Press Conference in Naberezhnye Chelny: All You Need is Snowmobile!

Shortly before the start of the snowmobile rally-raid in Naberezhnye Chelny, a press conference with the Organizers of the international competition was held 

On February 2, 2023 Naberezhnye Chelny hosted a press conference with the Organizers of the Silk Way Snow Journey International Snowmobile Rally-Raid. The first ever snowmobile rally-raid will take place from February 22 to February 25, 2023 in Naberezhnye Chelny. The Naikom Arena for technical sports will host all the services of the competition and the Service Park of the rally that will open a new racing discipline for snowmobile owners. Vladimir Chagin, Victor Sokolov and Sergey Tukmanov from the Project Sports Directorate answered the questions.

Snowmobile rally-raid is a new competition. There was no such a discipline before, so the Organizers faced a difficult task – to create a rally that would be interesting not only for riders familiar with snowmobile sports, but also for a huge number of snowmobile owners from all over Russia.

Vladimir Chagin, Head of the International Project Silk Way Rally,
“We took into account the geographical location of this region, so that it would be convenient for competitors to get from other regions of Russia. Of course, climatic conditions were also taken into account: sub-zero temperatures and the presence of snow cover are necessary. The technical capabilities of the region can ensure the participation of our riders at the proper level. So, our choice fell on the Republic of Tatarstan: everything is suitable for it”.
Vladimir Chagin also expressed his gratitude to Nail Magdeev, Mayor of Naberezhnye Chelny, for supporting the project and emphasized the high initiative of Nail Khubbatullin, Head of the Naikom Arena, where the bivouac of the competition will be located.

According to Sergey Tukmanov, the Development Director of the International Project Silk Way Rally, the Naikom Arena will become the snowmobile festival center,
“In addition to the sports aspect, there will be an extensive entertainment program: we plan to arrange various shows for the audience, for the children who will come to this event. There will be a sufficient number of spots to eat, various ensembles will perform. At the Ceremonial Start on February 23, we are planning a performance by a well-known star, whose name will be revealed a little bit later”. 

Victor Sokolov, the First Deputy Head of the International Project Silk Way Rally, talked about the sports aspect,
“There were no snowmobile rallies like this, so we are the founders. We’ve pursued two main goals: ensuring safety and attracting a large number of competitors. To equalize their chances to win, we applied the devices we usually use in rally-raids for navigation and control and limited the maximum speed to 80 km/h. That way, speed won’t be a key to victory, but both the ability to navigate and the ability to move on a snowmobile will become a key to victory.

To the question “How to become a Snow Journey competitor?” Sergey Tukmanov answered briefly, “If you have a snowmobile, you can apply on our website and take part. We will do the rest: provide you with fuel, devices and entertainment. All you need is a snowmobile”.
People from about ten countries have shown interest in the competition, but the number of competitors will be limited to 100 riders on safety concerns, Tukmanov said.

The snow rally-raid is of international interest, so Russian television channels and news platforms have also joined in with the Organizers with great interest. Reports on the course of the competition will be broadcast on the federal channels that are information partners of the rally: Match TV, NTV, Russia-24, REN TV; Motorsport.TV Russia will broadcast detailed reports every day. Information support will be provided by several leading radio stations, and the MIA Rossiya Segodnya and MIC Izvestia news agencies will also cover the course of event on their sites. And, of course, about five thousand spectators will directly follow the course of the rally at the Naikom Arena.

In his closing speech, Vladimir Chagin invited everyone to take part and meet a new challenge of the International Project Silk Way Rally.
“I love snowmobiles very much, Chagin admitted. It’s a wonderful winter activity. Yes, I must admit that it is one of the most traumatic. When we discussed what would be the criterion for the victory, the main goal was that none of our competitors get injured. We would like them to enjoy, return to their cities and regions and tell their friends about the rally weekend. Therefore, there is such an intellectual component as navigation. This experience will help them in everyday life, after the competition”.