The third stage of the Championship of Russia on rally raids – "Velikaya step 2014" finished in Astrakhan. The race started on July 9 in Elista (Kalmykia), and finished on Saturday July 12 in Astrakhan.
33 starting crews, among which there were practically all favourites of the national championship, had to pass 1000 kilometers of a high-speed distance. However only 21 sporting crews managed to reach a finishing podium in Astrakhan – so difficult this rally raid was.
In trucks category the situation developed according to the scenario familiar to the audience – "KAMAZ-master" team which took the entire podium in its class again has no equal. Though rivals from Belarus (MAZ-Sport team) showed excellent results and even won 2 of 4 special stages, Anton Shibalov's "KAMAZ" truck came the first to the finish line.
Sergey Kupriyanov’s crew took the second place and was highly appreciated by his fans. His sports "KAMAZ" truck successfully participating in the race is one of the elements of marketing and advertising campaign in support of the gas engine fuel. The pilot project started last year and is carried out with VTB bank support. This year the machine worked at methane, it allowed to improve sporting characteristics, and also to gain the positive effect on fuel consumption and stability of the engine run.
Problems associated with a puncture in the third and fourth day of the race plus an hour's penalty for non-passage of two navigation points during the third stage of the race become the reason of the third place of Dmitry Sotnikov’s crew.
Out of sports standing one more "KAMAZ" truck of Ayrat Mardeev participated in the race. The task of his crew was to test the robotized transmission in extreme conditions of race.
After 4 difficult days of the race on steppes of hot Kalmykia and the sands of Astrakhan, the long-awaited finish at walls of the ancient Astrakhan Kremlin became completion of the race.
Press Service of "KAMAZ-master" team
