Selections
Selection rounds for "Expedition-Trophy 2006" race have ended
Moscow — Nov 15th 2006
The organisers of the "Expedition-Trophy" race announced the end of Preliminary Rounds for the 2006 race. Fifteen preliminary rounds were staged in different locations of Russia and accordingly, fifteen teams winners, one from each round, were given free entry to the 2006 Expedition Trophy 4x4 race which will cross Russia from Murmansk, in the Arctic Circle to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean.
On February, 23rd, 2005 from a lighthouse on the Arctic Ocean port of Murmansk the first "Expedition-Trophy" race has started. For two weeks 34 teams have driven almost 16,000 km and reached Vladivostok, the Russian Far Eastern port, on March, 8th. The race has taken place from the national holiday for men to the national holiday for women.
The project is rightly described as international. Participants have arrived not only from different regions of Russia, but also from five countries of the world. "Expedition-Trophy" became the first transcontinental winter race in history on off-road cars. Besides, it has earned five records, recorded in The Ginness Book of Records.
On June, 18th 2005 in Moscow area selection rounds for "Expedition-Trophy 2006" have started and continued until November 8th. A total of 15 rounds were held in Moscow area, Perm, Samara and Czech Republic.
The location of the selection rounds was based on the level of interest expressed by the number of application forms to participate. In total 15 crews (each consisting of two men and one woman) have been selected to enter the race, free of charge.
Moreover, the Organizers will give to these crews completely prepared Mitsubishi L 200 4x4 cars.
So, for some participants the winter race began this summer. The system of selection rounds is quite traditional for auto competitions, short of one element — selections for the race on off-road cars took place on four-wheel drive quad bikes. Over a 24 hour period, almost without a dream and rest, the competitors struggled for the right to be participants of "Expedition-Trophy 2006".
As well as traditional tasks such as locating control points by GPS-navigation, for each selection round the organizers thought out newer and newer tasks. To win the chance to participate in "Expedition-Trophy 2006" it was necessary to build rafts and ferries, to conquer steep slopes, cross swamps and lift the bikes in the air and dig out ditches to pass labyrinth like obstacles.
For victory the crew needed to collect a maximum number of control points and to execute a maximum number of these crazy special tasks.
But the games have ended. 15 crews which have won selection to be participants of the 2006 race, the most unusual adventure of their life. All of them will gather on February, 23rd 2006 at the start in Murmansk.
