The third stage of the Russian Endurance Challenge unfolded under demanding and almost extreme conditions for the riders. The start was claimed by the 48-strong squad from Yadro Motorsport, with Sergey Stolyarov and Rinat Salikhov at the wheel. They were chased by another Mercedes, No. 13 from Capital RT, driven by Denis Remenyako and Mikhail Aleshin, as the chase intensified during the race. Yet the heart of the competition revealed itself midway through the contest.
In the overall standings, the lead initially belonged to No. 23, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup crew from Spora GT, consisting of Alexey Dudukalo, Evgeny Rumyantsev, and Sergey Titorenko. After a pit stop, Evgeny Rumyantsev, who started on cold tires after Dudukalo swapped places with him, could not keep the car on track as heavy rain returned. He struck the guardrail and slid off the surface, ending that surge for good.
The CN Sport Prototype class saw a setback for G-Drive Racing, No. 26, as Roman Rusinov and Sergey Afanasiev experienced a left rear wheel slip right at the start of the straight. Returning to the pits on a tow, the car could not fight its way back to the lead, but the drivers nevertheless secured crucial points in their class through perseverance and rapid action.
The big question on spectators’ minds was which Mercedes would rise to the top in the general classification: No. 13 or No. 48? After three hours, the gap between the two was a slender 50 seconds. Capital RT’s No. 13, piloted by Remenyako and Aleshin, executed a tactical masterclass, making well-timed pit stops and ultimately taking the crown in the absolute category and the GT Pro standings.
In CN 1.6 sports prototype racing, strategy proved decisive as well. The finish line saw the Balchug Racing Team with No. 21, driven by Mikhail Loboda and Kirill Kirakozov, edge out the seemingly faster No. 9 crew from Zub Ko, which included Vitaly Zubenko, Evgeny Kulikov, and Konstantin Zakharevsky, by just under two minutes and 50 seconds. The margin was tight enough to feel like a close race through the final laps.
In the GT Light class, the victory went to No. 53, a Mazda 3 fielded by Mazda Karting Academy with Valery Smirnov and Arina Sukhanova aboard. The podium finish for a second Mazda, No. 96 from Otets and Son, carried by Vasily Vladykin, came in third due to a late reserve that preserved a chance for a podium finish despite a challenging departure near the end of the run. The event under REC-2022 closes with a final round scheduled to take place in Sochi from October 22 to 23, a conclusion anticipated by teams and fans alike. [Citation: REC-2022 details, event report]
- Well, here is a distinctly different kind of sport note: AVTOVAZ has patented a sport button.
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