The Angara River is not rushing, and the blue water flows slowly along the riverbed to the north. There are more than 300 small rivers flowing into Lake Baikal, and only the Angara River flows out. It passes through the urban area of Irkutsk, joins the Yenisei River in the distance, and flows northward into the Arctic Ocean. Arriving in Irkutsk, the first stop came to the Angara River.
Overlooking from the railing, the clouds in the blue sky, the boats in the water, the wooden houses on the opposite bank, and the passers-by by the river are all natural and quiet. The sun shines freely on any corner on both sides of the river bank. You can take a leisurely walk along the Angara River, or let your imagination run wild, traveling through time and space through the years. Irkutsk, located in Eastern Siberia, is indeed a very laid-back city.
The sound of roaring engines on Speransky Square in Irkutz brought me back to reality. Nearly a hundred rally cars from all over the world gathered here. The 9th Silk Road Rally in 2019 is about to kick off.
The brand-new routes passing through 3 countries will bring brand-new experiences to the drivers. From the coniferous forests of East Siberia to the endless grasslands of Mongolia and then to the majestic sand mountains of the Gobi, this event will present a great challenge for the participants. Discovery tour.
From Irkutsk to Dunhuang, the 10 stages with a journey of more than 5,000 kilometers run through the vast regions of Russia, Mongolia and China. The stages cover mountains, rivers, canyons, Gobi and deserts. There is no doubt that this is a very challenging event.
As the only intercontinental long-distance cross-country event in the world, the Silk Road Rally has always been a top-level cross-country rally event that has attracted much attention. new highs.
Compared with previous events, the motorcycle group will make its debut in the Silk Road Rally, and will produce its first motorcycle champion after fierce competition. A total of 181 drivers from 36 countries registered for this event, with a total of 97 cars in three categories: motorcycles, cars and trucks. In addition to the participating drivers, there are 521 staff members and support team members who will travel together in 175 service vehicles.
The two-day administrative and technical vehicle inspection was held at Irkutsk University on the 5th and 6th. Motorcycles, cars and trucks and support teams from all over the world, first at Irkutsk University on the morning of the 5th Conduct administrative inspections including race licenses, vehicles and driver’s licenses. Afterwards, the technical vehicle inspection will be carried out by the Anlaga River, 300 meters away from the administrative inspection center. The technical inspection will be carried out in strict accordance with the standards of the International Motorcycle Federation and the International Automobile Federation.
At 19:00 on the evening of July 6th, under the eyes of everyone, the start ceremony of the 9th Silk Road Rally was held at the Speransky Square in Irkutsk. The ceremony was full of voices. Government representatives from China, Russia and Mongolia, event guests, media reporters and tens of thousands of local car fans witnessed the grand departure ceremony.
A total of 93 racing cars in the three groups of motorcycles, cars, and trucks drove onto the grid in turn, and started a 10-day journey of challenges and adventures amid the cheers of the enthusiastic audience and the team.
In the car group, Qatari Prince Attiyah, Saudi Arabian Prince Araj, Dutch driver Boerik Long and Russian driver Vladimir Vasilyev will once again participate in this great race.
The participation of top international racers will undoubtedly add more highlights to the competition of the car group, especially Prince Atiyah of Qatar, who represented Toyota, won the overall championship in this year’s Dakar race. It is expected to win the double championship of Dakar and Silk Road Rally. There are also a group of drivers driving two-wheel drive racing cars that are expected to challenge the championship, including Chinese driver Han Wei, Russian driver Andrey Rudskoy and French driver Marty.
The Chinese teams and drivers once again showed great enthusiasm for participating in this Silk Road Rally. A total of 19 car groups from 9 teams participated, and the Chinese red once again ran through the entire event. Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Team, Geely Cooper Tire Hanwei Racing Team, Shaanxi Yunxiang Motorsports Racing Team, Qian’an Jiujiang Road Aviation Tire Racing Team, Longxing Tianxia Rally Team and other well-known racing teams were all present.
It is worth mentioning that, as the only manufacturer team in China to participate in the mass production group, Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Wheel Team once again participated in the Silk Road Rally, and sent a total of three car groups to participate in the competition. The two champion drivers Tao Yongming and Song Haitao The strong team formed is undoubtedly a favorable contender for the T2 championship of this tournament.
In the 2017 Silk Road Rally, the Chinese Legion showed an extraordinary level of competition. Many people led the event and won the stage championship. The car group composed of Han Wei and Liao Min won the third place in the car group, setting the best result since the Chinese car group participated in the international competition. Let us wait and see whether the Chinese Legion can refresh the best results and launch an impact on the championship podium this time.
At the opening ceremony, Mikalovich, Presidential Plenipotentiary of the Irkutsk Region of Siberia, Russia, attended and read a congratulatory letter from President Putin: “Welcome all guests and participants, this year marks the tenth anniversary of the Silk Road Rally.
The route of this year’s competition crosses the three countries and is hosted by China and Russia. Mongolia participates as a new partner. The competition starts from Irkutsk and ends at Dunhuang, a historic city on the Silk Road. The addition of the motorcycle group makes the game more enjoyable. The 5,000-mile distance is a test of the driver’s will and the quality of the car. As an important worldwide sports event, the Silk Road Rally can not only promote the development and cooperation of motor sports in various countries, but also serve as a bridge for friendly exchanges between the people along the Silk Road. link. “
Li Jianming, deputy director of the State Sports General Administration of China: “The Silk Road runs from east to west and connects Europe and Asia. It is a historical heritage shared by China and the countries along the route. Throughout the ages, on this ancient Silk Road, people of all countries have jointly written the friendship that has been passed down through the ages. movement.
Since 2016, China and Russia have jointly held the Silk Road International Car Rally, which embodies the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win results, and plays a positive role in promoting friendly relations among countries along the Silk Road. effect. This year’s rally is held under the background of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, and the two heads of state have just announced the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia in a new era, which is of special significance.
Not only that, this year’s event added a Mongolian stage. China, Russia and Mongolia jointly held a rally, creating a new form of sports cooperation and cultural exchanges among the three countries, which will inject new vitality into the development of friendly relations among the three countries and contribute to the promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative. Make new contributions to the construction and practice of the concept of “building a community with a shared future for mankind”. “
Vladimir Chakin, Event Director of Silk Way Rally: “Welcome motorcyclists to the 2019 edition of Silk Way Rally. This year’s route is not easy, but the design is very interesting. I would love to drive a truck again. Let’s go through this route in Russia and Mongolia. I would also like to thank all the employees of the Silk Road Rally for their hard work and dedication, and hope that this race can leave unforgettable memories for all drivers.”
Le Ji’an, deputy director of the Silk Road Rally: “This year’s Silk Road not only provides drivers with a rare route, but also provides audiences from more than 190 countries with an excellent opportunity to explore the beautiful scenery of the Three Kingdoms. For the first time this year, the It became the second stop of the Motorcycle World Championship, which also brought the Silk Road Rally into a new era.
Next, we will focus on the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara racing tire team that we have been paying attention to, as well as the logistics support vehicle Dongfeng Light Vehicle. After winning the manufacturer group championship in the Tournament of Tajikistan Rally last month, the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Wheel Team once again embarked on a journey on the Silk Road; at the same time, it also created the first domestic car company team to traverse Race records in Eurasia.
In 2004, Zhengzhou Nissan challenged the Dakar Rally known as the “Game of the Brave” for the first time and became the first Chinese automaker to set foot on this field. Since then, Zhengzhou Nissan has embarked on a brilliant race journey . The current Navarra has taken over the banner of his predecessors and once again carved a deep mark in the history of Zhengzhou Nissan’s races with the wheels.
As a well-known veteran rally team in China, Zhengzhou Nissan has an indissoluble relationship with the Silk Road Rally. From the early crossing of the East to the first participation in the Silk Road Rally, Zhengzhou Nissan has always been an active participant in this great event.
For Mongolia’s first participation in the Silk Road Rally, the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Tire Team made plans in advance and went to Mongolia to conduct on-the-spot surveys of the local terrain before the race. It is understood that the Zhengzhou Nissan motorcade set off from Zhengzhou on June 28, directly entered Mongolia and headed for Irkutsk, the purpose of which was to carry out adaptive driving and understanding. During the nearly 2,000-kilometer pre-match journey, not only was he more familiar with the local terrain, but also the racing car, the support vehicle and the entire logistics team withstood the test during the rapid march.
“There is no national road from Mongolia to Russia. Most of them are similar to off-road roads with many potholes. During the nearly 2,000 kilometers of driving from Mongolia to Irkutsk, the key components of the vehicle have withstood the test. I am very confident in the inspection of the vehicle and hope that this competition can achieve the results we expect. We have done a warm-up before the competition and have a preliminary understanding of the stage. Russia’s reasons.” Team captain Song Haitao said.
“Long-distance, high-intensity rally events are the most direct test of product quality. Vehicles in the mass production group only undergo minimal safety modifications and use original engines, gearboxes and transmission systems to pass such a very difficult event. To prove that every Zhengzhou Nissan Navara can compete on the track after some reasonable modification.” Zhao Dahu, head of Zhengzhou Nissan Racing Team, told us.
Complex and changeable landforms, fierce and brutal competitions, destined to belong to the battlefield of heroes. Behind the aura of heroes, there is always a solid backing to escort the drivers and racing cars when they charge into battle. As the only designated all-round support vehicle for the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Team, Dongfeng Dolica D12, which has guaranteed many competitions, has proved by facts that an excellent racing team must have a solid and reliable logistical support.
As the saying goes, before soldiers and horses move, food and grass go first. As the special logistics support vehicle designated by Zhengzhou Nissan Racing Team, Dongfeng Duolika D12 is responsible for transporting the team’s racing cars and all materials and equipment. In order to do a good job in logistics support for this competition, Dongfeng Duolika D12 transported a total of nearly 10 tons of logistics support materials this time. From auto parts such as engines, gearboxes, tires, to daily necessities such as tents, quilts, sleeping bags, kitchen utensils, tables and chairs, as well as maintenance stations, hoisting machinery and other facilities, everything is available.
From vehicle maintenance to life support, team logistics are a key to race success. The 5,000-kilometer long journey of the Silk Road Rally from Russia, Mongolia to China not only tests the racers and cars, but also a severe test for the logistics support team and support vehicles. For the long journey, for vehicles and logistics teams, the harsher the environment, the heavier the “escort” task.
With the help of the international race stage, Dongfeng Light Vehicle has taken on the important task of team guarantee for Zhengzhou Nissan Racing Team, established a complete race marketing system through races, and achieved win-win results through cooperation. Its emphasis on the development of motor sports and race culture just confirms that Dongfeng Light Vehicle has started to make efforts in high-quality goods strategy and race culture after its success on the product side. This cross-border brand integration can also further enhance its The three-dimensional marketing strategic position in the industry.
The fierce battle of the Silk Road Rally is in full swing, and Dongfeng light vehicles are facing up to the difficulties and constantly guaranteeing the team to move forward. In the next competition, Dongfeng Duolika D12 will share the rally feast with everyone, and protect the Zhengzhou Nissan team to face challenges and continue to write glory with super high quality and professional all-round guarantee.
The competition has already started, and the battle is fierce. With the all-round guarantee of Dongfeng Duolika D12, can Zhengzhou Nissan Racing Team win the championship as it wishes? let us wait and see!
On July 7, the 9th Silk Road Rally will officially kick off. The first stage is from Irkutsk to Baikalsk. The whole stage is 255 kilometers long, and the special stage is 50 kilometers, all of which are made of gravel. stage. The players will compete in the jungle of Western Leah.
The day’s stage stretches through the narrow Siberian taiga. Forests, riverbeds and Siberian mountain roads are the first challenges drivers need to face. Although the special stage is not long, the overnight rain before the start of the game caused the stage to be slippery and muddy, which added a lot of difficulty to today’s game.
In the car group, the famous Qatari driver Attia, who is determined to create the best stage results, lives up to his reputation. He started to lead at the 25-kilometer special stage and continued to lead until the end, and finally led the French driver by 2 minutes and 32 seconds. Pricht won the first stage. Another famous driver from the Middle East, Alaji, ranked third with a time of 3 minutes and 09 seconds. Due to the limited length of the stage, the drivers of the car group were unable to show their strengths, and the results list of the first stage did not widen the gap too much.
The biggest highlight of the first stage was undoubtedly the Chinese Legion. They played well in the game of the day and achieved a good start. Among the top 10 in the car group, Chinese drivers such as Wang Xiang, Zi Yungang, Zhang Ming, Niu Banding and Zi Rong accounted for half of the country. Among them, Wang Xiang and Zi Yungang ranked 4th and 5th in the car group with a gap of 3 minutes 27 seconds and 4 minutes 19 seconds respectively.
On July 8, the Silk Road Rally entered the second stage. The drivers of the three groups bid farewell to Baikalsk and headed east to Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, Russian Federation. Ulan-Ude is not only the political, economic and cultural center of the Republic of Buryatia, but also the third largest city in Eastern Siberia.
Today’s second stage has a total distance of 413.72 kilometers, including 207.67 kilometers of special stages. The drivers faced varied terrain in the second stage: mountains, coniferous forests and bridges. After the opening warm-up stage, the drivers are all ready to go, hoping to occupy a dominant position in the standings through the performance of the second stage. To achieve good results in such a stage, direction, rhythm and speed are indispensable.
In the car group that received the most attention, Al Attia ran smoothly in this stage. He led all the way from WP2, and once again maintained his lead until the end. In the end, he won the stage championship with an advantage of 7 minutes and 40 seconds.
As for Chinese drivers, Liu Kun and Han Wei performed well today. They finished the race with an interval of 2 minutes and 34 seconds, ranking second and third in the stage.
In terms of the overall standings, after fierce competition in the second stage, Attiya, the champion of the double stage, ranked first in the overall standings, Liu Kun rose to the second place in the overall score, and the French driver Pai Richet came out on top. Ranked third.
On July 9, after passing through a 362-kilometer connecting section from Ulan-Ude, the 2019 Silk Road Rally entered a new country for the first time: Mongolia, where cattle and sheep are everywhere. As the first country to participate in the Silk Road Rally, the four stages run through Mongolia from north to south, connecting Russia and China. Compared with the fast stage in the Russian Far East, Mongolia has a rich and diverse topography, and the requirements for piloting are also higher.
From a racing point of view, it is not an exaggeration to call the first two stages a warm-up. Starting from the Mongolian grasslands and the 243-kilometer special stage of the third stage, the 9th Silk Road Rally has entered a real contest.
Today’s car class is extremely competitive, but it’s all behind Al Attia, who leads the way. The pressure of starting to find the way did not affect his state at all. The Qatari has been leading since CP1, and won the three stage championships of the 2019 Silk Road Rally without any suspense. Russian driver Krotov ranked second in the stage with a gap of 6 minutes and 13 seconds, and Chinese driver Han Wei ranked third in the stage with a difference of only 12 seconds.
Since the official start of the Ninth Silk Road Rally in Irkutsk on July 6, three stages have been carried out, and the Russian stage, the first country in the “three countries”, has passed through and ended.
Among them, Tao Yongming and Song Haitao, No. 248 car group of OP6.2 group from Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Race Wheel Team won the first place in the “first show” stage, and Zhao Xishan and Yang Rui of No. 247 car group won the group The second place, Hai Shuangzeng and Jing Kui of No. 246 car group won the fourth place in the group. At the same time, it won the top three in the T2.1 group in the Silk Road International Rally China Cross-Country Championship (International Section). All the tanks of the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Race Wheel Team ushered in a good start to this race!
Zhao Xishan, who has competed in domestic competitions for many years, was a veteran driver in the T1 competition. This year, he not only dedicated his international competition debut to the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Team, but also for the first time It is very challenging for him to participate in the mass production competition.
Zhao Xishan said in an interview after the second stage, “Because I have been running in the T1 group in China, I didn’t get used to driving Navarra in the production group for the first time, but after two days of running-in and adaptation , I think it is very good that a mass-produced car can have such endurance and passability. I am also getting more and more adapted to the rhythm of the game. I believe that the following stages can adapt to the intensity of the game and achieve better results. .I will persevere to the end and enjoy the joy brought by the event.
No. 246 Hai Shuangzeng, who also drove a mass-produced car for the first time to participate in an international competition, improved by two points in the second stage of the competition, and completed the second stage of the competition as the second place in the op6.2 group. As a 60-year-old veteran, he not only showed a high level of personal accomplishment, but also praised the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara racing car. He said: “Through these two days of competition, I feel that the quality of the car is still good, and the performance in the mass-produced car is also very stable, which allows us to be more calm on the muddy and slippery track.”
After the two-day competition, in the OP6.2 group, the three car groups of the Zhengzhou Nissan Navara Racing Tire Team still firmly occupy the leading position in the group, and won the first, second and fourth in the two groups , showing a high level of competition.
