KAMAZ-master crews on Silk Way Rally-2018 will take part in the following composition:
300-Crew of pilot Dmitry Sotnikov, co-pilot Ruslan Akhmadeev and mechanic Ildar Mustafin;
301- Crew of pilot Eduard Nikolaev, navigator Evgeny Yakovlev and mechanic Vladimir Rybakov;
303 - Crew of pilot Airat Mardeev, co-pilot Aidar Belyaev and mechanic Akhmet Galyautdinov;
306 - Crew of pilot Anton Shibalov, co-pilot Dmitry Nikitin and mechanic Ivan Romanov;
309 - Crew of pilot Andrey Karginov, co-pilot Andrey Mokeev and mechanic Igor Leonov;
311- Crew of pilot Sergey Kuprianov, co-pilot Aleksandr Kuprianov and mechanic Dmitry Svistunov.
The main novelties of the year became new trucks of Andrey Karginov and Airat Mardeev with 13-liter engine DCEC, the same engine is installed on trucks of Dmitry Sotnikov and Eduard Nikolaev. Sergey Kuprianov will represent the team on gas-and-diesel KAMAZ with Liebherr engine, on the same engine will “drive” Anton Shibalov’s crew that the same as last year will do functions of fast assistance. The bonnet truck will be driven to the start by experienced pilot Eduard Nikolaev, who, the same as Airat Mardeev on his truck will test work of 16-stage automatic gear box.
Since the very morning the team went to the tests in Astrakhan, where came the Governor of the Astrakhan region Aleksandr Zhilkin. The Governor drove in the test mode on two trucks: of Andrey Karginov and Eduard Nikolaev.
The trucks surprised him by incredible dynamics and stabilizing suspension. After tests the Governor gifted the team real Astrakhan watermelons.
In the evening the whole team, that is no more no less 65 people, passed scrutineering and administrative checks. It should be noted that not only vehicles of race crews pass scrutineering but also assistance vehicles. All in all 4 assistance trucks, 2 “mobile-hotels”, on which during travels night mechanics can have a sleep, microbus and 3 jeeps. In the end of the day the trucks were put into the “parc ferme” till the ceremonial podium.
Sergey Savostin – the leader of KAMAZ-master Team on the Silk Way Rally – 2018: “The team has arrived to Astrakhan. Yesterday, on the day of arrival, the service area was prepared, and today in the morning organisers gave an opportunity to drive on a small test area for a pre-start preparation, to check condition of trucks, drive a bit and be ready for the start. After technical checks all race trucks will be put into enclosure, access to them will be closed and we will receive them only tomorrow in the evening before the ceremonial start”.
