On December 5-6 the founder of the team Shota Abkazava took part in the World Finals of Legends on the track Las Vegas Motor Speedway – one of the largest car-racing tracks in the US. The victory of the 37-year-old sportsman from Moscow in the hit race and the second place in the final achieved in the course of the keenest fight turned out to be unexpected both for the rivals and for the team of Austin Legends which let us 2 cars for lease with maintenance (Abkhazava’s partner was Alexander Smolyar, one of the fastest pilots of the Russian Legends Series). 25 strongest Legens pilots from all around America were his competitors in Semi-Pro Race. Including other classes, over 70 cars gathered in Las Vegas. Smolyar who started from the 9th position was unlucky: he drew ahead of several rivals even before the first turning; however, he was driven out of the track by the only representative of the fair sex – Julie Dawson, who also dropped out due to the accident. As for Abkhazava, he was successfully attacked by two rivals, lost a couple of positions but made a counter-attack and managed to regain the second place just half a circle to the finish.
2008-11-27: A visit to Spiess TuningOn November 27 the representatives of the team Shota Abkhazava, Vassily Antipov and Eldar Marchenko had negotiations with the leading German manufacturer of racing engines – Spiess Tuning – with the view of making an agreement for delivering Challenge engines and preparing motors for the Finnish championship. The CEO of the company Herr Helger Spiess took part in the meeting. To conclude it, he arranged an exciting excursion around Spiess Tuning workshops and laboratories, demonstrating the work of the most up-to-date testing equipment similar to that used by Toyota Team of Formula-1.
2008-11-25: Testing of safety railOn November 25, in Moscow Automobile and Road University, they tested the safety rail of ArtTech car according to the FIA procedure. The tenability of the rail exceeded the FIA standards considerably. The tests were needed for ArtTech running gear to be allowed for participation in the German Cup of 2009. The testing was videoed. The special construction for this type of works to be held had been designed by Alexander Potekhin.
2008-11-14: Nurburgring testsOn November 13 Shaitar went on testing on Nurburgring track, and he was again holding stable positions in the first ten. The leading Finnish team ADRF was again the partner in the testing program. ADRF is also planning to take part in the German Cup 2009, but unlike Art-Line, in League A. As for ArtTech, having been designed before 2004, it is admitted to Trophy classification. In 2009 the design centre is envisaging the task to gain experience of participation in one of the most prestigious car-racing series of Europe and to collect as much data as possible for producing the next generation of ArtTech running gear for the season-2011.
2008-11-4: Tests in HockenheimOn November 3 Ivan Samarin and Victor Shaitar took part in the last ATS Cup official tests of the season-2008 in Hockenheim, where they managed not only to test Dallara and ArtTech on the track that was new for them but also to show 4 to 7 results in various sessions during the day among 18 rivals.
2008-10-30: Vassily Antipov leads the TeamThe sports coordinator of ADM motor speedway Vassily Antipov was assigned to be the new team leader. He is charged to prepare the team for the full-value season in Europe and to make it able to meet competition on the international level. It is for the first time that such an ambitious program is implemented in the Russian “ring”.
2008-10-29: Preparation for the season-2009The team has started heavy training for the season-2009. Among the team’s plans there is the full season of the German Cup (ATS Formel-3 Cup), which consists of 9 stages on various European tracks. The pilots have not been identified yet. The cars are ArtTech with Opel Spiess Challenge engines (27 mm restrictor). In addition, the team will show the new Dallara F308 Opel Spiess with a Russian pilot in the Finnish Championship.
2008-09-29: The season is over. Samarin gets silverFinal stages of the Russian National Formula-3 Series took place on September 27-28. After the summarizing count Vladimir Semenov, the pilot of the team ZyXEL RRT, became the winner of the season-2008. The silver of the National Series was received by Ivan Samarin, and the bronze – by Victor Shaitar. ArtLine Racing won in the team classification of the Series.
Ivan Samarin, ArtLine pilot:
”The team worked quite well during the whole week-end. Our achievement was predictable. It was impossible to catch up with Semyonov – his bolide was too fast! Nevertheless the task has been done! Many thanks to the team! As for the Championship as a whole, I’m glad that now we have our national Formula-3. Due to the series organizers’ efforts we had a chance to perform together with the Finnish Formula-3. There were many new race tracks in Calendar. Certainly, I’ve gained invaluable experience.”
Victor Shaitar, ArtLine pilot:
«Everything is alright! We all have won and are much satisfied! This year our team is the winner – that’s what is most important for me! Racing together with Finnish team at the new tracks was great. We had many opportunities to work with the engineers, and for that our special thanks to them!”
The penult rounds of Russian Formula-3 took place on the ADM racetrack located in Myachkovo near Moscow.
The Zyxel Racing pilot won the both races of the sixth round of Russian Formula-3. On the first lap already from the beginning Semyonov broke away from his chasers and won without making any mistakes. Ivan Samarin finished the second. His team-mate Viktor Shaitar didn’t finish due to the gearing problems.
Again, at the start of the second lap Semyonov left everyone behind, but in a while Victor Shaitar began to overtake him, gradually cutting the gap. This made Semyonov nervous, because starting ninth and having come close to Semyonov, Victor Shaitar was forcing him to contest. But Vladimir withstood this “psychological attack” and having increased his speed, broke away from Victor and raced steadily to victory. Victor Shaitar finished the second that resulted on gaining points in one race only. In the second race fortune left Ivan Samarin who didn’t reach the finish line “due to the motor problems”.
During the racing week-end ArtLine F3 pilots ascended the podium twice with gaining points for their team. Currently ArtLine takes the top position of the National Formula-3 team classification.
On August 9-10 in the motor-racing circuit “Botnia Ring” located at the central part of Finland near Jurva town took place the fifth round of the Russian Formula-3, jointly with the Finnish national championship.
The joint round classification was won by Vladimir Semyonov (ZyXEL Russian racing team). Victor Shaitar (Art-Line Racing) finished just 1,1 sec ahead of his nearest contestant - the Finnish pilot Mika Vahamaki. Victor claimed the third place. The other Russian drivers performed the classification as follows: David Markozov – 4th; Ivan Samarin – 6th; Sergey Mokshantsev – 7th; Maxim Travin – 10th; Eugene Smelov – 15th; Andrey Khrapov - 19th.
On the first racing lap Vladimir Semyonov confidently gained victory with having finished just 4 sec ahead of Mika Vahamaki of ADRF. In the second race Vladimir also looked more steady than the Finnish pilot, however, he succumbed to the latter by 0.2 sec and took silver. This round turned out to be unlucky for Viktor Shaitar: he didn’t finish in the first race, and in the second one he came forth (second in the Finland Championship F-3 test). Currently Victor takes the second position in the Finnish Champtionship, just 15 points behind Vahamaki (Mika gained 166 points, Viktor – 141).
As an AKM Racing Team member, Ivan Samarin finished the third in both races. ArtLine Racing pilot Sergey Mokshantsev driving ArtTech F307 racing car finished sixth in the first race. In the second race Sergey has gone one position up, and the lap was finished fifth by David Markozov who started forth. He kept the position in the first race as well, but took the third place in the Russian test. As for the second race, Megafon Motorsport pilot didn’t reach finish at all.
Ivan Samarin’s partner, AKM Racing Team pilot Maxim Travin finished the first lap ninth and the second lap – thirteenth. Megafon Motorsport defendant Andrey Khrapov finished 14th and 17th. Eugene Smelov of ArtLine finished the first race 15th, with no start in the second race.
The latest Russian round took place in Finland and aimed at the integration into the global motorsport for training Russian pilots of high world standard. This year the Russian Formula-3 series takes place in three countries – Finland, Estonia and Russia.
The first race results are as follows:
1.Vladimir Semyonov - ZyXEL Russian Racing Team - 23.09,667
2. Mika Vahamaki - ADRF - 23.13,772
3. Ivan Samarin - AKM Racing Team - 23.14,270
4. David Markozov - Megafon Motorsport - 23.16,841
5. Kimmo Joutvuo - Rolling Rocks - 23.17,825
6. Sergey Mokshantsev - Art-Line Racing - 23.18,200
7. Jari Koivisto - Jari Koivisto Racing - 23.20,055
8. Raivo Tamm - T.T. Racing Team - 23.23,253
9. Maxim Travin - AKM Racing Team - 23.24,428
10. Jani Tammi - Oakra F3 Motorsport - 23.25,701
11. Pekka Rinne - Rinne Racing - 23.30,516
12. Mika Korhonen - Cardesia Motorsport - 23.36,366
13.Risto Tonteri - STH Motorservice - 23.41,375
14. Andrey Khrapov - Megafon Motorsport - 23.41,706
15. Eugene Smelov - Art-Line Белая Дача - 23.44,590
16. Tom Sandberg - Nitro Motorsport - 23.47,680
17. Tonis Vanaselja - T.T. Racing Team - + 1 lap
18. Teppo Suvanto - Suvanto Racing - + 4 lap
The following racers did not finish:
Aki Sandberg - Nitro Motorsport - 0 lap
Victor Shaitar - Art-Line Racing - 7 lap
The second race results are as follows:
1. Mika Vahamaki - ADRF - 23.40,748
2. Vladimir Semyonov - ZyXEL Racing Team - 23.40,974
3. Ivan Samarin - AKM Racing Team - 23.41,252
4. Victor Shaitar - Art-Line Racing - 23.41,967
5. Sergey Mokshantsev - Art-Line Racing - 23.42,505
6. Kimmo Joutvuo - Rolling Rocks - 23.43,679
7. Aki Sandberg - Nitro Motorsport - 23.46,000
8. Jari Koivisto - Jari Koivisto Racing - 23.47,382
9. Raivo Tamm - T.T. Racing Team - 23.47,631
10.Teppo Suvanto - Suvanto Racing - 23.47,987
