Back in September, team-managers of «KAMAZ-master» avoided a direct answer about kapotnik. Apparently, it wanted to go, but...
Slowly harnesses, but quickly go
In late summer the news of the «Russian kapotnike» commented homeland Alyosha Loprais to say: Well, finally, «KAMAZ-master» has presented a racing car that meets the increasingly popular solution layout engine, a better distribution of weight between the axles. Opponents, looking more closely, he immediately noticed: KAMAZ with the hood looks like a Mercedes-Benz Unimog eighties, and along with the unfinished Ukrainian project biaxial KrAZ and Iveco sample 2011.
Not without sarcasm, and it was noted that «the Russian kapotnik» appeared only after the «Ales Loprais and Gerard De Rooy showed all the benefits kapotnika.» Of course, they have shown, but never made it to the podium.
Fabien Calvet, head of cargo offset «Dakar» belongs to the phrase: «Dakar Truck category — as the two planets. One —» KAMAZ-master ", the other — the rest of freight team."
However, the reason for the irony, of course. Under the hood, «Russian kapotnika» — Czech engine, rent, frame and transmission are the same as they were, and the suspension radical changes have not affected, except that dampers and springs have changed. The work on the chassis. Everything else is classified as a problem of «the second day.»
I will not refer to the mythical insider sources, just assume that a team prototype demanded (bonnet layout used Skania, Tatra, Iveco — rivals «KAMAZ-master») in September even flashed information about that at the «Dakar» it will be. But now, when the application for the «Dakar» has filed, it is clear that the «Russian kapotnik» will remain in Naberezhnye Chelny.
Experiments at «Dakar»
The story appears in the «Dakar» almost every analog and protype — a special line in the rally-marathon. Let it be history, «the first person.»
Thus, a two-time winner of the «Dakar» GRUAN George (George Groine). For friends — M. Ju-Ju. To quote our conversation with him, to be exact — fragments.
«On his third» Dakar «I went as a pilot combat truck Mercedes. They prepared two Unimog'a —One for me, one for the assistance services. I won, and for four years was the official pilot of Mercedes. Then in the number of competitors was Jan De Rooy and Karel Loprais, whose sons are competing today with the team „KAMAZ-master“.
In 1983, four-wheel drive appeared desyatitonnik Mercedes 1936 AK. This was preceded by a lot of tests, including, we have improved and the tires Michelin, which have been designed for heavy loads, but not at high speed. At a maximum speed of 185 km / h, they warmed up so that they were flying from the pieces. To its credit, Michelin, they were able to make special purpose tire for the «Dakar» and «Le Mans.»
Generally this was a crucial time, when the adventure of the Dakar began to turn in the race. Once it became known that the Dutch are prepared to put in Africa prototype DAF Turbo Twin II, I asked a similar model (De Rooy came in a truck with two motors and... two cabins, it looked weird, no one at first could not figure out which way it is Now go). I knew that Mercedes has something similar with two engines and a frantic parameters. They asked for time to think it over, and then said «No». Everything depends on the proper transmission, suspension bridges. Then I offered my services Peugeot...»
On the «Dakar 1998» became the fastest truck Mitsubishi. He was the surprise of the race, its fate. But the Japanese ran in his previous two «Dakar», with very disappointing results. Light as a feather (8 to 13 tons more than the then KAMAZ) and unrestrained as an arrow, he asked a supernatural race pace.
At the same «Dakar» one of KAMAZ vehicles (truck Chagin — winner and seven-time champion of «Dakar» that replaced now at the helm of the team Semyon Yakubov) 1000 was strong (the rest — 800). Transmission of such power has not sustained. Has anyone tried to remove the middle of the desert 800-kilogram gearbox?
Remember the words of M. Ju-Ju? «Dakar of adventure began to turn into a race...»
But automotive innovation in something like a fashion that as a grandmother's chest — turned all that is there, shaken naphthalene and started wearing again. The most popular topic in the «Dakar-2015» was bonneted. Tatra, for example, came directly from the military polygon (the prototype is equipped with a base frame, independent suspension, 1 050-liter Renault). As for the «KAMAZ-master», all four Martial truck arrived with the engine... Liebherr (response to the requirements of the regulations limit the amount of truck engines up to 16.5 liters). Let's see what surprise «Dakar-2016»...
Better without the hood, but with the Bedouin
For the national team from Naberezhnye Chelny «Dakar-2016» will be 25 meters (a quarter-century — 13 gold Bedouin). «KAMAZ-master», who finished last year as in 2013, the entire podium (In 2011, the podium was not enough — the first four places) to risk for the sake of being in the trend, can not.
Risk is already on the rally-marathon, which hastily redrawn route, more than enough at all.
So the pilot in KAMAZ will only exhaust brake (it is called «moderated» from the English. Retarder) and then only on one of the trucks. It is likely that in the downhill this device will be very useful.
The basic experiment will continue in the rally-marathon «Africa Eco Race», because there is, as in the past year, one of the two KAMAZ trucks will be with Fuelled engine. Gas — this is ekotoplivo (more precisely, it is a mixture of methane and diesel in a ratio of 30:70). On the Africa Eco Race-2015environmental KAMAZ came second. Send it to the Black Continent and this year.
Crews are also the same: Anton Shibalov pilot, navigator Robert Amatych machinery Diamond Khisamiev (winners of the last rally) and pilotSergei Kupriyanov, the navigator Alexander Kupriyanov, a mechanic Anatoly Tanin (silver medalist of the rally).
It is possible that soon will go to Africa and kapotnik, for example, to replace the classical beskapotniku.
With regard to the «Dakar», the composition of crews has changed, but no surprises. All staff, although the administrative and technical checks which will take place from December 31 to January 1 in Buenos Aires, far away.
The crew of the winner of «Dakar 2013» and the bronze medalist of «Dakar-2015» returned to the mechanic Eduard Nikolaev Vladimir Rybakov, who missed the «Dakar-2015», the navigator is still Yevgeny Yakovlev, made its debut in the «Dakar-2014».
The crew of the winner of «Dakar-2015» Ayrat Mardeeva everything is stable: mnogopytny navigator Aidar Belyaev and mechanic Dmitry Whistlers.On the «Dakar-2014» crew was recorded gathering, though technicals have managed to put the truck on wheels after the accident, sports commissioners were not allowed Mardeeva to the third stage.
The crew of Dmitry Sotnikov (the youngest pilot) moved Ruslan Akhmadeev mechanic, who had gone to the «Dakar-2015» in KAMAZ Nikolayev and co-driver is still the same — Igor Devyatkin.
Will the podium «Dakar-2016» belong to the «KAMAZ-master» or main rivals, united in Team Europe, move the Russian national team from Naberezhnye Chelny? The answer is the founder of the team and five-time winner of the «Dakar» Semyon Yakubov:
«Lose accident is possible, but you can not win by chance...»Photo: open source and the author's personal archive.
