«Hills of Russia»: Triumph of «GAZ Raid Sport» and a Podium in the Absolute!

Samara Oblast, Syzran, 21 July 2026. Four days, nearly 1,000 kilometres, six special stages and an incredible battle – the 'Hills of Russia' Baja concluded today in Samara Oblast. What began as another round of the championship turned into a true epic, full of drama, breakdowns, mass penalties and, of course, triumph.

The star of the race was the 'GAZ Raid Sport' team. The crew of Alexey Khlebov and Evgeny Pavlov in a 'GAZelle NEXT' not only won the 'R' class – they also managed to climb onto the Absolute classification podium and take the bronze! The team also secured silver in the T2 class (Alexander Semyonov/Dmitry Okhotnikov in a 'Sobol NN') and second place in the team standings of the Russian Championship.

The final day started at 7:00 with the Service Exit from the bivouac in Samara Oblast. The crews had to tackle SS6, which was nearly 200 kilometres long. The route proved completely new for most participants and was radically different from previous days: instead of mud and forests, there were fast chalk roads where top speeds reached 170 km/h.

Alexey Khlebov: 'My dream came true – to stand on the podium in the Absolute'

The crew of Khlebov/Pavlov completed the final SS6 with a time of 2:20:30. Their overall time for the entire race was 9:40:48, which allowed them to take first place in the 'R' class (with a lead of 9 minutes 36 seconds over the nearest pursuer) and third place in the absolute classification, losing only to the prototypes on G-Force and BRP Can-Am.

Alexander Semyonov: 'We won the sixth stage and finished second in the class'

The new 'Sobol NN' finished the race on a high note: the crew of Semyonov/Okhotnikov won the final SS6 in the T2 class with a time of 2:46:36! Despite severe breakdowns on previous days (sheared shock absorber bolts, torn driveshafts, a detached ball joint), the team managed to repair the vehicle and post the best result on the final special stage. Their overall time was 18:52:11, earning them silver in the T2 class.

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Vyacheslav Subbotin: 'This stage was no less challenging than the Silk Way'

The team's sporting director summed up the entire race, noting its variety and the level of competition.

Final day dramas: five retirements

The final day was not without dramatic events. The SS6 route claimed five crews: Sergey Vyazovich in a MAZ rolled over the bonnet and was forced to retire, despite being within reach of first place and seriously fighting for the podium. Four other crews also failed to finish (one KAMAZ, two T3 vehicles – buggies, and one T2 class car), encountering various technical difficulties.

Overall race results

After four days in the T5 class, Dmitry Sotnikov from KAMAZ-master took the win (8:24:09), second was Eduard Nikolaev in a bonneted KAMAZ Extreme Plus (+4:52), and third was the Belarusian crew of Vitaly Murylev in a MAZ (+32:12).

In the absolute classification, victory was celebrated by crew No. 203 (A. Novikov/A. Goryunov) in a G-Force TIGRIS (9:00:13), second were Alexey Cherkesov and Artem Shevelev in a BRP Can-Am (+10:45). Alexey Khlebov and Evgeny Pavlov rounded out the top three (+40:35).

In the T2 class (production off-roaders), the battle unfolded between three crews, and 'GAZ Raid Sport' put in a commendable performance. The new 'Sobol NN', driven by Alexander Semyonov and Dmitry Okhotnikov, finished the race in second place, losing only to the crew of Andrey Sushentsov and Alexander Shanov in a Toyota LC200 from the S&A Racing team. The crew from Kolomna, Leonid Petrov and Anton Pletenev, retired.

In the team standings of the Russian Championship, first place went to S&A Racing from Moscow, second to 'GAZ Raid Sport', and third to LADA Sport ROSNEFT.

The official award ceremony took place at 19:00 in Samara Oblast, in the village of Novaya Krymza. The 'GAZ Raid Sport' team leaves the 'Hills of Russia' with trophies, a podium finish, and confidence in their abilities ahead of the next rounds of the Championship and Cup of Russia, the nearest of which (the 4th round of the Russian Rally-Raid Cup) will take place from 31 July to 2 August.

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