The eighth stage of the Dakar Rally brought Tim and Tom Coronel new challenges but also memorable moments. Despite a minor technical issue with a brake line, the brothers look back with satisfaction on the 487-kilometer special stage characterized by dust, dunes, and smart decisions.
The brothers’ strategic choices began early on in the stage from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh. Starting as the very last car, they were constantly driving in the dust of other competitors. At times, they deliberately slowed down to avoid unnecessary risks. Despite their caution, they noticed a small issue with the Century CR7 during the neutralization zone.
“A quick fix and back on track”
“I always do a quick walk around the car during neutralizations and saw quite a bit of leakage,” Tom explains. It turned out to be a leak in one of the break lines, “We immediately decided to fix it after the neutralization because you’re not allowed to work on the car during that time. It was a minor repair but necessary to avoid bigger problems later.”
For Tim, patience was the key to this stage. “I spent hours driving in a white tunnel of dust,” he said. “Sometimes, you literally can’t see a thing, so you have to stay cautious and occasionally wait to regain visibility.”
Teamwork makes the dream work
The stage also presented some tricky obstacles, including a steep climb that the car couldn’t conquer on the first attempt. “It was a nasty section,” Tom recalls. “I got out and guided Tim through the rocks. It was just enough to get us through, and we could continue.” The dunes at the end of the stage provided a spectacular finale. “Those dunes were incredible. They were challenging and tough, but it was an amazing feeling to drive through them.”
A possible penalty
Despite the limited visibility and the issue with the brake line, Tim and Tom finished the stage in 38th place, just shy of an hour behind stage winner and overall leader Henk Lategan. There may follow a small time penalty on top of that, because Tim and Tom were a bit too greedy with the throttle. “We made one error in a slow zone”, Tom explains. “We were driving 50 km/h, while 30 km/h was allowed. We noticed that a bit too late, but apart from that it all went really well.” Tim agrees. “It was a beautiful and challenging stage; We handled it well. Everything felt good, and we didn’t have any flat tires.”
Tuesday marks the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally. A relatively quick special stage takes the competitors from Riyadh to Haradh.
Coronel Dakar Team is supported by: LKQ, MPM, Toolspecial, Optimal, ERU, Roordink Bedrijfswagens, Efulfilment.eu, Mascot Workwear, 4Brands, BS Forklifts, JBL, Keukenwarenhuis, DHG, Serengeti, Hella, Brondool, Chassis Parts, FEBO, MyFMS, Frits Dijk, Apple King, SuperB, P1, Copernica
