New drag racing season was open on the track “Belyi kolodets” (the White Well) in Voronezh on April 26 under the long-awaited spring sun and accompanied by the roar of powerful motors. 46 pilots from different parts of the country have finally rounded off their pre-season preparations and were anticipating the start of the race. They were eager to demonstrate best time at a ¼ mile track during the first round of the Belyi Kolodets Cup which bears a proud name of “Season Opener”. Both the technical regulations and competition structure have been subject to change this year. Dragtimes, the organiser of the upcoming Russian Drag Racing Championship, joined efforts with the SMP Racing support programme of Russian motorsports to organise traditional competitions in Voronezh.
Since early morning things were humming in the paddock area. In drag racing the cars are divided into four classes: Fast Street L (passenger cars with engine capacity up to 2,000 cc, supercharging or turbocharging is not allowed, two-wheel drive); Fast Street A (passenger cars with front-wheel drive); Fast Street B (passenger cars with all-wheel drive); Unlimited Street (passenger cars with rear-wheel drive). The majority of participating cars were produced in Russia (VAZ-2109, 2108, 2114) — the “fighting” versions of Zhiguli were seen everywhere. Foreign competitors were also present — Nissan GTR, Jeep Grand Cheroke, Mitsubishi Evo, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Mark II, etc. The organisers used one of the most widely-known timing systems Race America which has been officially certified in Russia providing the most accurate measuring for all participants. The rest depended on the teams and drivers. The latter were making the competition more and more intense with each practice run.
The season opening ceremony started with raising the flag above the spectator stands, stunning flights performed by airplanes right above the track, and also burnt rubber and clouds of smoke coming off the tyres. Competition runs started after a show demonstrating the art of drifting. The pilots were honing their quick reaction skills right on the start. And it was a real battle of nerves — a slightest qualm could make the drivers step on the gas too early or with a small delay, though there were still a lot of syncro runs.
A pilot from Moscow Kirill Semenov, two-time Unlim 500+ winner in his class, was going to set another record behind the wheel of his SRT8 delivering 1,150 hp: “I started with two pedals and the car got shifted a bit so I had a false start and the time of 9.2 seconds. I think it would have been 9.8 seconds without the false start”.
The stands were totally full. In breaks between the runs the show presenter was puzzling the audience with questions like “How often do you need to replace the oil filter?” or “Does replacing of air filter improve fuel economy?” The spectators were delighted and started leaving only after the final runs.
Both experienced drivers and rookies were on the starting line. One of the participants was Andrey Godin from Bryansk driving a 540-hp Nissan GT-R. He managed to take third place in his class in his first competitions: “I liked the event very much. I didn’t know anything when I arrived here but received a lot of support. Other participants gave me a lot of useful tips like, for instance, when it is the right time to sprinkle some water on the intercooler or bleed tyre pressure. The atmosphere here is just great!”
It’s the third Belyi Kolodets Cup race for a driver from Oryol Vadim Simorev behind the wheel of a 603-hp Mitsubishi Evo V. He is the last year’s champion: “This time I am going to compete against myself, I will try to beat my previous records. My goal is 10.5 seconds so I’m hoping for the best. The event is set up at the highest level — the race, the rush, the speed, new contacts, new experience. The standard keeps growing!”
Many people noted that the race became a bit quieter. It’s not that the engines started whispering, it’s vice versa. The drivers did not start the engines unless necessary and many of the cars were manually rolled to the start line with the help of teams of friends.
By the “rules of the genre”, not all cars could hold out. For instance, one of the VAZ cars lost a drivebelt somewhere in the middle of the distance and the track marshal gave it back to the driver only after the finish.
Though there was not enough time for the drivers to unpack the season, according to the overall standings the competition is really tense. One of the front-runners was a representative of the US-St class who managed to claim victory in the final runs — it was Pavel Tolmachev from Moscow driving an SRT8 Jeep which produces 1,150 hp and 1,600 Nm of torque. Though the driver has dropped out of competitions for several years, he made a confident return setting a high bar for other participants: “Everyone expects a fast car to be a sports car of a mad customised Zhiguli capable of demonstrating good results. It’s like one of those VAZ cars which reached an astonishing time of 10.8 seconds. And I came here driving a Jeep which I normally use to go to work every day. That was awesome!”
Ten seconds to get to the cake-shop finish line. None of the participants was able to hit 10 seconds either during the practice sessions, or in the qualifying (which unfortunately had one run only), or in the final runs. Well, it would make the upcoming season even more intriguing.
The season is now open, all systems are tuned up, and there is the 2014 Russian Drag Racing Championship ahead, which would certainly unlock the full potential of drivers. So let’s get started, ladies and gentlemen!
