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Baja “Rostov 2019”: win of KAMAZ-master Team

23.09.2019

1 and 2 places in T4 category of the Russian Rally-Raid Championship stage were taken by the drivers of KAMAZ-master Team. Andrey Karginov’s crew took the honorary gold, Eduard Nikolaev got silver.

Last weekend in Rostov-on-Don finished the third stage of the Russian Rally-Raid Championship. During three days 29 teams conquered for the first places in Absolute, T2, T3, RS and T4 categories.

BajaRostov: Day 1. Prologue.

 “It was a short special section, about 3 kilometers long, trucks started first among all vehicles. The first started Eduard Nikolaev’s crew, we went second after them. We started in high canes, higher than our trucks, like a cane forest. Moreover, there was grass on the trajectory, it was so much, but we understood that there were only 3 kilometers, first “rolling-in” day, therefore we had to drive fast but carefully”, - told Andrey Karginov on the spot.

Day 2: maximum speed and 90-degree turns.

 “Today it should have been 250 km of the SS, the race organizers canceled the second part – 90 kilometers after neutralization. Only 160 km were left. There is specific terrain relief, in terms that the roads are smooth, very fast, fields are enriched. You drive at the maximum speed, suddenly there is a 90-degree turn to another side of the field and so it was almost the whole day. There was no impassability: fields, ravines, wood. Fast, interesting SS, more interesting for pilots, as it was very working, steering, and for co-pilots there were interesting points on navigation, but generally it turned out such a fast SS. Today the weather was fine, sunny, dry, we will hope that tomorrow the weather will be the same. We passed the SS fast, in one breath,” says Anton Shibalov.

 “Today we started second among trucks, the route was interesting, it is sad that the second special section was cancelled. The first one was 160 km long, there certainly were a lot of straight roads, a lot of maximal speed along the fields, 90-degree turns. There also were short curvy parts, where we could cut. It was dry, we didn’t soil the truck much, generally it was a good interesting day,” shares Andrey Karginov.

Day 3: delay of the start, heavy rains and hole in canes. VictoryofKarginovscrew

 “The first part of the stage consisted of two special sections. First 90 km we drove almost on the moist terrain the whole SS. We were careful in some places as it was narrow, there were ravines – very unsafe. We started one after another, in two minutes. The first was Andrey Karginov, then Anton, we were third, and we finished in the same order one after another. I was driving careful on the first part, getting used to the truck, a lot of novelties.    

Then there was neutralization and the second section. Start of the second SS, unfortunately, was postponed almost for 2 hours. We started after Anton, immediately took our pace, we were driving well, saw the dust, even got closer a bit. But on the 75th kilometer saw that Anton Shibalov’s truck was lying on the side. We drove closer, but the guys were not seen. While we were unfastening the belts, running to them, saw that the guys were getting out of the truck. Unfortunately, Anton got into a deep hole. Apparently the torque arm caught on and the truck by inertia fell on the side. The stroke was strong, the truck was badly damaged, he guys, unfortunately, were injured. We turned the truck over, called an ambulance, the commissars arrived. After the guys were taken to an ambulance, we continued to move. Then an assistance vehicle came to transport the truck to the bivouac. Of course, the second part wasn’t “driven” well. All thoughts were about Anton’s crew. Thank God that the guys are safe and sound,” says Eduard Nikolaev about his experience.

Andrey Karginov: “Finally, there was a full day with two special sections, as planned, only in the opposite direction from yesterday. We started third in the absolute, behind two jeeps, yesterday finished literally in seconds. The first special stage, about 90 km, we drove at a fast pace, as planned. After that there was a neutralization, we arrived at the start of the second special stage, but it was postponed. First, for five minutes, then for twenty, in the end we stood there for about two hours due to the absence of ambulance. They could not start without it. It was not very comfortable, but there were some pluses: we talked to the contestants, recalled different stories, we are all in this together, move in the same circles. But the ambulance finally arrived, and we could start.

In connection with the delayed start, we expected that the rain might catch on the second special stage, it was forecasted, and visually we saw that the clouds were coming closer.

The length of the second special section was 160 km, indeed it poured sometimes, sometimes it was dry, and the difficulty was that you did not understand what soil was under you - it seemed to be dry, but at hard braking, which happened quite often, the truck started to jump from side to side, and you understood that the soil was moist, wet.

But on the whole we drove at our own pace. We saw Anton Shibalov’s crew in the mirrors, we started in a two-minute difference, and on long straight sections he kept the same distance, but at some point disappeared. When we finished and did not see his truck, we realized that something had happened.

And indeed, when we called the manager to report that we had finished, that we were going to wash the truck and put it in the parc ferme, we were informed that Anton had an accident. Later we phoned Anton - they went to the hospital, there was no health danger, and they were going to the bivouac.”

 

Anton himself describes these events of the third day of the race in the following way:

 “It all started well, despite the fact that the organizers delayed the start a little after the neutralization zone. We drove well, started after Andrey. And in one of the narrow places, it maybe a truck or a truck and a half wide, in canes, there was an overflow tube and a hole. The tube was dug-in not in a straight way, but at a slight angle, and this did not work in our favor. A wheel fell into this hole (it was impossible to notice it) and abruptly went down. As the tube was dug-in at an angle, we were thrown sharply at that angle into the canes, where there was a small ditch. There was a blow, we fell into the ravine, the truck flew up, landed and at once fell on its left side. Thank to Eduard Nikolaev. His crew arrived quickly, worked quickly, helped us to put the truck on the wheels, and rendered assistance. The organizers sent Ivan Tatarinov and us to the hospital on an ambulance - just to check our condition. It was not clear at the place, state of shock, spent the rest of the day in the hospital in Rostov. They did everything quickly, checked, they reacted very warmly to us. In general, everything is fine. Upon our arrival home, we will get examined again, and we will try to recover the truck quickly, there is little time before the next departures.”

According to the results of all days of the competition, the score of the crew of Andrey Karginov was 4 hours 47 minutes, the next time after him was shown by Eduard Nikolaev - 4 hours 54 minutes.

The final stage of the Championship - the rally-raid "Simbirsky tract" will be held on October 18-20 in Ulyanovsk.

Last weekend in Rostov-on-Don finished the third stage of the Russian Rally-Raid Championship. During three days 29 teams conquered for the first places in Absolute, T2, T3, RS and T4 categories.

BajaRostov: Day 1. Prologue.

 “It was a short special section, about 3 kilometers long, trucks started first among all vehicles. The first started Eduard Nikolaev’s crew, we went second after them. We started in high canes, higher than our trucks, like a cane forest. Moreover, there was grass on the trajectory, it was so much, but we understood that there were only 3 kilometers, first “rolling-in” day, therefore we had to drive fast but carefully”, - told Andrey Karginov on the spot.

Day 2: maximum speed and 90-degree turns.

 “Today it should have been 250 km of the SS, the race organizers canceled the second part – 90 kilometers after neutralization. Only 160 km were left. There is specific terrain relief, in terms that the roads are smooth, very fast, fields are enriched. You drive at the maximum speed, suddenly there is a 90-degree turn to another side of the field and so it was almost the whole day. There was no impassability: fields, ravines, wood. Fast, interesting SS, more interesting for pilots, as it was very working, steering, and for co-pilots there were interesting points on navigation, but generally it turned out such a fast SS. Today the weather was fine, sunny, dry, we will hope that tomorrow the weather will be the same. We passed the SS fast, in one breath,” says Anton Shibalov.

 “Today we started second among trucks, the route was interesting, it is sad that the second special section was cancelled. The first one was 160 km long, there certainly were a lot of straight roads, a lot of maximal speed along the fields, 90-degree turns. There also were short curvy parts, where we could cut. It was dry, we didn’t soil the truck much, generally it was a good interesting day,” shares Andrey Karginov.

Day 3: delay of the start, heavy rains and hole in canes. VictoryofKarginovscrew

 “The first part of the stage consisted of two special sections. First 90 km we drove almost on the moist terrain the whole SS. We were careful in some places as it was narrow, there were ravines – very unsafe. We started one after another, in two minutes. The first was Andrey Karginov, then Anton, we were third, and we finished in the same order one after another. I was driving careful on the first part, getting used to the truck, a lot of novelties.    

Then there was neutralization and the second section. Start of the second SS, unfortunately, was postponed almost for 2 hours. We started after Anton, immediately took our pace, we were driving well, saw the dust, even got closer a bit. But on the 75th kilometer saw that Anton Shibalov’s truck was lying on the side. We drove closer, but the guys were not seen. While we were unfastening the belts, running to them, saw that the guys were getting out of the truck. Unfortunately, Anton got into a deep hole. Apparently the torque arm caught on and the truck by inertia fell on the side. The stroke was strong, the truck was badly damaged, he guys, unfortunately, were injured. We turned the truck over, called an ambulance, the commissars arrived. After the guys were taken to an ambulance, we continued to move. Then an assistance vehicle came to transport the truck to the bivouac. Of course, the second part wasn’t “driven” well. All thoughts were about Anton’s crew. Thank God that the guys are safe and sound,” says Eduard Nikolaev about his experience.

Andrey Karginov: “Finally, there was a full day with two special sections, as planned, only in the opposite direction from yesterday. We started third in the absolute, behind two jeeps, yesterday finished literally in seconds. The first special stage, about 90 km, we drove at a fast pace, as planned. After that there was a neutralization, we arrived at the start of the second special stage, but it was postponed. First, for five minutes, then for twenty, in the end we stood there for about two hours due to the absence of ambulance. They could not start without it. It was not very comfortable, but there were some pluses: we talked to the contestants, recalled different stories, we are all in this together, move in the same circles. But the ambulance finally arrived, and we could start.

 

In connection with the delayed start, we expected that the rain might catch on the second special stage, it was forecasted, and visually we saw that the clouds were coming closer.

The length of the second special section was 160 km, indeed it poured sometimes, sometimes it was dry, and the difficulty was that you did not understand what soil was under you - it seemed to be dry, but at hard braking, which happened quite often, the truck started to jump from side to side, and you understood that the soil was moist, wet.

But on the whole we drove at our own pace. We saw Anton Shibalov’s crew in the mirrors, we started in a two-minute difference, and on long straight sections he kept the same distance, but at some point disappeared. When we finished and did not see his truck, we realized that something had happened.

And indeed, when we called the manager to report that we had finished, that we were going to wash the truck and put it in the parc ferme, we were informed that Anton had an accident. Later we phoned Anton - they went to the hospital, there was no health danger, and they were going to the bivouac.”

 

Anton himself describes these events of the third day of the race in the following way:

 “It all started well, despite the fact that the organizers delayed the start a little after the neutralization zone. We drove well, started after Andrey. And in one of the narrow places, it maybe a truck or a truck and a half wide, in canes, there was an overflow tube and a hole. The tube was dug-in not in a straight way, but at a slight angle, and this did not work in our favor. A wheel fell into this hole (it was impossible to notice it) and abruptly went down. As the tube was dug-in at an angle, we were thrown sharply at that angle into the canes, where there was a small ditch. There was a blow, we fell into the ravine, the truck flew up, landed and at once fell on its left side. Thank to Eduard Nikolaev. His crew arrived quickly, worked quickly, helped us to put the truck on the wheels, and rendered assistance. The organizers sent Ivan Tatarinov and us to the hospital on an ambulance - just to check our condition. It was not clear at the place, state of shock, spent the rest of the day in the hospital in Rostov. They did everything quickly, checked, they reacted very warmly to us. In general, everything is fine. Upon our arrival home, we will get examined again, and we will try to recover the truck quickly, there is little time before the next departures.”

According to the results of all days of the competition, the score of the crew of Andrey Karginov was 4 hours 47 minutes, the next time after him was shown by Eduard Nikolaev - 4 hours 54 minutes.

The final stage of the Championship - the rally-raid "Simbirsky tract" will be held on October 18-20 in Ulyanovsk.