Orlin Alexiev’s plans for 2023 include his participation in the famous Dakar Rally. He will partner with Todor Hristov, who will be his co-driver. This won’t be the first time in the rally for both men. It will, however, be their first time participating in it with the Can-Am Maverick X3 1000 UTV buggy. The Dakar Rally will take place in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabia off-road race will be the biggest one since 2020. Before that, home of the rally was South America for 10 years straight. The race was first held in 1979 and today amateurs, professional competitors and representatives of car brands from all over the world take part. ATVs, motorbikes, trucks, buggies and jeeps compete in the Dakar Rally. The format is also extremely attractive because of the off-road terrains, which are seemingly too difficult for a rally.
Orlin Alexiev has two previous appearances at the race. The first one was back in 2013, when together with Plamen Nikolov they finished 17th in their class and 61st in the general ranking. Back then Orlin Alexiev drove the BMW X1 Rgoto. After a successful 2013, both he and Plamen Nikolov decided to ride in 2014 when the so-called “cocaine affair” scandal broke. During the race, authorities discovered a ton and a half of cocaine in the tires of one of the trucks, ready to be exported from Chile to France. The Bulgarian Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior reported that some Bulgarians were also involved in the ‘cocaine affair’. Later, it emerged that the cocaine had actually been found in a vehicle belonging to the Spanish team.
Orlin Alexiev and Todor Hristov are expected to be a very good combination given their experience. Although Orlin Alexiev’s 2014 participation ended with a technical failure, he gained experience and best practices during the race. The same goes for Todor Hristov, whose first participation was back in 2011 with Peter Tsankov in ATVs. Hristov’s participation ended early because of an injury. However, both he and Petar Tsankov were the first Bulgarians to participate in the famous rally and this remains in history. So far there hasn’t been a winner in the rally from. The important thing is, however, that we still have Bulgarian participation and representation whenever possible.
The tandem of Orlin Alexiev and Todor Hristov will take part with the buggy Can-Am Maverick X3 1000 for the first time at the “Samokov Trophy”, where 500 racing kilometers are covered within 3 days. The race is also popular among Greeks and Romanians, so from 1-3 October Samokov will welcome guests from the Balkan countries. The format of the “Samokov Trophy” involves 50 teams in different classes to start and finish at the Rido Motor Park, which will have a closed course on the last day of the race.
At the “Samokov Trophy” Orlin Alexiev is expected to test the buggy and at the same time, to start his preparation for the Dakar Rally. Given the terrain of the race, the competition is quite dangerous and accidents that have happened over the years are not rare. This is the reason why preparation for such a race takes longer. In the remaining months, Orlin Alexiev’s team must improve their physical and mental endurance. However, this is unlikely to be that much of a challenge, given that both have a lot of experience in the race.