Dubai-born Aliyyah Koloc and Polish co-driver Marcin Pasek finished 24th in the T1+ category at the Trans-Kubuqi Desert Elite Challenge, held from 29 September to 2 October. Koloc was also the highest-placed woman in the category as Buggyra ZM Racing began a three-event campaign in China spanning less than four weeks.
Competing in a JJ3 T1+ car with support from Chinese manufacturer-backed squad JJ Sport, Koloc and Pasek were the only foreign crew among 104 starters. A total of 44 crews were classified in the top T1+ category.
Aliyyah Koloc with co-driver Marcin Pasek at the finish of the Trans-Kubuqi Rally. Photo: Buggyra ZM Racing.
The event forms part of the China Auto Off-Road Rally Championship (CCR), the country’s leading national long-distance rally series, sanctioned by the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China.
Based around Ordos in Inner Mongolia, the rally opened with a prologue to determine the starting order for Stage 1. The opening stage ran mainly across riverbeds, while Stages 2 and 3 took competitors predominantly through desert terrain.
New terrain and a mechanical setback
The Trans-Kubuqi marked Buggyra ZM Racing’s first rally in China since the Taklimakan Rally in May. It was a new event for both Koloc and Pasek, who had to navigate unfamiliar terrain without a roadbook.
Before the start, Pasek acknowledged the uncertainty: “It should be gravel, maybe with a bit of water along the riverbeds. We will follow the track.”
The crew placed 17th in the prologue before improving to ninth on Stage 1. Their progress was interrupted on Stage 2 when both rear driveshafts broke just 11 kilometres into the stage.
With only one spare driveshaft on board, the crew received assistance from another JJ car. However, with around 65 kilometres still remaining, they returned to the bivouac and were recorded as 31st on the stage.
The mechanics repaired the damage and prepared the car for the final day.
Stronger finish in the dunes
Stage 3 took place entirely on dunes. Starting well down the order, Koloc and Pasek picked up their pace and overtook several cars to finish the stage in 14th position.
“We got lost two or three times, but we quickly found our way again,” Koloc said. “We ran in a group with two other JJ cars for a while, and for the final 30 kilometres I followed a fast JJ car ahead of me.”
Their final result was 24th overall in the T1+ category.
Dunhuang and Yecheng next
The team now faces a 1,500-kilometre journey to Gansu Province in north-western China for the Dunhuang Rally, which runs from 9 to 13 October.
Covering more than 1,000 kilometres over five days of special stages, the event takes competitors through dry riverbeds, rugged canyons and the open expanses and towering dunes of the Gobi Desert.
Dunhuang is the second of three events on the team’s closely scheduled China programme. The final round is the Yecheng Rally, taking place from 17 to 23 October in Kashgar Prefecture in southern Xinjiang, near the Kunlun Mountains.
“We will see you again in a few days,” Koloc said at the Trans-Kubuqi finish.
Buggyra ZM Racing driver Aliyyah Koloc with her JJ3 T1+ car. Photo: Buggyra ZM Racing.
About Buggyra ZM Racing
Buggyra ZM Racing has more than 50 years of motorsport heritage, with technology centres in Dubai, the Czech Republic, Bahrain, Italy and China.
The team’s achievements include 11 European truck racing championships, three Chinese championships, one Indian championship and six world speed records. It entered cross-country rallying with Tatra trucks in 2014 and later expanded into the T3 category, winning that category in 2021.
Founded in 2019, the Buggyra Racing Academy identifies and develops young drivers under the guidance of experienced racers, including David Vršecký, Adam Lacko and Josef Macháček.
In 2025, Buggyra opened its global headquarters and an Elite Performance Centre in Vanuatu, supporting youth development, education and environmental protection in partnership with the country.
More information: www.buggyra.com and www.buggyraacademy.com.