Last Friday in the „Tukada Tech“ company workshop the introduction of the first factory team „CFMOTO Factory Racing Team“ was made. The team demonstrated its technique, introduced the team composition and announced the ambitious plans which had to be altered due to the worldwide spread coronavirus.
During the event the guests and all participants of the introduction ceremony were able to take a closer look at technique of „CFMOTO Factory Racing Team“. The ATV „CFORCE 1000“ of Adomas Gančierius, the new factory creation – SSV „ZFORCE 1000 SPORT“ which is ridden by Antanas and Audra Kanopkinas, and an earlier model „ZFORCE 1000“ used by the duo of Dalius Mockapetris and Faustas Kučys were prepared for the exposition.
Furthermore, the stimulator was set up in the latter - after the installation of a special steering wheel and a customization of the monitor, the guests of the event were able to sit in the SSV and complete one or few stages in virtual Dakar Rally.
Also the team‘s new minibus which was equipped and adapted to working in a race by „Tukada Tech“ company was introduced. The twelve members of the team – pilots, navigators, mechanics and media team – were as well introduced to the audience.
However, not only the racing technique interested the audience gathered but also the plan of „CFMOTO Factory Racing Team“ for the season. It is no secret that due to coronavirus the racing calendar has been significantly messed up worldwide and in many types of sport.
The upcoming week the „CFMOTO Factory Racing Team“ was supposed to fly to Algeria and start racing in the „Tuareg Rallye“. However, two weeks before the race, the event has been cancelled. Even though the hotels and flights have already been booked for the team, the team faced the first losses. However this is not the first race which is on the line.
According to team racer Antanas Kanopkinas, not all events of the year have been canceled yet, so the team is following the information and hopes that the problems caused by the spreading virus will be temporary and at least part of the plan will be implemented.
After reaching an agreement with the CFMOTO factory in China and after it became a factory team, our goal during the first year was to test the CFMOTO technique to the maximum in competitive conditions. This year we planned to drive to Tuareg Rallye in Algeria, „Breslau Rallye“ in Poland and „Hunt The Wolf“ in Romania. We were also preparing for the competition in Lithuania, but so far we are not going to the first foreign competition in Africa.
Whether the planned races are going to take place will depend on the situation in the world and in Lithuania. Now we cannot say anything in particular, because the situation is changing not daily, but hourly.
We will see how it goes. In the future, next year we are determined to start in „Merzouga Rally“, „Africa Eco Race“, „Rally Albania“, „Silk Way Rally“, and „Rally Kazakhstan“. So far, all of our preparation plans have been aimed at our goal of starting at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia in 2022.
However, we are not giving up and this year we will be testing our technique privately, not in races, and if the situation becomes better and the races will not be cancelled anymore, undoubtedly we will race both in Lithuania and abroad. The team is complete, the technique is prepared, we have invested a lot of work and effort into improving it so it would withstand ultimate challenges. Now we are eager to start“ said Antanas Kanopkinas.
The new „CFMOTO Factory Racing Team“ this year have already managed to participate in one race and climb the podium there. During the first round of the Lithuanian „Baja“ championship held in Pabradė and Švenčionys district in February, the duo of Dalius Mockapetris and Faustas Kučys won second place in the Side by Side class.