MINSK, 19 July (BelTA) – Two crews of the MAZ-Sport Auto Team failed to make the top ten in the ninth leg of the 2016 Silk Way Rally after one of the trucks flipped onto its side in the dunes of the Gobi Desert, BelTA learned from the team.
The accident happened with Alexander Vasilevsky's truck. The crew of Sergei Vyazovich came to his help after a short time, but did not manage to get the vehicle upright. It is only with the help of Aleksei Vishnevsky that the MAZ truck was put back on the track.
The organizers may subtract the time the Belarusian racers lost when helping out their teammate. The rules of the rally read that two vehicles that come to the rescue of a third truck can expect a time compensation.
Sergei Vyazovich finished the stage in seventh position covering the ninth leg of the rally in 4h58m, almost an hour behind the stage winner, Russian KAMAZ pilot Airat Mardeev.
The other two MAZ drivers did not make the top ten. Aleksei Vishnevsky came in 13th posting a time of 6h26m, followed by Alexander Vasilevsky who clocked a bit less than 7h12m.
After the ninth leg of the rally, Sergei Vyazovich sits in the seventh position with 1h42m separating him from the overall leader, Dutch pilot Martin van den Brink. Alexander Vasilevsky rounds out the top ten, 4h10m off the Dutch racer. Aleksei Vishnevsky is in 12th overall.
“The special was challenging and tense with potential dangers at every kilometer. Happily, we managed to get Alexander Vasilevsky's truck upright,” Sergei Vyazovich said.
The next stage of the rally with canyons and many stones will peak at 2,000 meters above sea level.
