Crew facts

• Martin Stopa has a deep and personal connection with the Tatra brand. A passionate admirer of technology and powerful machines, he was fascinated by trucks from an early age. His father drove a Tatra truck for 20 years and sometimes even let young Martin sit behind the steering wheel. When he later saw a Tatra competing in the Dakar Rally on television, it was only a matter of time before he knew he would one day be driving himself. He will do it in 2026 with Puma, the replica of the legendary T815 with which Karel Loprais won four Paris-Dakar.
• From a young age, Martin repaired and assembled motorcycles for himself and his friends. When communism ended in his country and he saw a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his own eyes for the first time, he immediately knew it would become a lifelong passion and an inseparable part of his story.
• Today, Martin devotes all his free time to Harley-Davidson bikes, which he sells in Ostrava. He organizes numerous motorcycle trips and riding events across Europe and the United States for friends and customers alike. He is also actively involved in charity events, with proceeds dedicated to helping disabled children. His Tatra will be instantly recognizable, proudly covered with the iconic logo of the legendary American brand.

• Lubomir Dockal works for a company that manufactures racing parts for trucks, particularly for those competing with the Loprais team. That is where this story begins. When he learned that two trucks would participate in the 2025 Dakar Classic, he immediately seized what he knew was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
• His first Dakar Classic was contested with Jiri Husek aboard the Tatra 815 HAS, the truck that finished third in the 1996 Paris-Dakar Rally. In 2026, Lubomir will be inside the faithful replica of Puma, whose original version – driven by the legendary Czech rally-raid driver Karel Loprais – is preserved at the National Technical Museum in Prague. As last year, the project is led by Ales Loprais, nephew of Karel.
• Lubomir is also a Harley-Davidson enthusiast. He loves riding his motorcycle and traveling across Europe, covering between 20,000 and 30,000 kilometers per year. This passion led to his second Dakar participation, as he will be Martin Stopa’s navigator, Harley- Davidson dealer in Ostrava.

• As a little boy, Martin Horak closely followed the career of Karel Loprais. Living not far from each other, he became friends with Karel’s sons and therefore knew about every return of the competition Tatra trucks, with which Karel conquered the Paris–Dakar Rally. As the years went by, Martin found his way into Ales Loprais’ workshops, where he helped build race trucks and support vehicles for various promotional events.
• Three years ago, Ales Loprais asked him to go to the Dakar as a support vehicle driver and mechanic. The beginning of Martin’s Dakar career. This year, Ales offered him the chance to take an even bigger step: to join the Tatra Puma as an onboard mechanic. Needless to say, he accepted without hesitation.
• This Dakar Classic will be a first for the Czech mechanic as a race competitor. After years spent repairing all kinds of vehicles –cars, trucks, and even buses –, he will now be responsible for monitoring and maintaining Puma, the faithful replica of the legendary truck once driven by his idol, Karel Loprais. It is, without question, a dream come true.