RTCC

[Speed-King]

Are these all full Super 2000-cars or are they built to a local ruleset? That Seat looks like a Supercopa rather than a S2000 car for example.

[FIRE]

I assume the SEAT is a Supercopa.

#7 on 2nd row is a Ford Focus?

[Quintin03]

Honda Civic to me.

[helgi]

BMW's are e46 S2000. Seat was used in short lived Russian Seat Cup, so it Eurocopa I think. And that Civics (red and white-green) I think have some national S2000 homologation. and some (red and blue) are older (russian Super Production class, lower than 250 hp).

[helgi]

There're some photos here - http://bednaruk.wordpress.com/2010/0..._2010/#respond That "rally-cross" was in 1-2 turns that strongly remind first Oschersleben corner. Besides, it was very hot, so dust and sand is everywhere.

[helgi]

Photo report from Aleksandr Krechetov (russian 'gp-smak' forum) http://www.gp-smak.ru/forum/showthre...535#post161535

[helgi]

Here's a stupid question. Is there any rankings for national TCC series? I mean can we compare RTCC and, for example, Portuguese TCC or German Procar?
We already have three permanent tracks (hope, they'll be able to open Canyon at last and there'll be four tracks). Of course, machinery is rather old. But we have National 1600 class with 20+ cars every race where young drivers have their education (I'm sure Lukoil Racing will be back in 2000 class with Leons and very talented 19 y.o. Mikhail Kozlovsky. Shapovalov can return with his Prioras (even with customer program). So we have some room for development in the nest season. But the question is how we can rank RTCC now.

[Speed-King]

Well, there are some Russian drivers in Procar - I have no idea if they have raced in RTCC before, but if they did we can compare their results, which might give us an idea about the competitiveness of the series.

Here are some names:
Rustem Teregulov
Michail Stepanov
Oleg Petrishin
Andrei Romanov

[helgi]

RTCC began in 2004. Before that there were some championships ruled by two different associations. I can mistake as all the information is in my Russian 'autosport' magazines and I have no time to check the facts. All in all Sergei Krilov organized RTCC in 2004.

Teregulov if I remember correct is a businessman, and raced in his own team. Petrishin started in motoracing in 2000 and only them switched to turing. But at that time the level of championship was very high. He got only 6-7 in overall standings. He couldn't match such pilots as Ukhov or Alexandr Lvov. As far as I know Lvov races in European Truck Championship now.

[Robbe]

About Procar: When you look at the entries now and compare with the entries of the first S2000-year, the numbers are similar, but the quality is much lower. There had been lots of great drivers (Engstler, Radermecker, Geipel brothers, Hennerici, Schläppi) but they all have dropped out. Also teams like Hotfiel, Wiechers, Maurer, Schubert and Kissling are out. The only competetive cars nowadays are 4(!) Engstler BMW and the Audi of Oli Mayer. Peter Rikli has entered a new Honda this year, and is struggling a lot, the Russians at YACO are rather gentleman drivers (especially Petrishin, he's the slowest in the field) and the Mercedes of Weimann is nice, but very unreliable.
Towards the end of the season, you always have some guest drivers, which gives hope for next season. But then, all interesting teams and drivers drop out for WTCC, GT Masters or no budget.

About russian drivers, Labazov was probably the best, followed by Romanov. Hard to judge who is the best russian touring car driver overall - would be nice to see Labazov, Romanov, Sadredinov, Lvov, Dudukalo, Petrikov, Ukhov and Ladygin in some races against each other.

[helgi]

And most of them were racing in pre-RTCC championship. As for Labazov, I remember he raced in the same team as Ukhov did. Mikhail was his trainer IIRC. I should check it at last in my magazines. But I can say that the strongest championship ever was at the very begging of the century. Teams could invite foreign drivers (Kaye, Tocacello etc), Baltic and East Europe cups (or smth like that) were organized. But 2008 and 2009 became very tough. Last year they even have to organize two events at one week-end at Dmitrov Research and Test complex only to make the championship finished - there were no tracks to make a five-round champ.

[helgi]

Here're some photos from Canyon (Kazan) - http://bednaruk.wordpress.com/2010/0...news/#comments - They say, it's a motorbike track. Smth like Brands Hatch. (28m of altitude change) But too narrow (9-12m). It's planned to open it on August,1.

[helgi]

First round of doubled event at Krasnoyarsk (4000km from Moscow). Winners all the same. But some interesting news - Lukoil is planning to race a new S1600 Fiesta in a month with Alexei Dudukalo at the wheel.

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by helgi

Alexei Dudukalo at the wheel.

I've thought, Dudukalo is Leon Eurocaup driver, isn't he? Or, maybe, he plan to race in both championats?

[helgi]

Some sort of a test-driver only for a week-end. Then the car will go to a regular driver. I think Kozlovsky

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by helgi

Kozlovsky

Keselowsky?

[FIRE]

[helgi]

No, I think Mikhail is a way more gentle and talented.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by helgi

Here're some photos from Canyon (Kazan) - http://bednaruk.wordpress.com/2010/0...news/#comments

More recent photo (29.7.): http://s6.images.drive2.ru/community...8800-large.jpg

Off topic (like Kazan track too...), but have anyone heard news about Smolenskoye Koltso in Verkhnedneprovskiy? It's supposed to host FIA European Truck Racing Championship event this weekend but it's difficult to find any information about it... Is the circuit ready and has it passed FIA inspection?

While RTCC is having it's second weekend in Siberia, Russian Legends Cars series is the only support class at "Smolensk ring".

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by Valker

Off topic (like Kazan track too...), but have anyone heard news about Smolenskoye Koltso in Verkhnedneprovskiy? It's supposed to host FIA European Truck Racing Championship event this weekend but it's difficult to find any information about it... Is the circuit ready and has it passed FIA inspection?

Look at bednaruk's blog, mentioned above. If I stand right, there is no official information about track and event. And this blog is the only web source about it, if I stand right

[helgi]

It was planned by RTCC to race at Smolensk on September,12, but it looks like Canyon is going to held that meeting.
As for Truck Racing it's more like KGB racing - almost noone knows about it. No advertising, no TV (well, I should say I usually don't watch that box,but when I listening to the news, there's no mention of that race). Very strange.

[helgi]

Oh, and Smolensk got all the FIA licenses. European drivers are on their way, as I understand.

[helgi]

Some Krasnoyarsk fans are to broadcast the 4 round live at 24auto.tv . I believe it all starts at 8.00 (Moscow timezone).
In fact the third round was broadcasted too, but in 'pilot' mode, to check all the equipment,as well as commentators too. And 'live' will be available at twitter 'ru_rtcc' IIRC.
Almost BTCC coverage we have

[helgi]

I doubt whether RTCC visits Smolensk this year. As for Truck Racing, every team member or pilot (not Truck Racing, just drivers decided to watch racing) whose thoughts I could read said that media-organisation was awful. It appears to be that Vladimir Chagin was WTCC (!) champion in 1977 and 1979 (!!!)
And the guards (that people who were responsible for order around the track) behaviour was utterly rude.
After that I don't know what do they need that track for.

[helgi]

A famous French Lada-blog -> http://ladainfo.skyrock.com/ <- where you can find some info about Krasnoyarsk events (only Touring Light, as Kalinas race there).