Buggyra ZM Racing ready for Taklimakan Rally: Logistical and administrative hurdles overcome

Buggyra ZM Racing is set to compete in the Taklimakan Rally, one of the most challenging rally raid events in the world, running from May 20 to June 1 in China. MONACO, FRANCE, May 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After months of preparation and overcoming complex logistical and administrative obstacles, the team is ready to take on its first rally raid on Chinese soil.

The Taklimakan Rally marks Aliyyah Koloc’s return to competition after her accident during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in February. She had to withdraw from the Jordan Rally in March but used the time to recover and complete a multi-day test in the dunes of Dubai. She will compete in her Red-Lined REVO T1+ GTR, once again co-driven by experienced Frenchman Sébastien Delauney.

“We had a very good test in Dubai a few weeks ago,” Aliyyah shares. “That helped me get back into the car. The rally will last two weeks, so I’ve been working on my physical endurance. I’m not sure what to expect, but I know it’ll be an amazing experience. I’m glad to have Sébastien [Delauney] at my side as he’s very experienced in unknown territory.”

Challenging cultural barriers and food supply
Organizing participation in a rally of this scale in such a remote part of China has required extensive groundwork. Martin Koloc, CEO and team principal of Buggyra ZM Racing, highlights some of the difficulties: “We have to fully operate the team from two of our workshop containers only, which creates a huge difference from other events we do. In the Middle East or Europe, we can rely on a mobile infrastructure of support trucks, fast response vehicles, and nearby factories, but here we have to be highly self-sufficient. The nearest Buggyra facility is 4,000 km from the rally HQ and it is not equipped to service rally vehicles.”

Since mid-April, Buggyra has had personnel on-site in China to oversee customs and logistics, but the operations have still been complicated. “We only received the final customs stamp on May 14, a week before the rally starts!” says Martin Koloc.

Communication styles, business culture, and language have also been challenging. Additionally, ensuring proper nutrition for the team became another major task. While Buggyra is familiar with Eastern and Central Chinese cuisine, the Inner Mongolian region, where the rally is held, offers limited familiar food options. “We decided to import our own food for the whole team,” explains Martin Koloc. “I let you imagine the administrative trail to obtain the necessary permissions…”

Strategic presence in China
Buggyra has previous experience in China, driving in various Chinese racing series, but the Taklimakan Rally marks the team’s first off-road race in the country. Buggyra’s decision to enter this event reinforces the team’s strategic interests in the region. “Motorsport is becoming more and more popular in China. We want to be part of this rally culture, especially since we run one arm of the Buggyra Academy out of Jinan,” says Martin Koloc. “Also, our naming partner, Zero Mileage Lubricants (ZM), is based in China. The rally is their communication highlight of the year, and they will launch a new product just one day after the rally ends in Kashgar, with nearly 1,000 guests attending.”

Preparing with limited pre-event information
“It is almost impossible to prepare well for this event,” says Martin Koloc. “For example, the organizers only announced the first bivouac location on May 14. As of today, we don’t even know the exact location of the start ramp! We’re preparing to improvise.”

Second only to the Dakar in difficulty and length, the Taklimakan Rally will start in Aksu, near the Mongolian border in Northwest China, covering approximately 4,500 kilometers, including 2,350 kilometers of timed special stages. It will conclude in Kashgar on June 1.

The terrain and remoteness of the region will test both human endurance and technical equipment. Buggyra ZM Racing is ready for the challenge.

Buggyra Organisation
Buggyra Organisation
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