GAZ Raid Sport" at the "Hills of Russia": Rain and Mud in Ulyanovsk

On Friday 17th July, a pre-race day took place in Ulyanovsk: the second stage of the national rally-raid championship – the 'Hills of Russia' Baja – brought together 37 crews from across Russia and neighbouring countries. The competition bivouac was set up on Cathedral Square, and participants managed to take part in official tests to assess the condition of the track and make final adjustments to their vehicles ahead of Saturday's start. The weather threw a surprise: instead of summer heat, the drivers were met with persistent downpours, turning the local black soil into impassable mud.

In total, 37 crews from 24 cities across Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have been entered for the start. The 'GAZ Raid Sport' team fielded five vehicles: two racing GAZelle NNs in the 'R' class, two Sadko Next trucks in the 'T5' class, and a new Sobol NN 4x4 in the 'T2' class, which is undergoing its baptism of fire in serious competition.

Weather Surprise: Autumn in the Middle of July

The road, which the organisers had prepared as a fast, hilly track, turned into a real ordeal after three days of non-stop rain. It became clear during the tests that it would not be easy: the ruts left by passing trucks filled with water and deepened further, while the muddy slush in places reached critical depths.

Alexander Sheludko, driver of the GAZ Sadko truck, noted the difficulty of the track but confirmed the vehicle's readiness:

Today was a test day, which allowed us to shake down the car and assess the condition of the track. Because of the three days of heavy rain, the road turned into a real mess – the ruts from the trucks became even deeper, and in some places it was simply impossible to drive in them. We moved closer to the grass to maintain control. We did four laps of 5 kilometres each – overall, the vehicle performed well. Now the main task is to service the cars properly before the start.

The Vehicles Take the Strain: Test Results

For the team, the test day was an opportunity to check not only the handling but also the engineering solutions that had been implemented after previous races.

Vyacheslav Subbotin, sports director of the GAZ Raid Sport team, summed up the practice session:

Today we rolled out all our vehicles. That's two racing Gazelles, one Sobol NN – a new addition, with new, more powerful springs. We're currently adapting the Sobol to the harsh conditions of rally-raids. We checked the engine: it's not overheating. The conditions were such that we arrived in summer but ended up in autumn. Such wind and such rain, such mud! First, second, at most third gear short, and the car goes sideways – it's constant drifting. And everyone in this mud is sideways, tail first, rarely did a car go front first. But we've restored our driving skills. We checked the engine to see if we made the right compromise – we reduced the intercooler on the T2 and increased the area of the main radiator. It's not overheating – good. It's dirty, wet, very pleasant, because the more mud, the more adventure. We liked it. Super.

On Saturday, 18th July, the crews will undergo administrative and technical checks, followed by the official race opening at 15:00. The first speed section (prologue) starts at 16:00. The organisers promise an exciting battle, and the weather, according to forecasts, will remain rainy, making the 'Hills of Russia' even more spectacular and unpredictable.

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