The “Silk Way” rally will be held from July 5 to July 15 on the Kazan – Moscow route. The total distance of the race will be 5222 kilometers, and the length of the special sections – 2273 kilometers. The last time the Silk Way crossed the territory of other countries was in 2019, and during a press conference, rally manager Vladimir Chagin said that in 2024 it would be possible to race through China, Mongolia or Kazakhstan. .
— Vladimir Chagin admitted that in 2024 the Silk Road could return to China, Mongolia or Kazakhstan. Did you miss the huge Chinese dunes and the endless Mongolian steppes?
– To be honest, I’ve never been to Mongolia, but I really want to see the country from a biker’s perspective. In 2019, our crew did not participate in the Silk Road, and in 2021, when it was possible to be there, the Mongolian stages were canceled.
Only positive memories remained on the Chinese tracks. There is an incredible variety of dunes – from high to low and slimy. Such conditions adorned the race. I hope that next year China and Mongolia will return to the rally programme.
— Would a race on the Moscow — Vladivostok road appeal to you?
– There was a Paris-Beijing race, so such a route through Russia is quite real. The organizers of the Silk Road every year find cool routes in our country that we did not know before. Each year is a discovery for me: in 2022 – Chechnya, in 2021 – Gorno-Altaisk. I would therefore gladly take part in the race to the Far East.
Who will drive the new truck?
“It was built for our crew. We will test it in the near future. This is a seriously modified KAMAZ from the K5 family. I won’t divulge the technical details – you will see and enjoy our bold and cardinal decisions on the Silk Road.
– You have won four times on the Silk Road, two wins in the last two races. Are the team guys asking to have a conscience and give them the opportunity to win the main prize?
– (Laughs). There are no such conversations. I believe the desire to win is the highest bar any of us can set for our crew and strive to achieve. It motivates each of us to give 100%, which makes any race interesting. And for me, it is a big challenge that each of the pilots of the KAMAZ-master team can win in a decent fight. I can say the same about Belarusians from MAZ-SPORTavto. They are worthy contenders who claim the highest places every year.
– Which of the representatives of MAZ do you expect as rivals?
– We expect three crews – Sergey Vyazovich, Alexey Vishnevsky and Vitaly Murylev. Vitaly is showing himself well, he is a promising driver. No wonder they tried new sailors, I think they are preparing three crews.
– In the spring, Belarusians seriously spoiled your nerves at Russian competitions. We feel that now Vyazovich and company are ready to claim the top spot?
– The conditions for playing sports today are difficult, but the guys continue to develop, to be in good shape. And we are not standing still – we have tested new youngsters in the crews. In the spring, half of the reserve train left us. This must be done so that in the near future there will be ready-made racers who can replace the current generation. We understood that we could sacrifice time on the special, but this step was forced. I think our team will be 100% ready for the Silk Road.
– Ural has announced its desire to develop the team in rally-raid. When will intentions become reality?
– I heard these conversations not only last year, but also many years ago. Rally raids are a difficult sport. And if they want to do it, then it had to start not today, but yesterday. You will not get here just like that – you need to collect information, seriously prepare.
I will give an example of “MAZ-SPORTavto”. They came to see us in Naberezhnye Chelny, with our permission, they took pictures of everything. Can you imagine how many years it took them to understand the philosophy and the idea of building a car? Only five years later we saw a serious step in their development, and they started racing alongside the leaders on the Dakar.
— The Chinese automobile industry is actively capturing the Russian market. When will we see PRC representatives in the truck rankings on our vehicles?
I’m waiting for these guys! I even saw small trucks at the Chinese championships which had a modern and futuristic design. And I am very surprised that their crews are still not on the Dakar or on the Silk Road. It’s time for them to get their truck out, especially since they probably have all the amenities. I’m sure they will compete.
“And when will master KAMAZ return to Dakar?”
– A difficult question that, as an athlete, I cannot answer. It’s probably not worth counting on 2024, although there is such hope. As long as there is a chance to go there, we will fight. We really want to come back, I think the second half of the year will be favorable to try to enter the number of participants in the race.
No world championship can be called a world championship if all the strongest athletes do not compete in it, which is not allowed for unsportsmanlike reasons. And the victory is all the more precious as the level of the participants is high. This applies to any sport.
– Does skipping the Dakar affect your physical condition in any way? It’s one thing when you’ve had two big races in a year and now you’re sitting at home all winter.
– Of course, everything is known in comparison. It is always useful to see yourself in relation to the best drivers in the world, to understand where you are. This year there is no such possibility, but I hope we will still take a step forward. We have a great benchmark – MAZ-SPORTavto, the guys looked great at the Dakar of past years, at the Russian Championship. I think we will not lose speed, and we will also maintain our athletic form at a high level.
– Have you decided when you will end your career?
– No no. As long as I have enough strength and energy, physical health to ride and compete, I will perform well. The team has high goals and tasks to accomplish. First of all, you need to prepare a change that will be stronger than me, and only then it will be possible to think about ending your career, to be calm than the winning traditions of the team KAMAZ-master have passed into reliable hands. It is important to teach young people everything that I can do myself. Vladimir Gennadievich (Chagin) did the same once when getting out of the wheel.
Source : MatchTV
I am Mary James, a passionate journalist and content creator who enjoys writing about the world of sports. I specialize in covering racing-related news for athletistic, one of the top websites dedicated to this topic. With my expertise in motorsports, I have been able to write compelling stories that captivate readers all over the world.
