Now that the GT season has finished, Aliyyah Koloc is fully concentrated on the rally-raid season, which will culminate in early January with the Dakar Rally.
-- Before she takes part for the fourth time, her focus is entirely on preparation. This year, that preparation takes on a special twist at the upcoming Rallye du Maroc, where she will be joined on the start line by her father, Martin Koloc, a former racer himself and CEO of Buggyra ZM Racing. Here, Aliyah tells the story of what she thought when her father told her he’d be racing next to her, why this is a nerve-wrecking experience, and what it was like to test a rally car alongside her dad in monsoon-like conditions.
After months of redesigning and fine-tuning the V8 T1+ and the Revo T1+ GTR, Buggyra ZM Racing was finally ready for their test in Poland last week. But this wasn't going to be any ordinary test. What was initially planned for two days was cut short to just one due to monsoon-like rain that turned the dirt track into something that felt more like an ice rink.
“Every corner was a gamble, visibility was terrible, and I found myself fighting for grip and control on every single lap. It was brutal, but in the best possible way,” Aliyyah Koloc describes her first day back in the Revo T1+ GTR.
Racing alongside Dad
What made this day even more special was having her father, Martin Koloc, back behind the wheel alongside her. “When he first told me he'd be driving a second car alongside me, I was over the moon”, Aliyyah says. However, it is not entirely new to Aliyyah as Martin did a couple of rallies last year. “When we drove the Rallye du Maroc together, that was such a special experience. We shared information, tried to improve together, and it felt like we were really building something as a team.”
Of course, having your father as a teammate all of a sudden brings its own challenges. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous knowing he was out there on track with me. There's this constant worry in the back of your mind when you don't know where he is or how he's doing. But I know he's a good driver, I just have to get used to this new dynamic. And I finally understand how he's been feeling all these years watching me!”
A whole new level of teamwork
Having Martin as a driving teammate, rather than just a team principal, has transformed their working relationship. “It's one thing to have your father helping you improve the car and your driving from the sidelines, he's been doing that since I started my career. But now that he's actually driving too, sharing his knowledge from behind the wheel, it feels like we've taken a huge step forward in our development,” Aliyyah explains. “He really gets the car now, and when we sit down to discuss setup and performance, the conversation is so much richer.”
The wealth of shared knowledge makes it difficult for her to pinpoint specific advice that stood out during the test. “It's more like a constant flow of knowledge and experience between us, and I try to remember and practice everything we talk about.”
Beyond the practical advantages of having a teammate who can assist if something goes wrong, there's something even more meaningful for Aliyyah. “My father used to be a racer, but I never actually got to watch him race. I've only seen videos. Watching him come alive behind the wheel again after 25 years has been truly inspiring. There's something magical about witnessing that passion reignited,” says the 21-year-old racer.
More than just results
Despite the challenging conditions, the team wrapped up the test day with valuable results. "We were soaked to the bone, covered in mud, and absolutely exhausted, but we couldn't stop smiling," Aliyyah recalls. “Even in those impossibly tough conditions, we got solid data, valuable feedback, and a clearer direction for where we need to go next. It proved once again that every single lap matters.”
For Aliyyah, the season's goals extend far beyond race results. “We both love racing, and I feel like we’ve become even closer because of this shared journey. We now spend even more time discussing car setup, analyzing stages, and sharing our experiences. All of that helps us improve the car and our performance. It's like having twice the data and twice the insight to work with.”
The test in Poland was just the start of this unique father-daughter story. They will take it to their first real test at the Rallye du Maroc from October 10-17, marking the next chapter of their racing partnership.
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