MINSK, 28 April (BelTA) – Belarus’ MAZ-SPORTauto Team finished second at the 2021 Gold of Kagan rally, BelTA learned from the press service of the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ).
Siarhei Viazovich’s crew won the fourth stage of the race, clocking 3:05.24. Dmitry Sotnikov’s KAMAZ-Master (Russia) finished second, 2.27 behind the winner. Third was Vitaly Murylev’s crew of MAZ-SPORTauto Team, 8.29 back.
Reigning Dakar 2021 champion Dmitry Sotnikov topped the final standings with the time of 11:06.09. Belarus’ Siarhei Viazovich placed second, 1.09 back. Russia’s Anton Shibalov of KAMAZ-Master Team was third, 29.57 behind the leader. Vitaly Murylev of MAZ-SPORTauto Team finished fifth, repeating his result at the previous edition of the Gold of Kagan.
This year the Belarusian racers have achieved the best result in the history of their performance at the Gold of Kagan rally. Over a span of four days the pilots covered the distance of 1,247km of Astrakhan steppe, sand dunes and salt marshes. Special high-speed sections made up some 870km. The rally was a rehearsal for the upcoming Silk Way 2021 and Dakar 2022 rallies, and a unique opportunity to test the vehicles in action and get competitive practice for young pilots.