The Russian endurance racing series Russian Endurance Challenge (REC) returns to the track after a two-year hiatus. The 2022 calendar includes four stages in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi.
On July 24, the best Russian drivers will start the first leg of the four-hour marathon at the Moscow Raceway circuit near Moscow.
Vitaly Petrov, Mikhail Aleshin, Sergey Sirotkin and Viktor Shaitar will launch two of the latest BR-03 prototypes (BR Engineering team, race numbers 11 and 17) at the start of REC-2022.
The Capital Racing Team (start No. 13, driver Denis Remenyako) and Motor Sharks (start No. 83, drivers Anton Nemkin and Ivan Lukashevich) will be racing in the GT category all season on AMG GT Mercedes (exactly the same who perform in the “international” stamina).
And the most, perhaps, “unexpected” car announced today is the IY Engineering team’s Marussia B1 GT (start number 7), which will be driven by the 2018 Le Mans winner and repeat winner of the most famous ” long” races of the planet – Roman Rusinov.
According to the organizers, the Marussia B2 is getting ready for the race.
The intensity of the fight will certainly be added by the crew of Marat Khairov and Gabriele Pian, BMW M4 GT4 (No. 26). Both drivers are multiple participants in international endurance races.
Italian Gabriele Piana is a multiple winner and medalist of the 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring and circuit in Dubai.
Repeat participants of previous REC races – pilots Igor Mukhin and Yegor Efrosinin (Ligier 53) and Le Mans 24-hour competitor Konstantin Tereshchenko (*FENIX of the Moscow Polytechnic University’s FDR Moscow team) will start at the start.
In its current format, endurance races have been held in Russia since 2015. Characteristic for these races is the long distance, the change of drivers and the refueling during the race. The regulation provides the opportunity to participate in the competition for cars of different classes participating in track races: from high-performance sports prototypes and supercars of the GT category to highly democratic cars of national classes and timeless “classics”.
The winners will be determined in both the general classification and the classes.
In 2022, the number of stages will be increased to four. The races will be held at Moscow Raceway (July 24), after which the radically redesigned Igora Drive (August 7), Kazan-Ring (September 24) and Sochi Autodrom (October 23) await the participants.
Moscow Raceway will host the REC race for the 6th time this year: the debut of endurance in its current form took place here on October 24, 2015. The victory in that race was won by the crew of Ilya Burenko and Oleg Kvitka on the FENIX prototype.
The Igora Drive highway near St. Petersburg has undergone a major reconstruction, radically changing its configuration. The competition on Igora Drive will be held as part of the festival of music and speed GARAGE FEST.
Kazan has hosted the Russian endurance three times – in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Racing on the Kazan Ring has always been famous for its unpredictability and abundance of incidents. In part, this is facilitated by the track configuration, which does not forgive mistakes in steering.
The season will conclude with a race at Sochi Autodrom, a circuit where Formula 1 races have been held for 8 years.
Igor Ermilin, Head of the Organizing Committee: “The Russian Endurance Challenge is back on track after the pandemic. There is a feeling that people have missed the long races. With many series having cut their schedules, we’re giving riders who want more starts a unique opportunity for a busy season.
As part of REC, we also plan to hold Regional Long Race Championships. On July 24, as part of the competition, the Moscow Championship will be held, which will allow our participants to receive official sports ranks and titles.
In addition to the sports prototype and GT classes, we expect a large number of Shortcuts and Porsche Cup participants. The “classics” will also participate in our race – the only class of Russian circuit motorsport that organizes 24-hour endurance races. We are also waiting for the RSKG pilots. In general there will be a full grid of fast, nice and loud cars.”
Source: F1 News
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