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Aliyyah Koloc is a Czech rally raid and truck racing driver who went from teenage tennis player to world speed record holder in the span of a single knee injury, proving that sometimes the best detours are the ones you never planned.

EARLY YEARS

Born July 1, 2004, in the Czech Republic, Aliyyah Koloc spent most of her life surrounded by motors—specifically, the kind driven by her father, Martin Koloc, a 25-year Super Truck racing veteran and team principal of Buggyra ZM Racing who’s been a motorsport competitor since the 1990s. She and her twin sister Yasmeen witnessed their dad’s success from the paddock before they could properly spell “championship,” which meant the motorsports bug was more hereditary condition than hobby.

But here’s the twist: Aliyyah’s first love wasn’t racing at all. At age four, she picked up a tennis racket with professional ambitions dancing in her head. For years, tennis was the plan—until a knee injury at the beginning of 2019 sent that dream packing. Most teenagers would’ve sulked. Aliyyah picked up a steering wheel instead. After winter tests that same year, she began racing everything with an engine: trucks, karts, Formula 4, NASCAR—you name it, she drove it. When you grow up in a family where the garage is basically a second living room, pivoting to motorsports isn’t exactly a stretch.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the track, Aliyyah is a polyglot who’s used to traveling the world, particularly fond of the great outdoors. She’s driven top-end vehicles in all sorts of settings, because apparently racing in one country just isn’t adventurous enough. But her most meaningful interest lies in advocacy: she’s been open about her Asperger’s Syndrome diagnosis and plans to establish the Smiling Eyes Foundation to support people—young and old—living with Asperger’s. “I’ve understood that it’s difficult in life to have everything,” she’s said. “I’ve decided that once I find a way to help children with the same diagnosis, I’ll do it.” Using speed records and racing achievements as a platform for something bigger? That’s the kind of ambition that matters.

EARLY SUCCESS

By age 16—around 2020—Aliyyah had already made herself impossible to ignore. She set European Super Truck 500-meter records at the European Truck Championship, piloting a 1,900-horsepower, 11,000-pound beast to a standing start time of 13.209 seconds (averaging 84.6 mph) and a rolling start of 7.303 seconds (153.15 mph). Let that sink in: a teenager wrestling a truck the weight of a small elephant to world speed records. Her father built the truck and helmed the effort, but Aliyyah was the one with her foot on the gas.

That same year, she became a Double Truck World Speed Record Holder, a title that sounds like it was invented specifically to make other racers feel inadequate. In 2021, she claimed the FFSA Junior and Female French Truck Racing Championship titles, proving she could dominate a season as easily as a single timed run. By 2022, she’d won the FIA Middle East Cup Cross Country Bajas, expanding her repertoire from asphalt to dirt, trucks to rally raids. She wasn’t just racing—she was collecting disciplines like trading cards.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: European Super Truck 500-meter world speed records—standing start 13.209 seconds, rolling start 7.303 seconds.
• 2020: Double Truck World Speed Record Holder.
• 2021: FFSA Junior and Female French Truck Racing Champion.
• 2022: Winner, FIA Middle East Cup Cross Country Bajas.
• 2023: 12th in T3 class, Dakar Rally (104th overall, 33rd in T3 category).
• 2023: 2nd place, 24H Series (Mercedes AMG GT4).
• 2023: 5th in T3 class (15th overall), rally raid competition.
• 2024: Competed in Dakar Rally, finishing 47th in Cars category, 13th in Ultimate class before abandoning at Stage 4.
• 2025: Competed in races in China, Vanuatu, Morocco, and at Brno Circuit.

INSPIRATIONS

Aliyyah’s biggest influence is impossible to miss: her father, Martin Koloc, whose motorsport success she witnessed from the time she could walk. When she was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, it was Martin who reframed the challenge. “My dad told me back then that we can handle it, and he helped me to find some positives about it,” she’s said. That kind of support doesn’t just build confidence—it builds champions. Her twin sister Yasmeen also plays a crucial role, commanding the race radios like a spotter and crew chief. The trust between the sisters is absolute, and Yasmeen was slated to participate in the 2023 Dakar herself before withdrawing due to a wrist injury. Racing, for the Kolocs, is very much a family affair.

REPUTATION

At just 21 years old, Aliyyah is already considered a seasoned driver—a testament to how much she’s packed into a few short years. Media coverage has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting her youth, her family legacy, and her record-breaking performances. When her father spoke about her 2024 Dakar effort, he simply noted, “Aliyyah took on this challenging task,” a statement that underscore both the difficulty of rally raid racing and the quiet confidence the team has in her abilities. She’s overcome shyness in the racing environment thanks to her Asperger’s diagnosis, transforming what could have been a barrier into just another obstacle to clear. The motorsports world is watching, and she’s giving them plenty to talk about.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

For 2026, Aliyyah is set to compete in the Dakar Rally driving a Red-Lined Revo T1+ GTR in the Ultimate T1+ class, with navigator Marcin Pasek and the full support of Buggyra ZM Racing. Her father will also be racing, making it yet another Koloc family Dakar. “This Dakar is even more meaningful,” she’s said, a statement that hints at the weight she’s placing on the event. With a new car and a growing list of accomplishments behind her, Aliyyah is positioning herself not just as a record-setter, but as a serious contender in one of motorsports’ most grueling competitions. And if her trajectory so far is any indication, underestimating her would be a mistake.

References:

Dakar.com Competitor Profile
World Rally Raid Championship Competitor Profile
Teenage Aliyyah Koloc Breaks European Super Truck 500-Meter Records
Aliyyah Koloc: That Was My Dakar 2024
Wikipedia: Aliyyah Koloc