic and formerly known as Malles Moto, is open to unassisted motorcycle and quad riders who do not have a companion registered for the race, either as assistance or as a Media rider. Here, Uniracing has been in charge of the KTMs of the Twintrail Racing Team and its riders Carles Falcón (number 135) and Isaac Feliu (number 134), in addition to the Husqvarna of Albert Martín (number 83) within the Pedregá Team and the Yamaha of the charismatic Javi Vega (number 40) of the Pont Grup-Yamaha.
Javi Vega himself explains that “Sara (editor's note: Sara García, his partner and Dakar rider) and I have been in the Uniracing community for a few years. What we also like are these types of sponsors who create a community, a family, with feedback from both parties. And technically, I'd just like to say that we were able to complete the entire Dakar with just one sticker kit, something that with other decals we had to change parts where they were most scratched. And where we need more grip, on our knees and legs, we use Dimple Grip,” explains Javi Vega, adding that “we also use Uniracing products for our street Ténérés. Plus, Àlex (editor's note: Àlex Guillén, marketing manager at Uniracing) gives you the good vibes of being able to carry out your creations, and we have the opportunity to design them together. He has great ideas; I give him others. We share them, and in the end, you design the bike you'd like to ride.”
THE TOUGHEST SAUDI DAKAR
The 46th edition of the Dakar Rally, the fifth to be held in Saudi Arabia, is expected to be the most demanding event to date and will be the ultimate testing ground for Uniracing and GRASTEC® technology. Because there's no better testing ground than competition, and in the world of rally raids, the Dakar Rally is the most demanding event in the world.
It all begins on January 5th in Alula with the Prologue. There are 12 stages and 14 days of racing ahead, with the 48-hour time trial being the big new feature, adding a new dimension to the Dakar's toughness. During this sixth stage, which will take place on Thursday, January 11th and Friday, January 12th, participants will race in a marathon format, with the limitations that this entails. They will also not be able to choose their workshop or dining companion, as competitors will be divided into eight different bivouacs. In total, there will be more than 5,000 kilometers that will push the participants and their vehicles to the limit.
However, the demands of such a tough rally have allowed Uniracing to develop a unique level of protection for its adhesives, a protection that is also applied to street bikes with GRASTEC®, a proprietary technology based on the use of exclusive materials and processes.