Dakar’s unsung heroes: “Right now I’d go home and sleep with my wife and kids, but we’re continuing and we’ll definitely be back next year.”

among them dakarthe circuit is full of drivers who are considered idols, stars of the sport. enginesome of them are legends. But behind them are people who work tirelessly, with little to no rest, to achieve their goals on the track. We refer to true heroes. dakar: Mechanic.

His task is undoubtedly the most difficult in this entire bivouac. dakar. They won’t take over TV covers or minutes. They are overshadowed by the accomplishments of the pilots. That’s the reason, MD took an early morning walk in the Dakar camp.the number of days before the test begins must also be added, to directly demonstrate the difficulty of the mechanics’ work, which lasts not only during the 14 days of the test.

I sleep in a tent next to the press room and next to Main Street. bivouacthe engine keeps making noise all night long. It’s the noise of the vehicles the mechanics drive out of the encampment to perform tests around the camp to see if each repair they perform was successful. They do a few laps, return to the bivouac, make some more adjustments, and set off again.

One of the things we saw that night was a vehicle Christina Gutierrez. He was able to break the direction of the Dacia and reach the finish line, albeit in pain. At 1am, tents were already set up at Dacia, three cars with protective covers were set up at the center, and mechanics were working on fixing Christina’s car in preparation for the next day’s marathon stage.

I continued walking and arrived at ford. All work was completed there. The mechanics were lucky because the car arrived in its entirety and was already standing in the middle of the promenade with its covers on, while the team’s employees were sleeping in tents above the car. A set of 4 trucks or a truck on a vehicle used for a 600 km drive You must reach the next bivouac by road before the racing car arrives after the special ends.

We went through the BBR team. Pau Navarro’s car was completely dismantled. As the leader of the Challenger category, we have checked every last screw to ensure there is no failure.

“Are you going to sleep? When you can…”

At the end of the bivouac you will see a light in the classic area. The flag of the Balearic Islands on the car is eye-catching, belonging to the LJS racing team from Mallorca. Lorenzo Fluxa. He had destroyed his engine the day before, and three mechanics were working tirelessly with sand and dust in their faces to get the pilot to the next stage.

The MD briefly interrupted them and asked a clarifying question. How do you explain this passion of being a mechanic to people who have to spend work-filled nights at home with no plans or days off?

Balearic Islands Miguel Virge He looked at us, not knowing what to say. “They don’t understand…” he added silently. “In our house, yes, because they have always seen the world of racing and it is our passion,” he asserted.

“It’s a long night tonight. It’s going to be a complicated night.”he added, accepting the reality.

“Can you sleep?” Many mechanics work at night, and if the weather is nice and the vehicle arrives completely intact without major repairs, they may sleep for a while before heading to the next encampment in a support truck or car. On that road, you can sleep for a few more hours if you don’t have to drive.

So we asked him if Miguel and his two companions could sleep on the move, at least in the morning. ”In the link? We can’t do that because we are mechanics and drivers. And dismantling everything from aid to movement to the next encampment, one person drives for two or three hours, and the other has to sleep as much as possible. ”he expressed.

“And yet we come back every year…” It was noticeable. “We love it, because that’s the way we are. Now we’re already saying, ‘We’re not coming back next year… but it doesn’t matter, because after being home for 15 days, you’re already thinking about coming back again.’. This is the reality of motor enthusiasts, their passion for living extreme experiences, the challenges to their bodies and minds pushed to their limits by fatigue, and the challenge increases with each passing day.

A 24-year-old child was located where the front right wheel would be, but his face was not visible as he was wedged under the vehicle. This is Serge Sastre.

“I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight.”commented. However, contrary to what you may think, he did not say this out of sadness or resignation. he said with a smile. “Well, we’re used to it and it’s not the first time, but this was done out of passion. Let’s see if we’re lucky and everything goes well, and tomorrow it could happen.”He added that he is more concerned about the goal of keeping the car in races, hopefully, than physical fatigue.

Another teammate, Barnato, reflected on the race: “End the scourge of the day” It’s located at the front of the car. ”“We have to get out of camp to test it, make sure the engine is working properly, and drive a few miles tonight so we can leave tomorrow.”

“We’re used to things like this, it’s not the first time we’ve done it, but this was done out of passion.”

“Dakar is hated, but it is loved. Now I would go home and sleep with my wife and children, but we are still here. And next year, we will definitely be here again. It’s gone.”he pointed out.

At that time, the MD thanked him for his work. Because without them and the rest of the camp mechanics, this race would not have been possible. “Thank you,” he said, getting emotional, but this race is the result of constant emotional ups and downs.

On the way home, I was having hallucinations based on the testimony of three mechanics, and before I knew it, we were there. Ebro by Laia Sanzpiloted by one of its mechanics. He returned after doing some final testing outside the camp to ensure the car was ready to run for the following day’s stage.

Celebrated 2 hours of sleep

we talk with Mr. Alberto Soler, Chief Mechanicwhile wiping the dust off the car with a rag. “Usually we finish at this time, but it’s pretty accurate. That’s when we can rest.”he said without stopping to quickly clean the car. Time is money, and every minute lost is one minute less of sleep and rest.

Considering this statement, I figured MD would wake up around 6 or 7 in the morning. ”No, I’ll wake up at 4 o’clock tomorrow. ” It was 2am. They were going to sleep for two hours. “Yes, the truck will leave at 5 o’clock in the morning.” The team has four mechanics who must drive the team’s assistance truck and the caravan it parks in. Lia Sanzalternately behind the handle.

“What we do when we travel is one person drives and the other sleeps as much as possible. We average about five hours a day.”he added. ”“We have to take down and set up tents and helpers.”Remember. And, far from what many people think, mechanics are not only responsible for servicing the car, but they are also responsible for gathering all the support, transporting the car to the next camp, and reassembling it so that when the driver arrives from the stage, everything is ready. And from there, you’re off again, hoping your car arrives as intact as possible. Then there will be 13 stages and a rest period of 1 day. This is the busiest day for mechanics as they have to review the entire vehicle.

“Without passion it’s not possible, that’s for sure,” Albert concluded. Only then can this work be understood and make them all want to come back year after year. This is their way of life. Don’t try to figure it out. Instead, let’s applaud. That’s what mechanics are all about. heroes of the shadows.

truck, another movie

When I returned to the store, Miriam Silvatechnical committee member dakarShe is the first woman in history to reach this status when she debuted in. dakar When I was 24 years old. It has now gone through five editions, which was also very difficult for her. But the passion of the first day has been maintained. Miriam worked the night shift at the sheriff’s station and had arranged to meet with several truck teams to perform daily checks on the police station. FIA. We decided to accompany her.

And what we saw was the most impressive thing of the night. In the sand dunes, an impressive racing track spread out in front of us. Inside, there are thousands of cables and parts to repair. Miriam approached one of the trucks. He went under the wheel to do a check and then went to another set to check another truck. For all the mechanics in this category, the nights will be long as they repair giant bugs that weigh tons and shine in the desert.