Sebastián Guayasamín Juan Carlos and Juan José Puga (father and son) and Mauricio Cueva will be the competitors for the next edition, which starts on January 1.
Four Ecuadorians will compete in two different categories of the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia between January 1 and 14: the rider Sebastián Guayasamín, who will do so in a light vehicle in the Side by Side T3 category, and three competitors on motorcycles, Juan Carlos and Juan José Puga (father and son) and Mauricio Cueva.
Guayasamín will drive a 335 car and will have Argentine Ricardo Torlaschi as co-driver, in what is already his eighth participation in the Dakar, which in this edition will have a route of more than 8,000 kilometers from Hail, in the northeast of Saudi Arabia, to Jeddah , on the eastern shore of the Red Sea.
“We are motivated and every day I see myself on that podium. It is a dream, not only for me but for the whole country that supports me ”, said the pilot who has been training all year and finished in the last edition of the Dakar maintained a good race pace that allowed him to complete all the stages between the Top 20.
Its category is one of the six that will be run in January and in which the speed limit is 135 kilometers per hour and all vehicles are regulated not to exceed 163 horsepower.
The tricolor representative plans to travel to the United States this Saturday, where he will celebrate Christmas as a family, before leaving for Saudi Arabia to complete the registration and preparation prior to the competition.
“While here (in Ecuador) they burn the old year, I’m going to be risking my life,” he joked to the media in an appearance, alluding to the fact that when the race starts on January 1, in Ecuador they will still be celebrating the New Years Eve.
A dozen private companies sponsor the Ecuadorian in a competition that brings together 750 drivers and co-drivers from around the world in the considered “toughest rally on the planet.”
Cristina Alava, representative of one of the sponsoring brands, highlighted that Sebastián “carries the name of Ecuador very high” and that the expectation about Ecuadorian participation has grown in recent years.
The team previously competed in the World Rally Raid in Morocco where it placed in the top ten in all stages.
“I have all the confidence, we have a great car and the team is first class,” the driver summed up confidently, who acknowledged that “a bit of luck” is also required to achieve a good result.
Guayasamín acknowledged that obtaining sponsorship for “a sport as expensive as this one” has not been easy, but acknowledged that the double deduction tax incentives promoted by the current Government for private companies that support national sport have been a relief.
The Dakar has been held since 1978 and is the best-known automobile rally in the world. Guayasamín became the first Ecuadorian to complete this race in 2017. (D)
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