The stage of the Championship of Russia on rally raids "Velikaya step-2015" came to the end on July 4 in Astrakhan. In trucks category the event developed according to the scenario familiar to the audience – "KAMAZ-master" team which took the whole podium in the class had no equal again. The crew of Andrey Karginov (pilot), Andrey Mokeev (navigator) and Igor Leonov (mechanic) became the winner of the race. The crew of Ayrat Mardeev - the winner of last "Dakar" became the second. In persistent fight Sergey Kupriyanov's crew got the third place. His sports "KAMAZ" which successfully participated in the race is one of project elements in support of gas engine fuel. The pilot project was launched in 2013 and is supported by VTB bank. The car works at mix of methane and diesel fuel that allows to improve sports characteristics, and also to gain a positive effect on fuel consumption and stability of engine work. Crews of Anton Shibalov and Dmitry Sotnikov are on the 4th and 6th places respectively. The Belarusian sportsman Sergey Vyazovich from "MAZ-Sportavto" team took the 5th place.
After 4 difficult days of race on hot Kalmyk steppes and the Astrakhan sand, the long-awaited finish at walls of the ancient Astrakhan Kremlin became completion of the race. Total length of a route made about 1160 km, including 1042 km of special stages. About 60 crews, including 24 SUVs, 11 trucks and 25 participants on bikes, quads and buggies took part in the race. In trucks category except "KAMAZ-master" team, crews of "MAZ-SportAvto" team and "GAZ-Raid Sport" team participated in the race.
From "KAMAZ-master" team 6 sports crews were declared, but unfortunately after the second stage because of a hand fracture Eduard Nikolaev had to leave the race.
Results of the 4th stage
1 303 KAMAZ-master Mardeev Ayrat 03:27:22
2 306 KAMAZ-master Karginov Andrey 03:31:40
3 305 KAMAZ-master Kupriyanov Sergey 03:36:13
4 309 MAZ-SPORTauto Vyazovich Sergey 03:37:47
5 304 KAMAZ-master Shibalov Anton 03:40:03
6 301 KAMAZ-master Sotnikov Dmitry 03:40:16
7 203 PEC Firsov Evgeny 03:41:02
8 206 ATT-Racing Frolov Vladimir 04:00:36
Race Results in T4 category
1 306 KAMAZ-master Karginov Andrey 11:06:32
2 303 KAMAZ-master Mardeev Ayrat 11:20:01
3 305 KAMAZ-master Kupriyanov Sergey 11:52:48
4 304 KAMAZ-master Shibalov Anton 12:07:16
5 309 MAZ-SPORTauto Vyazovich Sergey 12:20:07
6 301 KAMAZ-master Sotnikov Dmitry 13:28:21
7 308 MAZ-SPORTauto Vasilevskiy Alexander 13:29:44
8 310 MAZ-SPORTauto Vasilevskiy Vladimir 15:28:23
9 300 GAZ "Raid" Levitskiy Boleslav 24:36:40
10 302 GAZ "Raid" Shklyaev Mikhail 26:16:11
Vladimir Chagin, team leader: "I can give to the team an excellent mark. All planned tests are carried out, innovations in a design of cars, in the suspension, in the engine and in the transmission are tested. Upon returning home the careful analysis will be carried out. We will continue to work and rely on successful performance on Africa Race and Dakar. Today five of six crews are at the finish. Unfortunately due to the hand fracture Eduard Nikolaev's crew could not reach the finish line. We hope that through two, two and a half months he will step back into the ranks ".
"Andrey Karginov and his crew really need the emotional lift after difficult "Dakar" and failure on "Zoloto Kagana". It was important to show good result and it turned out".
"Certainly today's podium is not only result of work of "KAMAZ-master" team. This is result of work of all our partners, whose logos can be seen on the sides of sports KAMAZ trucks. This is a common victory - our partners, team, equipment and crews".
"The fact that Ayrat Mardeev's crew won today's final stage of the race is very pleasant. Today is the birthday of his father Ilgizar. Today is a Memorial Day in our team. We will always remember him as a person who has done a lot for the team."
Andrey Karginov, pilot, winner of rally "Velikaya Step-2015": "Difficult competition, the last day was especially difficult. We got used that the organism gradually adapts: the first day is hard, the second day is harder, and the third day becomes usually easier. This time everything changed. Today’s day was very exhausting. The last 30 kilometers were especially hard. Accurate work of the navigator was very important. For example, today we were fighting with Ayrat. He caught with us. We changed positions several times. At some point, when we followed his trace, our navigator Andrey Mokeev insisted to leave his trace and we turned to the left. Through some kilometers it turned out that we made a right decision. During the race all navigators were mistaken. But the skill was to return faster to a track".
"To win major international competitions such as "Dakar", it is necessary to train, to improve equipment, to check as far as innovations are effective as far as they give an increase in speed during the whole year. Participation in the Russian Championship is an excellent platform for this purpose. Rivals don't stand still, constantly create something. To win we need to be two steps ahead".
Sergey Kupriyanov, the pilot, the 3rd place on rally "Velikaya Step-2015": "We passed today's stage very well. Everything was as I like – hillocks, pits. We had to make efforts to keep the right pace and not lose concentration. As a result we passed the route rather smoothly without serious recessions on speed. We went together with Sergey Vyazovich from MAZ almost the entire stage. He is very fast driver. Therefore the fact that we kept pace with him and won him is a great achievement for us".
Anton Shibalov, pilot: "Of course there is a small disappointment that we could not take a medal place. But we are glad for other guys. I’m very impressed with the result of Sergey Kupriyanov’s crew with whom we together passed "Africa Race-2015".
Andrey Mokeev, navigator of Andrey Karginov’s crew: "We have not seen such steppe yet. There have been heavy rains. If before we went from Kalmykia to Astrakhan on a more or less visible road – we could discern direction, crossroads, road junctions, but now the grass is very tall and nobody went here for a long time. It is very hard to get in the right way at high speed, or see the intersection. When you go the first, second or third there are no traces ahead. It is necessary to see reference points visually not only based on legend. That was the main difficulty of the race for the navigators. "
