Karel Loprais

Karel Loprais (4 March 1949 – 30 December 2021) was a Czech rally raid driver and six-time winner of the Dakar Rally in the truck category.

Tatra 815 4x4 - The 1988 rally winner in the Koprivnice Technical Museum

Karel Loprais
Karel Loprais
NationalityCzech
Born(1949-03-04)4 March 1949
Ostrava, Czechoslovakia
Died30 December 2021(2021-12-30) (aged 72)
Nový Jičín, Czech Republic
Related toAleš Loprais (nephew)
Debut season1986
Current teamTatra

Career

He started working in Tatra, Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia, as a factory worker in 1967, later becoming a test driver. He competed with a Tatra 815 truck in the Dakar Rally for the first time in 1986,[1] being disqualified from the 2nd place for arriving late to the last stage start. He competed 19 times between 1986-2006 and claimed six titles (1988, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001), four second places (1987, 1996, 2000, 2002), one third place (1992), two fourth places (1990, 1991) and one seventh place (2004).

After his second victory in 1994, when he placed at the 6th place in the common auto-camion category some media started to call him Monsieur Dakar.[1][2]

After the Dakar Rally he took part in the Paris-Moscow-Beijing rally in 1993 (3rd place), the Master Rallye in 1995 (4th place) and the UAE Desert Challenge in 1999 (3rd place) and 2000 (2nd place).

Personal life and death

Loprais was the uncle of Aleš Loprais who is also a rally raid truck driver.[3] Loprais died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Nový Jičín on 30 December 2021, aged 72.[4][5]

Dakar Rally results
Year Class Vehicle Position Stages won
1986 Trucks Czechoslovakia Tatra DNF ?
1987 2nd ?
1988 1st ?
1989 Trucks category not held.
1990 Trucks Czechoslovakia Tatra 4th ?
1991 4th ?
1992 3rd ?
1993
1994 Trucks Czech Republic Tatra 1st ?
1995 1st ?
1996 2nd ?
1997 DNF 2
1998 1st 2
1999 1st 1
2000 2nd 3
2001 1st 8
2002 2nd 1
2003 DNF 1
2004 7th 2
2005 DNF 0
2006 DNF 0

References
  1. Sverak, Jakub. "The call of the road" Archived 16 June 2013 at archive.today. Prague Post, 21 February 2001. Retrieved on 17 May 2013. Dead link.
  2. Agence France-Presse. "Karel Loprais forfait pour le Dakar". Réseau des sports, 2 November 2006. Retrieved on 17 May 2013.
  3. Radio Prague: Czech truck crew drops out of Dakar Rally after accident
  4. "Motoristický svět v slzách. Zemřel Karel Loprais, několikanásobný vítěz Rallye Dakar". FlashNews.com (in Czech). Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  5. "Karel Loprais, leyenda del Dakar, fallece por covid-19". Soy Motor. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
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