Bright anniversary Race of Stars “Behind the wheel”. Star Race “Behind the Wheel”: normal heart rate! Race of stars behind the wheel

Maxim Kadakov, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “Behind the Wheel”: “The Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” is a landmark event for Russian motorsport. Every year we gather the fastest and most titled formula drivers, circuit racers, rally drivers and pilots from other disciplines to determine the best of the best in a head-to-head competition. And this race is special - it’s an anniversary race. Moreover, the anniversary is double: the Race of Stars turns 40, and the magazine “Behind the Wheel” turns 90! Russian President Vladimir Putin has already congratulated us and our readers. Well, we invite all people with gasoline in their blood to share this holiday with us.”

The Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” was first held forty years ago in 1978 at the Central Moscow Hippodrome. It has repeatedly changed its format and venue: the Central Moscow Hippodrome, the Tushino Airfield (today the location of the Spartak Stadium), the Izmailovo Sports Complex in Moscow, the Republican Ramensky Hippodrome, the Izhevsk Hippodrome, on the city lake in Gus-Khrustalny. The race took place intermittently, so this is the twenty-ninth season of the competition.

Over its forty-year history, the race has remained a spectacular event in Russian motorsport and brings together Russian racing drivers from various disciplines. The most titled Russian and foreign racers traditionally become guests and participants of the Race of Stars. In the last decade alone, the following people took part in the competition or were its guests of honor: Sebastian Loeb, Vitaly Petrov, Kimi Raikkonen, Mikhail Aleshin, Vladimir Chagin, Alain Prost, David Coulthard, Romain Grosjean and others. Initially, the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” adhered to the winter format , but 2015 was the last time the race was held on the ice of the Central Olympic Museum. Since 2016, the competition has been held in the summer at MoscowRaceway.

Igor Ermilin (General organizer, ASPAS sports club):

“It is possible that the thirtieth Anniversary Race stars “Behind the Wheel” will be held on an ice track in winter. However, the weather in central Russia began to present surprises to the organizers; due to strong thaws, it became difficult to predict the presence of ice on the track months before the date of the competition.

The magazine "Behind the Wheel" saved the event, moving the dates to the summer season. This initially caused a mixed reaction in the sports community. And yet, in the summer the race acquired features similar to rallycross, which is popular in Europe today. Short races and distances, intense and unpredictable competition - all this added spice and drama to the race. The athletes liked the format.”

Pilots participate in the Star Race “Behind the Wheel” in cars prepared to the requirements of the Russian circuit championship.

Traditionally, the editor-in-chief of the Za Rulem magazine determines who to send invitations to. Russian racing drivers are also invited - prize-winners and winners of national and international competitions, and those in whom the magazine sees undeniable sporting potential and a special will to win. The organizers of the competition have developed regulations that give young athletes the opportunity to prove themselves. For the past few years, Continental road tires have been equalizing the chances of winning the race. This requirement of the regulations allows the pilot's skill to show itself, and does not give an advantage to the technique.

For twenty-nine seasons of the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel”, only one athlete, Kirill Ladygin from Yekaterinburg, received the challenge prize of the competition - “Crystal Tire”, having won the race three times.

Last year, the “Bronze Tire” (a new challenge prize) went to a debutant - 18-year-old Egor Sanin from Togliatti. Sanin became the youngest winner in the history of the competition.

The age of the participants ranges from 16 to 57 years, and it is worth noting that every year more and more girls receive invitations and take part in the races.

In 2018, more than fifty racing drivers received invitations to participate in the “Behind the Wheel” Race of Stars, but the final composition of the competition participants will be known only before the start. The list will certainly include regular and titled participants in the competition: Muscovite Alexey Vasiliev and pilot from Orel Vladimir Cherevan, who have repeatedly climbed the podium. Nikolay Karamyshev from Kursk is a two-time winner and the only one who won the Race of Stars in both winter and summer formats. Having won for the third time on July 7, Nikolai will take away the challenge prize - the “Bronze Tire” of the “Behind the Wheel” Star Race.
The start of the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” is 14:45.

After the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel”, a four-hour marathon of endurance racing, the Russian EnduranceChallenge, will traditionally take place.

Some participants of the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” will also start in the endurance race. Thus, in 2017, Alexey Vasiliev became a participant in two racing events at once. Alexey is considered one of the most titled Russian racing drivers. An international master of sports and a regular participant in the Race of Stars of the magazine “Behind the Wheel”.

Alexey Vasiliev:

“Every year I look forward to a personal invitation from the Editor-in-Chief of Za Rulem magazine to participate in the Race of Stars. Being a master of sports of the USSR, for me since childhood this race represented the most significant event in domestic motorsport. Participation in the race has become a true tradition for me, in addition, I have become its prize-winner and winner many times.

More familiar to me winter format race. In my opinion, due to the busy summer competition schedule, not all the best Russian riders have the opportunity to take part in the Race of Stars. And I would like to meet on the track the generation of racing drivers with whom I already compete long years: your friends and rivals.

Initially, the competition took place on the fastest domestic cars. Now in my opinion technical requirements for cars do not give racers the opportunity to fully demonstrate their speed qualities on an asphalt track. This is especially felt in comparison with the GT cars in which I compete in international competitions.”

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The unstable Moscow winters persistently pushed us to the idea of ​​switching to a summer format. How many times has the Race of Stars been in jeopardy due to weather! For the previous two years, the country's best pilots raced either through puddles or slushy snow. How long? You can come up with something else!

And we thought. Three years ago, the “Behind the Wheel” delegation visited the Moscow Autodrome Moscow Raceway, which hosts the German DTM series and the WTCC World Championship, among other races. We were wondering if it was possible to hold an ice race here in winter. Is it difficult to remove some of the fences in order to optimize the track for a “winter track” version? Is it realistic to fill the track?

And here we are again, but not in winter, but in early September. The transition has taken place: the Race of Stars for the first time in its history - its 40th anniversary is just around the corner! - passed on the asphalt.

Six cars starting from one line is a classic element of winter track racing. It was used on a circuit, perhaps for the first time. Starting six cars from one line is a classic element of winter track racing. Used on a ring, perhaps for the first time.

Modernization of traditions

The autodrome is much better suited for holding auto racing than a non-core hippodrome. There is no need to rack your brain every time about how to stretch the power cables into the indoor park (so that they are not cut by spikes) and how to avoid spectators running across the track during the race. Racers and teams have equipped pits, and the public has access to the paddock and direct communication with their idols.

Of course, the asphalt format contradicts the long-standing traditions of the “Behind the Wheel” Star Race, which has always been snow and ice. But it seems that this is now the dictate of the times in all motorsport: if not to break, then to modernize the established canons. Can you name a world or Russian racing series where the rules haven’t been changed for at least a couple of years? Don't worry, you won't succeed.

Now that the race has already taken place, there is a feeling that we should not have made it earlier in the summer. What we got exceeded all expectations!

With such traffic density, it is impossible to do without contacts completely. But the pilots did not intend to increase the “gaps.” With such traffic density, it is impossible to do without contacts at all. But the pilots did not intend to increase the “gaps”.

Collection of the best

At first we were afraid whether it would be possible to gather as many riders in the summer as in the winter. After all, from spring to late autumn is a busy time for most pilots, including those competing abroad. Many are bound by team contracts that limit performances elsewhere.

As previous years have shown, in February there is the same problem. The pre-season tests begin for the circuit drivers, and for the rally drivers and track drivers, start after start. Even in the domestic competition calendar it is difficult to fit in - there are no free weekends! And most racers no longer keep separate track cars for winter racing, as they did in the 1980s. The pilots who received a personal invitation from the editor-in-chief of Za Rulem to the Race of Stars had a headache: what to drive? Building your own car for one race a year is expensive. Renting is also not a penny, and the level of preparation of such a machine is not always clear.

Initially, the Race of Stars was conceived as a competition between the best pilots from different Russian championships- circuit, rally, cross-country. This is how it remains, this tradition is fully respected. Only there have been significantly more championships in the country: for example, rallycross, drifting and other exotics such as trophy raids have been added.

The technical leitmotif of the summer Race of Stars is the battle of the Lada and Volkswagen brands. Four Kalinas and two Polos made it to the finals. The technical leitmotif of the summer Race of Stars is the battle of the Lada and Volkswagen brands. Four Kalinas and two Polos made it to the finals.

As for the date of the event, the fine day of September 3 fell between the stages of the important and significant RSKG series in Russia. Perhaps this is the only factor that influenced the real list of participants. Some stars of the circuit championship and the National Cup chose to save their cars on the eve of its decisive stage. But, whatever one may say, we received thirty official applications for participation.

Representatives of different disciplines from different places came to the start of our race - even from Kazakhstan (the race is open to foreigners, although all pilots compete under Russian racing licenses). The winners of the Race of Stars of the two previous drawings - Vladimir Sheshenin (2014) and Nikolai Karamyshev (2015) - also attended. We considered them the main favorites.

Natalya Goltsova attacks Vladimir Sheshenin. They fought in the group of leaders, but due to various circumstances did not make it to the finals. Natalya Goltsova attacks Vladimir Sheshenin. We fought in the leading group, but due to various circumstances did not make it to the finals.

There is contact!

Motorsport fans already know the results of the first summer Race of Stars. Some were in the stands, others watched the live Internet broadcast. But let us still remember how events developed.

Based on the results of qualification, the pilots were divided into two groups, for each they held a pair of semi-finals of seven laps (or 15 minutes) in order to select the strongest for the final.

Already at this stage it became clear that the ice format of the races, after being transferred to the asphalt, works fantastically! Certainly, asphalt allows pilots to take more risks than ice. And it’s clear why. Even in a bad situation, you won’t put the car on the roof and crash into a snowdrift at a speed of 120 km/h (such cases have happened at the Central Moscow Hippodrome), but you’ll simply fly into the safety zone. And it seems that the machines were very close in terms of training level (we took the ring technical regulations of the National class as a basis). At least, there was no “tram effect” when pilots, having “figured out” the first turns, walk in a strict column for the rest of the distance. In each race of the Race of Stars, the battle raged from start to finish - at least for the first five or six positions. And there were quite a few tough contacts.

Perhaps we can thank three main factors for the intense content of the race. This is the prestige of the Race of Stars itself, atypical for the “ring” sprint distance and the use of conventional Continental road tires. Of course, they do not grip as well as professional racing slicks, but they created additional difficulties for the pilots.

All three finals took place in approximately the same fight. Not exactly like a ring match, but very entertaining and dynamic. All three finals were held in approximately the same type of competition. Not quite like a ring, but very spectacular and dynamic.

Karamyshev and Sheshenin, by the will of fate, ended up in the same qualifying subgroup. And if Nikolai safely won both races (including the one in which the top five were placed at the start in the reverse order - the so-called reverse), then Vladimir in one of them received 20 penalty seconds for a false start. And, to the great regret of all those present, I did not make it to the finals, although I was also very fast.

This did not affect the character of the finals at all. And the final is six cars starting from one line; The distance is one lap, about two and a half kilometers. All three final races were held in a harsh control room from the first to the last meter. To be honest, it was more reminiscent of rallycross than circuit racing. At the finish line, the interval between the first and last cars is no more than two seconds!

Nikolay Karamyshev scored the maximum possible number of points based on the sum of the three finals. In none of them did he lead right from the start - he kept breaking through the ranks. And in the second race he finished not first, but second: later the judges fined Vitaly Dudin for a false start and, thus, five points for the victory went to Karamyshev. Actually, until the last turn there was no clarity regarding the top three winners.

In terms of intrigue, the current Race of Stars has few analogues. And she still discovers new talents. This year's main discovery is Andrei Petukhov, whose track record is still rather modest. In the finals, the St. Petersburg resident was in no way inferior to the recognized masters of the ring business. And he deservedly rose to the second step of the podium.

Final podium of the Star Race: Nikolay Karamyshev in the center, Vitaly Dudin on the right, Andrey Petukhov on the left. Final podium of the Star Race: Nikolay Karamyshev in the center, Vitaly Dudin on the right, Andrey Petukhov on the left.

Key Point: We now have time to reflect on what happened and develop plans for the future. What will the Star Race 2017 be like? Summer or winter? There is no answer to this question yet. Even a two-stage option is not excluded. Why not? Moreover, such a case has happened in the history of the Race of Stars. For the second year in a row, Nikolai Karamyshev became the winner - now on the asphalt! The main prize, the Bronze Tire, will remain with him for another year. For the second year in a row, Nikolai Karamyshev became the winner - now on the asphalt! The main prize, the Bronze Tire, will remain with him for another year.

In general, if you look back at history, the key and turning point was when we first abandoned the race table for 16 pilots in 16 cars. It was invented by Za Rulem employees for the very first Race of Stars, and it is still used in official Russian competitions. But we ourselves abandoned the “Table 16” eight years ago, because it categorically did not fit all the stars we would like to see at the start. And also because the time has come to change something. Life does not stand still; something is changing in the world all the time. And we try to ensure that the Race of Stars always raises the pulse of both pilots and spectators.

DIRECT SPEECH Matvey Beresnev (Irbit)Matvey Beresnev (Irbit)

My specialty is snow, ice, cross trails. You have to get used to the asphalt of the racetrack and road tires. But we have a lot of snow in winter, and winters near Moscow have become too mild - in such conditions, moving the Race of Stars to the warm season is quite justified. And the original format too.

Alexander Artemyev (Alma-Ata)Alexander Artemyev (Alma-Ata)

Short and dynamic races on a well-known ring track - I like this combination. Of course, you have to get used to the behavior of road tires on a race track. But it’s for everyone, not just me, and this evens out the chances. I also liked the “sprint” configuration with an abundance of turns and the shortest possible straights - here the advantage of Volkswagens over Kalinas is not so great.

Vitaly Dudin (Tolyatti)Vitaly Dudin (Tolyatti)

I think that current competitions are still closer to rallycross than to circuit racing: there is a lot of contact fighting. But it turned out interesting, because who would finish first became clear only in the last turn of the final race. And although I am more of a fan of winter track and paired starts, I think that the current format of the Race of Stars is quite attractive.

Andrey Petukhov (St. Petersburg)Andrey Petukhov (St. Petersburg)

The Summer Race of Stars turned out to be spectacular, but not at the expense of safety. In this regard, a stationary racing track is better than a hippodrome. Despite the tough fight, there were fewer contacts between cars and the damage from them was not as destructive as on a winter track. For example, after replacing a pair of wings, my Kalina will be ready to take off on final stage national championship in circuit racing.

Star Race “Behind the Wheel” - 2016: final results

1. Nikolay Karamyshev (Kursk, VW Polo) - 15 points

2.Andrey Petukhov (St. Petersburg, Lada Kalina) - 12 points

3. Vitaly Dudin (Tolyatti, VW Polo) - 6 points

4.Andrey Maslennikov (Pushkino, Lada Kalina) - 6 points

5. Pavel Kalmanovich (Tolyatti, Lada Kalina) - 4 points

6. Efim Gantmakher (Izhevsk, Lada Kalina) - 2 points

Photo: Alexander Kulnev, Georgy Sadkov, Konstantin Yakubov and Grigory Golyshev

Star Race “Behind the Wheel”: normal heart rate!
Source

On Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 23... wait... it seems that the report about the twenty-fourth Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” began in exactly the same way. Well, okay, this time we will talk about the twenty-fifth automobile competition on the track of the Central Moscow Hippodrome.

For those who are too lazy to open the link and delve into the details of last year’s event, let me briefly remind you: the first start took place in 1978; competitions take place in winter; it is not riders who participate, but pilots; there are horses, but only octane ones; they give you a tire for winning; This is real motorsport.

Just like last year, I managed to miss something again... this time I was forced to miss the very beginning of the race. As an excuse, I cynically admit - rode on the track in a Renault Duster with Romain Grosjean, driver of the Lotus F1 Team.

Renault has a funny tradition of bringing Formula 1 pilots to Russia, putting them in a Duster and mockingly sending them out to drive on the ice. For one thing and work as a taxi driver... the lap around the track turned out to be too calm, as it seemed, Grosjean was very cautious. Well, yes, I’m probably just already spoiled by the Belgian Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the Moscow Raceway near Moscow. You quickly get used to good things, yes.

After the “star taxi” I was able to chat a little with Grosjean in a small circle and ask a few questions. More precisely, the questions were asked by a “narrow circle”, but I restrained myself. I wanted to ask what my impressions were of driving on ice and puddles, but for some reason this question seemed too provocative to me. And it’s better not to mention the new Renault engines in F1 at all. After all, we are not journalists, why put a person in a deliberately awkward position, and trolling is not always appropriate.

But let's get back to the race... as I said above, the beginning was successfully passed by, when I got to the grandstand and found a place to shoot, the cars were already merrily circling around the track.

As planned by the organizers, the Star Race participants should drive on a snowy track, but the weather declared its conditions. There were puddles under the wheels of the cars, hiding ice underneath. It’s hard to even stand there on your own two feet, and you’re talking about driving a car. In short, the event had the potential to turn into a race for survival or a parody of Carmageddon.

The biggest disappointment of the race was the time trial. The cars were sent to the test laps like in a rally, one at a time and with a slight delay. It is not difficult to guess that this decision was dictated by safety conditions, but it almost completely deprived the race of entertainment.

The cars of the participants rushed lonely past the stands. Occasionally the cars managed to catch up with each other, and each attempt to overtake was perceived by the spectators as an explosion of emotions.

Despite all the efforts of the organizers, there were still accidents on the track. Two chicanes (sequences of turns) made of road blocks added at the end of each straight became a natural obstacle for the racers. Most of the contacts with the strikers took place there.

The Safety Car appeared on the track, again in the role of a beautiful yellow Renault Megane.

Almost every time the race was stopped until the victim (the car, in the sense) was completely removed. Then everyone lined up on the starting line and one by one continued their battle with the most dangerous enemy - time.

Many cars got hit, but they continued to fight... motorsport is treacherous and cruel.

There were many races, each with several laps. Due to constant stops and restarts, I lost count, and then became completely confused, no longer understanding who was in what place and what was happening in the overall standings.

It's a pity, but the information support was poorly delivered. In fact, there was a choice between returning to the hall for invited guests, eating, drinking and watching what was happening on TV, or freezing on the street and watching everything with my own eyes. Perhaps it would make sense to choose the first option, but we need to show you the photographs... plus, on the stand, at least from the side where I managed to find a place to shoot, the speaker did not work well and the voice from the commentator’s booth was completely inaudible.

By the way, about photographs... most of the cards turned out to be the same type; we had to take them from one point. It was not possible to get closer to the track like last year; I was sincerely envious of the accredited journalists. If there was a little more access, it would be possible to turn around. Although, on the other hand... they work, and I rest.

In the middle of the race, two Renault Dusters again appeared on the ice of the track, this time a demonstration race took place. Romain Grosjean and Timur Timerzyanov competed.

Timur Timerzyanov, two-time European autocross champion and the best driver of Russia 2013 according to the magazine “Behind the wheel”.

The cars took a beating even before the race, despite being slightly beaten up, the Renault Duster raced no worse than the rest of the race participants. As a result, Grosjean won by some ridiculous margin. Well, compared to last year... you get the idea.

After a short break, the qualifying rounds continued...

Again a time trial and a single race against time.

A little variety in shooting plans. Eh... 300 millimeters and a good crop allow you to somehow get out of the situation.

And it seems that everyone has just disappeared around the first turn... and after a lap we already see the car with damage. Everything would be fine, you can even drive... but the regulations don’t allow it. Stopping and restarting again.

The race is slowly moving towards the winning end... or rather the finale.

There is a version that the different headlights of this Lada Kalina are associated with the level of its viciousness... if you make it completely angry, both will be red. A reasonable question, will both be blue if it freezes?

Traditionally, the last stage of the race takes place in identical cars. The winners of the qualifying races voluntarily and compulsorily change to a Renault Logan and arrange the final list.

“Okay, dear clones... get ready to attack!”

On your marks! Attention! March!

The final race began very late; the judges spent a long time calculating the time and identifying the winners. They tried to disqualify someone. In general, normal sports work was going on.

Renault Logan is a good, albeit unprepossessing, car... although, in taste and color. Personally, I like the look, but I'm a fan of the square-practical-good concept. All these slick squeezes from wind tunnels are not my thing, sorry.

We had to wait a long time for the final races to begin, and at the end there was a significant delay in counting the results.

As a result, first place had to be divided between two pilots who scored the same number of points. Therefore, the organizers had to hold an additional race, in which the victory went to Vladimir Sheshenin (Ekaterinburg, SMP Russian Bears). For whom this was the first victory in the Race of Stars.

Alas, everything dragged on too long... at the very end I was forced to bow out ahead of schedule and missed the extra race. But I sincerely hope that you still liked the story. Write comments.

Oh yes, just like last year, your humble servant managed to get to the event thanks to the invitation of Renault, for which many thanks to the entire company. Of course, there are individual thanks... however, those who need it have already understood everything.

More photos can be found in the gallery at the link. In addition, not the most timely reports from events and after them can always be found in

The Russian racing diaspora spent the day before the unforgettable quarter-final with the Croatian team at the Moscow Raceway. The occasion is the traditional Race of Stars of the Za Rulem magazine, celebrating its 90th anniversary. And the race itself has also entered a new age phase, since it first took place exactly forty years ago.

The format remained the same as in previous years: mid-summer, asphalt, qualifying rounds, then three short finals for the top six drivers. Surprisingly, every time the same scheme gives rise to completely different plots. The current version was different in that among all the participants there was a clear favorite.

So obvious that the founders of the Race of Stars were seriously worried about the fate of the main prize - the “Bronze Tire”. A gentleman's agreement, not written down in any document: a pilot who wins the Race of Stars three times receives Tire in eternal possession. And on the account of the racer from Kursk Nikolai Karamyshev, who now competes for the team Lukoil Racing , there have already been two victories. Three years ago - in winter version at the Moscow Hippodrome, and two years ago in the summer, here at Moscow Raceway.

Everything would be fine, but the top driver of the SMP RSKG circuit series and two-time European Cup winner, in addition to his obvious intentions, built and carefully tested a new combat vehicle especially for the Race of Stars - Volkswagen Polo . And he showed an amazing time on it in qualifying races: the lap was one and a half seconds better than any of his venerable rivals.

The qualifying races did not become a serious obstacle for Nikolai. He won three of them convincingly, starting from both first and sixth positions. And I missed the fourth due to lack of motivation - two victories were enough to get into the finals. In addition, it made sense to protect the car and tires. The tires, by the way, were the same on all cars - road tires produced by the company Continental , a long-time main partner of the Race of Stars. In addition, just at the moment of the fourth qualifying race, a five-minute rainfall hit the track, allowing Alexander Artemyev to distinguish himself ( Kia Rio ) - a titled pilot from Kazakhstan, the furthest guest of the Race of Stars. Who, after the award ceremony, said that the rain helped him a lot.

Actually, the finals became a fierce duel between Karamyshev and Petukhov. So fierce that in the second heat there was a series of side-pushes. Karamyshev turned out to be the most affected, since it was his Polo flew off the road into the gravel, where it was a miracle that he didn’t get stuck. Nikolai lost almost all chances of a final victory in this episode, and the judges decided that there had been a contact fight allowed by racing rules. Otherwise, Petukhov could have been punished - for example, a penalty of 30 seconds or even the result being cancelled. True, this would not have returned the lost points to Karamyshev. Intrigue, however!

Alexander Artemyev skillfully took advantage of the ups and downs, ultimately outpacing Karamyshev in points. So the main favorite did not even become a silver medalist, but only a bronze one. Although, of course, for someone who is determined only to win and puts all his strength and soul into it, there is not much difference between second and third place.

So, Karamyshev left the track, not really hiding his annoyance. Artemyev looked quite pleased - this is understandable if you know that Alexander stormed the “Behind the Wheel” Star Race with phenomenal tenacity for ten years and finally stood on the podium. And Petukhov and the audience received the highest degree of satisfaction. Oddly enough, summer asphalt from year to year presents much more fascinating stories than winter ice. Thanks to everyone who came!

Official website of the Race of Stars “Behind the Wheel” - .

For the second year in a row, the Race of Stars for the prizes of the Za Rulem magazine is held not in winter, but in summer - on the Moscow Raceway track near Moscow. As in the previous season, its participants faced two semi-finals of seven laps and three final races for the top six - one-lap sprints starting from the same line. All races on the short 2154-meter track configuration took place on “civilian” Continental tires. And the main innovation was the admission to the start not only of 1600 cc National class circuit vehicles, but also of cars of the R2B and S1600 categories. However, the athletes had no particular desire to risk expensive equipment - only Muscovite Alexey Vasiliev decided to participate in the race in a Citroen Saxo hatchback.

The first generation Kalinas are gradually fading away, but in the Race of Stars they are still competitive. Only a mistake in the first final prevented Alexander Artemyev from Kazakhstan (No. 17) from finishing the competition on the podium

There were not a large number of participants themselves. Out of more than fifty people invited, only 15 athletes came to the start, of which only two - Tatyana Eliseeva and Anastasia Voronkova - represented non-asphalt disciplines. According to the organizers, there were several reasons for such a low “attendance”: in addition to purely economic ones, the late announcement of the race also played a role - it was announced just five weeks before the start.

It all started with qualifying, which was won by Muscovite Gleb Kuznetsov, driving a Volkswagen Polo sedan, with a terrifying margin of 1.1 seconds. But it's one thing to fight with a stopwatch, and quite another to have tight races side by side. However, in the first semi-final, Kuznetsov began to confidently pull away from his opponents, until his car began to have problems with the gear shift mechanism. And although Gleb had a strong performance in the second semi-final, none of his main rivals misfired, preventing the young Muscovite from making it into the decisive part of the competition based on the sum of two heats.

Problems with the gearbox shifting mechanism left spectators without a head-to-head duel between Egor Sanin and qualifying winner Gleb Kuznetsov (pictured)

The list of finalists, by and large, was clear even before the start. Some, like Anastasia Voronkova, lacked speed; others, like Vitaly Larionov, were hampered by the slow Renault Logan, prepared according to the “serial” D2N group. Surprises could only be expected from the fight for third places in their subgroups. But they managed without them: Alexey Vasiliev made it through only one semi-final, and Anton Zakharov and Andrey Sevastyanov stopped fighting after the accident. Among the semi-final events, one can note the brave ride of Vladimir Cherevan, who, driving a “deserved” Honda, kept the fast Egor Sanin behind for a long time and almost deprived the Ulyanovsk resident of his place in the finals. But in the end, the only surprise was Tatyana Eliseeva getting into the top six, who was helped by the failures of Gleb Kuznetsov.

After the first final, it seemed that Andrey Petukhov would become the winner of the Race of Stars: the pilot from St. Petersburg confidently won this race. However, in the second race, the initiative passed into the hands of Yegor Sanin, and Petukhov fell under the hot hand of Kuryan Nikolai Karamyshev, instantly turning from a leader to a catching up. Having won the third final, Petukhov earned a restart for first place, but Sanin was still faster in it. Well, the third prize-winner of the competition was last year’s winner, Nikolai Karamyshev.

The fate of victory in the Race of Stars was decided in a re-race for first place, the winner of which was Egor Sanin

The Asphalt Race of Stars again left a strange feeling. On the one hand, the small number of participants was compensated by the savagery of the fight in the top three. However, if in the winter we watched battles between representatives of different racing disciplines, then the summer competitions, alas, turned into a cabal of circuit riders. However, it is likely that we will see the Race of Stars in a more familiar format - there were enough hints from its organizers about a possible return from asphalt to ice.

Just a couple of hours after the finish of the “Zarulevsky” competitions, the fourth four-hour marathon Russian Endurance Challenge (REC) started at Moscow Raceway. The main difference between this year's race and previous marathons is the increase in the “top” classifications and the absence of Porsche cars. If before this the majority of the peloton in the REC consisted of participants with modest racing equipment, then this time there were only five of 15 such cars: two Russian sports cars, a Lada Granta from the team of Sergei Zagumennov and a couple of National class cars from the B-Tuning and Zenit Motorsport teams.

In the prototype class, the duo of the G-Drive Racing team consisting of Geogriy Efrosinin and Igor Mukhin was out of competition

After the starting confusion - the racers could not line up in two ranks for a long time, as required when starting on the move - the race was led by the crew of the G-Drive Racing team led by Georgy Efrosinin on the Ligier JS51 prototype. But as soon as the roundabout overtaking began (and they began after the first seven laps of the race!) the leadership was seized by the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 coupe with Andrei Agafonov at the wheel. At the beginning of the second hour, a downpour hit the track, after which the race turned into chaos. The difference on a four-kilometer lap between racers of the same class reached ten seconds!

In the fight for victory in the overall classification, rain helped the Capital RT crew get ahead of the lighter prototypes

In such conditions, stability and reliability came first. In this sense, the result of Sergei Zagumennov’s crew speaks for itself: his Lada Granta finished fifth overall! During the last hours, the duets of the Capital RT teams (Andrey Agafonov and Boris Abramov) and the BF Team - Anton Nemkin and Ivan Lukashevich, racing in a Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, fought for victory. The pursuers in the Italian supercar performed better in the last segment: Lukashevich gained 5-7 seconds per lap from the competitors! However, Ivan still did not have enough time to catch up with the leader, and the Agafonov/Abramov crew became the winner of the marathon. Well, among the prototypes, the G-Drive team won, beating its closest rivals by 20 laps.

Race of Stars "Behind the Wheel"
Final race results