ÊÀÌÀZ is the Champion!

Alexey Shilobodin, special reporter and the KAMAZ-Master team IT manager from Dakar (Senegal):

The Russian crew of Vladimir Tchaguine as a pilot, Semion Yakoubov as a navigator and Sergey Savostine as a mechanic won the rally “Lisbon-Dakar 2006” among trucks. This is the seventh victory of KAMAZ-Master in the legendary marathon, the record that any team in the world has not reached before. The second place took the crew of MAN team for the first time in its sport life piloted by the Hollander Hans Stacey. 4 813 km of the special route he negotiated in 2 h 21 min 9 sec behind Vladimir Tchaguine. The third by right came also KAMAZ racers. Firdaus Kabirov together with its navigator Aydar Belyaev and mechanic Andrey Mokeev were 3 h 5 min 52 sec behind the leader.

KAMAZ-Master team, although the victory was close, was ready for the last stage. All were healthy and full of energy as at the beginning of the rally (thanks to the team doctor Bubnovsky) making up their mind to overcome the last stage of 31 km extension and 79 km of already famous Pink Lake sandy beaches connecting line. However, the stage meant almost nothing on this huge transcontinental 9 000 km long route.

Now we can say that KAMAZ-Master team, appeared to be unreachable for its competitors, has become a phenomenon in present-day automobile sport for the 5th time in a row and 7th time in its 17 year history.

We have won again! What can be more joyful in minutes when intense “KAMAZ is the Champion!” wave with the loud Russian splash swamp triumphal podium of the marathon.

Monday, 16 January 2006