On 4 and 5 June, the 46th Paradigit-ELE Rally was held in Helmond, in the southeastern part of the Netherlands. Although sports, suspense and sensation were the focus at this two-day event, safety was certainly also a priority.

The rally sport is different from other car-related sports in that these races are not run on permanent racetracks. Instead, the race terrain consists of different tracks which are completely closed off for other traffic. This is why the safety of the audience, drivers and local residents takes an extra high priority.
The rally cars must also satisfy strict safety requirements before they are allowed to participate in a rally. Many cars have their own regular service team in order to guarantee their admission to a race. Among other duties, the team performs the technical inspection before the race, and carries out maintenance and any necessary repairs during the rally.

The Paradigit Rallyteam’s service team has recently been outfitted with safety shoes from Bata Industrials. They take care of their own safety with Traxx 212.



‘Good safety shoes are a must for our work’, Max Jacobs, mechanic for Paradigit’s service team says. ‘During the rally, we are responsible for the maintenance and repairs to the rally cars. Since we never have more than 25 minutes for repairs, you can imagine how hectic this can be, especially when a car has been severely damaged. Tools and spare parts are flying all around. Steel toecaps and anti-perforation mid-soles are crucial for our safety at times like this.’

Not only do the shoes provide their wearers with safety, but also comfort. Traxx 212 also features the Boa lacing system ‘This is perfect, since we don't have to worry about laces coming undone, or tripping over loose laces. This is also particularly important since we are on a tight schedule, and don't have time to tie shoelaces. An added bonus is that my feet stayed cool, in spite of the hot temperatures we had during the recent rally days.’

The Paradigit Rallyteam will participate in many more rallies this year for the Dutch Championships (Rallyclinic Dutch Open 2010). Bata Industrials wishes the team the best of luck in the race for this title.

General information for Paradigit-ELE Rally 2010 

• 4 and 5 June 2010, start and finish in Helmond
• rally distance: 560 kilometres with 18 heats covering 173 km 
• 74 starting participants, 51 at the finish 
• Paradigit Rallyteam’s three rally cars won the 3rd, 15th and 19th places in the overall rankings at the Paradigit-ELE Rally 2010