Toyota

Checking out the opposition

Antanas Juknevicius has been a Dakar regular for almost 20 years. He made his debut as co-driver for Aurelius Petraitis, back in 2003, before getting behind the wheel himself in 2014 with a career best of 12th place in 2018. At 47 years of age, the Lithuanian has played an important role in stoking the fires of the country’s obsession with rally-raid, as well as inspiring the likes of Vaidotas Zala. He arrived on the Dakar in 2016 and has since lit up Lithuania’s social networks. For the the last Dakar, Antanas’ usual co-driver Darius Vaiciulis was busy with a polar expedition and Saulius Jurgelenas, 'Zala's' co-driver, was injured. So he called up a neighbour from Latvia, Didzis Zarins, who also made his Dakar debut nearly twenty years ago. For this season, the Kreda team driver has made his intentions clear. At the wheel of his first generation Toyota Hilux, he wants to take part in the W2RC, not only to get back on the pace, but also to observe the different T1+ vehicles close up with a view to acquiring one for the 2023 season. No stranger to the dunes of Abu Dhabi, Antanas has already scored two Top 10 finishes on what was a regular fixture of the then World Cup. In 2011, the Lithuanian finished 6th in a T2.