The Lithuanian team of Antanas Juknevičius and Darius Vaičiulis, which is going to compete in the 2017 Dakar during January 2017, made an agreement with its main partner and will have a new name – CRAFT Bearings

CRAFT Bearings, an international company established by Lithuanians, is a manufacturer of automotive and industrial bearings with operations in 80 countries around the world, including Central and South America. According to its director, Vygantas Rimgaila, the decision to cooperate together was driven by two main reasons – their similar approach to quality and experience.

“Customers around the world choose us because of our well-developed worthwhile products and reliability. For this reason, we place a great amount of emphasis on experience and professionalism when we choose our partners. Antanas is the most knowledgeable Lithuanian in Dakar. His many years of experience and high achievements are the best reflection of these traits”, said V. Rimgaila. “Dakar is a unique challenge and it is not for everyone. Every detail matters, and can often affect the final result in such a lengthy and tough competition. Our actions are based on the same approach, therefore, we are proud to be part of the professional team of Antanas.

“First of all, I am very happy that the team is being supplemented by such a strong, internationally known Lithuanian company,” said Antanas Juknevičius in commenting about the new main partner. “While business in our country is often cautious about funding sports, even more than state institutions, there are bold companies that see the benefits of partnership.”

The racer says that the choice of partners is primarily based on the values communicated by the company. “I can clearly see that the companies in the list of partners of our company have one thing in common. Whether it is a global brand or a Lithuanian company – all of them are known for professionalism and the high level of services or products in their area, and CRAFT Bearings is a perfect example. The Dakar challenge is not that overwhelming with this team of professionals.”

Before the start of the Dakar rally, the Antanas Juknevičius team of CRAFT Bearings will still have a trip to France, to the city of Le Havre. It is from this port that cars, trucks, motorcycles and quads that will start in the competition, and will be shipped to Argentina after a technical commission.

We are unpredictable in a good sense
On Friday, Antanas Juknevičius and his new co-driver, Darius Vaičiulis, invited friends and journalists to a press conference in the Energy and Technology Museum of the capital city. Here, the fans of Dakar saw the upgraded Toyota Hilux Overdrive car that will be used in the 2017 Dakar for the first time.

The car has already seen a number of races. However, it is continually maintained and its components are renewed. Therefore, it is in great shape and ready for the desert marathon. This, according to Antanas Juknevičius, is the reason for his greatest joy.

Speaking of expectations of the place to be taken in the 2017 Dakar, Antanas, who will be driving the desert car for the sixth time, was cautious (it is his 8th start in Dakar). The CRAFT Bearings team will try to achieve the best possible result. However, Antanas admitted that in terms of success, it can be unpredictable. In a good sense.