KAMAZ-master shot doublet

The fourteenth "Golden Bedouin Dakar" team "KAMAZ-master" won the Dakar-2017...

The fourteenth "Golden Bedouin Dakar" team "KAMAZ‑master" (and for the law of the vendor's oils TOTAL and General sponsors VTB and PJSC "Gazprom"), conquered on the Dakar‑2017 has become a worthy response to all the skeptics, the verdict is already the best national Motorsport project to attenuation the dying. The citizens also had only one season of "homework" that would return the winners at this legendary race, held already in 38 times.

Recall that in recent years, the Dakar rally is not at threat in terms of terrorist countries in the Sahara desert, and in the relative calm of South America. However, calm only in the security of the participants, but not the difficulty of the course, which is this time passed on the territory of Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina, the Paraguay became the 29th country of the "Dakar".

In 2017, half of the route total length  of 8800 km were laid for a completely new route, which has thrown its extra surprises. After the start in Asuncion track came in Argentina, then in Bolivia, perched high in the mountains (over 4,000 m), lies along lake Titicaca and then went down to Buenos Aires finished already in fifth time.

The winner of the race, which lasted from 2 14 January our crown class T3 (trucks, prototypes) was the crew No. 505 Eduard Nikolaev (co-driver Evgeny Yakovlev and mechanic Vladimir Rybakov), and "silver" took the crew of No. 513 (and"Baker's dozen" is not stop) Dmitry Sotnikov (Navigator Ruslan Akhmadeev, mechanic Igor Leonov). To unfortunately only sand trap that has become impatient with the crew of No. 501 Ayrat Maleeva (Navigator Aydar Belyaev, mechanic Dmitry Svistunov) on the eighth stage, which cost the crew a two-hour delay, not allowed "KAMAZ" completely occupy the entire podium.

Eduard Nikolaev won his third Golden Bedouin – twice as pilot and once as a mechanic, with to this "Dakar" he had to change the bonnet of the prototype, which is from tried to  the"Silk road 2016". The words of the pilot, in this is the essence of the work of the driver‑the test — to learn and to get to work any technique. Training in the current Dakar conducted the most serious: for example, under the fast extended parts have been upgraded suspension, and under the difficult mountain with high mountain passes to 5000 m, modified brake system. Even the location of heavy spare wheels has been optimized for better weight distribution.

Not allowed to relax and the main rival of our team — the Dutchman Jean de Roy Iveco, which last year his "Golden Bedouin". Dmitry Sotnikov said that in this time to his crew, speaking this time not as "Technicals", and as a battle, was lucky: he managed to win the stage even some time to lead in the General classification. To win fell just short. Mardeev, Aydar said that in that the mud trap his truck hit a detour when stuck on the bottom of a dried up river MAN of Hans Stacey. Interestingly, "to pull out of swamp Hippo" helped our "Technicals" Anton Shibalov (crew No. 515) competitors  only three of the truck (broke the four wire!), what and took the same two hours.

In General, the present "Dakar" was struck by how natural beauty and its severity, including the drought, and torrential rains in Bolivia subsequent to flooding, even Parking for vacation has turned into the swamp was revoked on the 5th and reduced to 6‑th stages, and also a massive landslide, hitting 9 step "Salta‑Chilecito". But, according to view Sotnikova, this forced the organizers to return the route to more natural for the classic "Dakar" types of sites with sand dunes and the road in contrast last year's "koretnikov".

Their contribution to the increasing complexity of competition has made these innovations the organizers of the "Dakar" as an additional "hidden" control points, which Anton Shibalov was called "the lottery" due an inaccurate official legends stages. In the same time the head of team Vladimir Chagin said that such additional complexity in navigation increase the level of sports navigators, which are suitable for subsequent gonam already in prepared.

By the way, for future bonnet racing truck KAMAZ is currently developing a new powerful and reliable engine, the corresponding regulations of the 2018 years, which limits the working volume of the 13th liters. However, the "Dakar‑2018" the team will be able to pass on existing engines, and will come new competitive motor. So that no doubt informal name our team the "Blue Armada", given to her by rivals, will be to convince them respect and awe and for future "Dakar".

Vladimir Chagin with Jean de Roy

Not  the"Dakar" single

If for the "Dakar‑2017" was prepared by the military trucks KAMAZ‑4326 with "of reglamentary" motors Liebherr, then for held parallel to the "black continent" marathon "Africa EKO Flight 2017" (the Africa Eco Race 2017) with a length of 6500 km, in fact, the former route of the "Dakar" from Monaco Pink lake near Dakar via Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, built by the legendary Jean-Louis Schlesser mainly on the sand and the dunes, was prepared by a similar machine, but with domestic motors: TMZ‑7Э846.10 Totemskogo plant and in gas and diesel versions.

Diesel car No. 400 was led by Andrey karginov (co-driver Andrey Mokeev and mechanic Dmitry Nikitin), and gas diesel No. 403 – Sergey Kupriyanov (Navigator Alexander Kupriyanov, mechanic Anatoly Tanin). The victory in the trucks won Andrena crew Karginov, so that "KAMAZ‑master" and here celebrating a victory.

"Gas" Sergey Kupriyanov's crew took quite a convincing for innovative machines 4th place. So that in the beginning of 2017 team "KAMAZ‑master" won two convincing victories in the most famous in the world rally raids.

The winning P. S.

Vladimir Chagin congratulates Sergey Karjakin

On"Dakar‑2017" should be noted and the first for Russia the victory in the offset relatively new (from 2009 years) category QUAD (ATV) of our compatriot Sergey Karjakin in Yekaterinburg. In addition, our compatriot Anastasia Nifontova was the best in "female" competition among motorcyclists, and the crew Maganova/Shubin on a lightweight buggy (UTV class) won the bronze medal. We must congratulate and won a sensational victory in the prototype Peugeot class automobile prototypes T2 "Mr. Dakar" – stéphane Peterhansel aprelevskaja such recognized masters as Loeb and despres, speaking on the Peugeot prototypes, and "occupied" on this "Dakar" the entire podium in this category.

The winner in the"female Dakar" Anastasia Nifontova with partner Epanutin

Russian bronze in the segment of UTV crew Maganova/Shubin

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