Slovak Martin Benko made his mark on the history of Slovak motorsport by participating in events such as the Dakar Rally, Africa eco Race, and many other long-distance competitions. Now he is leaving two wheels behind and moving on to four.
Martin started motorcycling more than fifteen years ago. From the beginning, he was more interested in endurance racing, which, in addition to the two most famous competitions in the world, took him to various corners of our globe. In addition to riding, Martin Benko has also been supporting Štefan Svitek for many years. The cooperation will continue this year, as competitions are planned where we will see both of them at the start.
“Long-distance competitions have always fascinated me and I wanted to try them out for myself. One was enough and I was completely captivated. It is something that recharges and fulfills me. Moreover, it is the right relaxation from my work. I have already tried almost everything on motorcycles, now it is time to move the story further, to four wheels,” said Martin Benko at the beginning of the story.
The basis for Martin’s next steps was the Taurus T3 Max buggy (FIA version), which Martin had already tried out as part of the test. Now, however, he is waiting for a seven-day competition in Greece called Hellas Rally Raid 2025. And since in the case of the buggy competition the crew consists of a pair, Martin chose the most experienced Slovak, Marek Sýkora, as the navigator.
“Marek and I have known each other for many years, so my first choice fell on him. He has a lot of experience navigating the most difficult terrain, whether it was competitions all over the world, including the Dakar in South America, or even in Saudi Arabia. We tried our hand at cooperation in the test and it seems that it will work just as well for us as in civilian life, where we are good friends,” continued Martin Benko.
As we have already mentioned, the Martin Benko – Marek Sýkora duo will face a seven-stage competition in which the competitors will have to overcome an almost one thousand six hundred kilometers long track. More than two hundred and fifty drivers from an incredible number of countries around the world will take part in the Hellas Rally Raid 2025 event. In the SSV competition, which also includes buggy vehicles, there will be almost forty drivers.
“We are definitely not going to look at the result. I am not interested in that at all, all I want is to drive as many competition days as possible and gain a lot of experience. It is a completely new category for me, I know that it will be extremely difficult, but if we succeed, we would like to reach the finish line in Greece. In any case, we would like to thank Marek and I for the direct support from Kubota and Bomag, where we agreed on a two-year contract,” concluded Martin Benko.
Hellas Rally Raid 2025 starts on 23.5. – 1.6.2025, while the actual conquering of the tracks and the aforementioned seven stages will take place on 26.5. – 1.6.2025. We will keep you informed about the adventures experienced by the Slovak crew of the Taurus buggy, Martin Benko and Marek Sýkora.