OREANDA-NEWS. On 23 January the KAMAZ-master team, the winner of the Dakar-2009 off-road rally-raid, came back to Naberezhnye Chelny.

In Naberezhnye Chelny Dakar is considered to be closed only when the team of racing drivers comes back to this city. For 7 years in succession (not taking into account 2008 when the rally was cancelled) the way from Begishevo airport to the main square of Naberezhnye Chelny has been the final “special section” of the victorious rally-raid for the members of the team where, of course, time of passing is not taken into account and the winners become honorary passengers. From 2002 the KAMAZ-master crews has become the winners six times, and in 2007 they won the memorable silver which was more valuable than gold. This year the KAMAZ drivers won the first two steps of the Dakar podium and the fourth place.

This day becomes at the minimum a local holiday in Naberezhnye Chelny. This time it was in the same way. Already in the morning there was constructed a real podium on the square in front of the city hall. There was exhibited almost the exact copy of that very KAMAZ-4326 #506 on which Firdaus Kabirov’s crew became the best at the first Dakar which was held in South America. “The original” is now on its way to Europe. Another racing vehicle stood aside.

In the airport the members of KAMAZ-master were warmly greeted by Sergey Kogoghin, Director General of KAMAZ Inc., and Ildar Khalikov, Mayor of Naberezhnye Chelny. Marat Bariev, Minister of Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan, also welcomed the team. And when the head of the team Semyon Yakubov, pilots Firdaus Kabirov, Vladimir Chaguin, Ilghizar Mardeev, navigators Aydar Belyaev, Sergey Savostin, mechanics Andrey Mokeev, Eduard Nikolaev, Ayrat Mardeev, specialists, mechanics and managers of KAMAZ-master not engaged in servicing of vehicles which are currently coming back home mounted the improvised podium, all people enthusiastically cried “Hurrah!”.

Addressing his fellow-townsmen, Firdaus Kabirov said, “Now we can say that the work is done. I thank my lucky stars. My crew and the KAMAZ-master team were again given the honour of mounting the highest step of the podium at Dakar and glorifying KAMAZ, our dear city, native republic and the whole country.”

In his welcoming speech the head of the team Semyon Yakubov said, “It was hard at Dakar. 50% of the team’s success depends on how the sportsmen are supported by those who stay at home. Day after day we felt our fans’ attention, how, whole days and nights sitting in front of their TV-sets and computers, thousands of people watched us and wished us success. We saw that you, the citizens of Chelny, were in the first flight. Thank you very much for your support!"