FELDMANIS Andris LVA 18/06/1960 192 cm 87 kg

FELDMANIS Krists LVA 07/06/1983 180 cm 70 kg

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
OSCAR	OSC

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Scratch	38	28	27	51	-	38	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Stage	38	28	27	51	128	36	102	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Overall	38	27	24	24	95	75	81	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Andris Feldmanis: «I am living out my dream with my son»

Andris Feldmanis had to wait 30 years to live out his dream. Under the communist regime the Latvian motor racing enthusiast wasn’t permitted to take part in the Dakar. Today, he is about to set off for the first time on the “best of all rallies” with his son.

“The Dakar is to rally what the Olympic Games are to track and field”, Andris believes. “To do this with my son is an incredible chance. It is an experience that will bring us closer together.” His son, Krists is in full agreement. “The few days of racing we did together in Morocco (2007, 20th place) were equal to ten years in a normal life. We are now a lot closer, like childhood friends. “This proximity is a major asset and facilitates communication. “I only need to pronounce the beginning of a word for my dad to understand what I want to say”, says Krists.

While 24-year old Krists was his dad’s co-driver in the Latvian rally championship, he never thought that one day he would be participating in the Dakar. “My friends didn’t believe me. It wasn’t until they saw the car that they realised I wasn’t lying.”

Thanks to the Riga Rally Raid team, they have been able to seriously prepare for their adventure. Several trips to Africa in their new yellow Oscar have allowed Krists to learn navigation on the terrain and for Andris to tame the power of their vehicle, which has already been raced twice on the Dakar by another driver. More at ease on the track than in the dunes, Andris has just one goal: “to see the chequered flag”. For this Latvia pair, the family adventure takes precedence over the competition.

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

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