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Aug 20, 2013
19 August 2013, Moscow. - Last weekend, on 17 and 18 August, Kazan hosted the fifth stage of the LADA Granta Russian Cup. The Aeroexpress Racing team’s crew, consisting of Rustam Akiniazov and Mikhail Loboda, finished the Sunday race with a position on the podium.
For two days, the Russian Racing Championship (RRC) and the Russian LADA Granta Cup took place on the modern KAZANRING racing track, surrounded by the picturesque natural walls of the canyon outside Kazan. Looking ahead, we can say that the Sunday race was the more exciting of the two (as often happens) and a spectacular end to the weekend.
Despite the good qualification results, the Saturday race did not end successfully for the Aeroexpress Racing team. Only one of the crews (Boris Shulmeyster and Nikolai Gryazin), participating as number 15, finished the race. They placed fifth. Rustam Akiniazov and Mikhail Loboda were less fortunate. A problem with the gearbox was detected in the second qualification round. However, even replacing the unit shortly before the race did not help them to finish the race.
The work performed to diagnose the reasons for and eliminate the failures in car 7 from Saturday’s racing took well until night. The engineers’ and mechanics’ efforts met with success. The car’s settings and operating condition enabled the crew to race at a good speed, struggle with their competitors, and strive to overtake them. From the fifth position at the start, Rustam Akiniazov quickly became one of three leaders and competed with Maxim Simonov for silver, sticking to the tradition of spectacular duels between the Aeroexpress Racing and Syzran Racing teams. The driver’s active attacks during the first half of the race resulted in skidding, struggling in tight contact, and even damage to the front bumper. Mikhail Loboda, who replaced Rustam Akiniazov managed to maintain third position. Upon finishing the race, he stepped up to the winners’ podium. Supporters of the team enjoyed 45 minutes of pure excitement that ended with joy over such a good result. In Kazan, the Aeroexpress Racing Team was supported by an impressive group of fans. Representatives of the Aeroexpress office in Kazan came out to root for their colleagues. Not long ago, the high-speed train service between the central rail terminal and the airport was launched in the city.
On Sunday, crew 15 faced technical issues. “The engine failed during the morning training session. The crew decided to replace the unit as an emergency response. The work was successfully performed. The crew did not miss the race, and managed to both start on time and finish it”, said Boris Shulmeyster from the Aeroexpress Racing Team. “However, the replacement engine did not run at full power, resulting in a significantly lower speed compared to our competitors.”
“As of recent, we have had no boring races. Our competitors are now stronger and better prepared. In competitions, where we meet mainly with professional racers from various corporate teams, we see an opportunity for continuous development. We hope to achieve better results, and stick to our sporting interest until the final stage. In everything we do on track and during the technical preparation and personal training, we strive to develop our team, obtain some experience, and finally, to win,”commented Rustam Akiniazov from the Aeroexpress Racing Team. “Today’s race, as often happens at KAZANRING, was full of events right from the first lap and kept everyone strung up until the very end. From a technical point of view, the Kazan track is perhaps the most demanding, complicated, and exciting one in Russia. There one needs to be resolute. However, it is not always possible to be careful.”
A long gap is expected in the LADA Granta Cup calendar. The next time the crews will come to the starting line will be on 14-15 September in Nizhny Novgorod. The racing season is drawing towards its end. The Nizhny Novgorod Ring will host the sixth and the second-to-last stage of the competition.
The Aeroexpress Racing Team benefits from informational support provided by Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Autosport.com.ru, the Russian version of this leading English racing website, and the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station.
Aeroexpress Racing Team’s sponsors: Aeroexpress, AKB MOSOBLBANK, RailTransAvto, and Komponent.
2013 calendar for the LADA Granta Cup races:
Stage 6 (14-15 September) in Nizhny Novgorod
Stage 7 (28-29 September) in Togliatti