World Rally-Raid Championship

Viktor Chytka racing quad again at Riverside Baja

2 Mins read
Credit: Charly Lopez/ASO

Viktor Chytka will swap his navigator’s seat for the saddle of a Suzuki LT-R450 when he enters this weekend’s Riverside Baja, racing in the Quad category for Garilla Racing.

Chytka last rode a Quad in 2018, primarily competing and winning in the FIA Central European Zone (CEZ) Cross-Country Rally Championships as well as domestic series across the region in Hungary, Slovakia, and his native Czech Republic. He won the 2004 Czech national title followed by the Slovakian championship in 2007.

In tandem with this, he has also doubled as a navigator at the Dakar Rally since 2009. After originally working alongside fellow Czech Jiří Janeček in 2009 and 2010, he linked up with Marek Spáčil’s truck for 2013. Chytka then put his riding career on hold to call the shots for WRC veteran Martin Prokop in 2019, and he has been by Prokop’s side in the Ford Raptor RS since.

Prokop and Chytka finished sixth in the 2023 edition, then improved to a career-best fifth at the latest Dakar in January. Their most recent race together, the World Rally-Raid Championship’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March, was cut short by an accident in Stage #3. With Prokop focusing on rallying for now, Chytka is free to do what he wants.

“Cross-country racing has been my whole life, and during that time, I have occupied all possible positions in all possible categories. Therefore, I am returning to the quad after six years,” said Chytka. Besides racing, he has also dabbled as a cross-country rally photographer like his brother Marian. “During this time, I was committed to Martin Prokop’s MP Sports, and it was essentially out of the question for me to risk injury and then not be able to navigate in the car. At the moment, Martin and I have not agreed on further cooperation, so I’m going to have fun. I know the Hungarian terrain very well from the past. I have participated in the Riverside race several times before, and it is my favourite despite suffering a broken collarbone here in the past after an accident, but that is part of racing.

“I hope and believe that the weather will be nice, as it is important for the quad. I don’t like rain and mud.”

He is the only Quad rider entered at Riverside as part of the CEZ Cross-Country Rally Championship, though there are eight competing for Hungarian Cross-Country Rally Championship points. The Riverside Baja, scheduled for 9–11 May, is the second round on the latter’s 2024 calendar.

Avatar photo
4023 posts

About author
Justin is not an off-road racer, but he writes about it for The Checkered Flag.
Articles
Related posts
World Rally-Raid Championship

Greg Gilson to race Qatar International Baja on 1980 Honda XLS 125

1 Mins read
In a sea of 450cc rally bikes, Greg Gilson will be on the oldest motorcycle by a wide margin at this weekend’s Qatar Baja when he races a 45-year-old Honda XLS 125cc.
World Rally-Raid Championship

FIA tweaks start order for 2025 W2RC

2 Mins read
To prevent early gamesmanship, the FIA has updated the start order for the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship. The first cars out for Stage 1 will be those with Prologue times within 110% of the winner, while repositioned Ultimate drivers with Silver priority will have new spots too.
World Rally-Raid Championship

Joao Ramos concerned with UTVs' increasing advantage in Bajas

3 Mins read
While the Ultimate class is the top category in cross-country rally, side-by-sides sweeping the Baja Portalegre 500 podium makes Ultimate driver João Ramos feel he is “throwing money away and fighting a losing battle”.