Radovan Kazarka will make his Africa Eco Race début in 2025 behind the wheel of a Tatra 815 Puma.

He exposed the brought back truck in late August at Automotodróm Slovakia Ring, where his boys Tomáš and Marko were racing in the Renault Clio Cup’s Clio Cup Bohemia. The Tatra itself became part of the OMV MaxxMotion Grand Prix of Slovakia, where the senior Kazarka did presentation laps around the circuit.

“I’m glad that Slovakia Ring showed interest in me and my Tatra 815 Puma and that I had the opportunity to showcase it in action. Although, let’s be honest, the Puma very much prefers unpaved surfaces and isn’t too fond of asphalt,” Kazarka mentioned. “I’m happy to see such excellent interest in experiencing direct what it’s like to race in a Dakar unique (phase).

“Our Puma will participate in the Africa Eco Race at the end of this year and the beginning of next year, whose tracks are identical to those of the former Dakar Rally when it was still held in Africa.”

Kazarka raced the Tatra at the Dakar Classic, an regularity-based rally for historical cars that is held nearby to the Dakar Rally, in 2022 and 2023. He completed ninetieth general and thirteenth in the H1T classification for trucks at the 2022 edition before splitting the latter’s podium with a 3rd in 2023 and thirty-sixth outright.

The Tatra 815 Puma was among the most renowned rally raid trucks throughout the Paris–Dakar Rally age, with which Karel Loprais won the Truck classification in 1998, 1999, and 2001. His nephew Aleš Loprais is presently bring back the initial Puma to utilize in the 2025 Dakar Classic, which will occur in Saudi Arabia at the exact same time as the Africa Eco Race.

The 2025 Africa Eco Race starts on 28 December and goes through 12 January.