Andrey Zhigunov. Russia.

[Alex Nakhapetov]

Last weekend I was invited by PRO-Sport rally team (Moscow) and 5 time Russian rally Champion Andrey Zhigunov (36) to visit technical tests of the team in Tverj region (400 km from Moscow). It was interesting what is the professional rally team do during tests... and story what happened to rally journalist...

http://www.pro-sportrally.ru/eng/ind...t_from=&ucat=&

[VFTS]

Last weekend I was invited by PRO-Sport rally team (Moscow) and 5 time Russian rally Champion Andrey Zhigunov (36) to visit technical tests of the team in Tverj region (400 km from Moscow). It was interesting what is the professional rally team do during tests... and story what happened to rally journalist...

http://www.pro-sportrally.ru/eng/ind...t_from=&ucat=&

Testing without helmets......! Look at the jumping picture at the bottom. No helmets!

Remember the Cols accident a month ago......they were testing without helmets......one killed and one badly injured.

[Alex Nakhapetov]

Yes, there was some kind of risk. But these were technical tests of brakes and suspension, and the speed was not as on rally is. And by the way I cann't take pictures with my camera with helmet on my head...

There is big discussion under Russian version of the article at PRO-Sport team site. As to me, of course it is neccessary to prove safety, but do you think it is more safe when I drive 3000 km day and night from Saint-Petersburg to Black Sea to our next rally? Danger is everywhere around us, no matter to be afraid. By the way - I loved the photos

[PJRevs]

170km/h is not rally spped?

[Alex Nakhapetov]

In some places while driving from Saint-Petersburg to Moscow (700 km), what I make each week, my 1988 ChevyVan flyes 150 km\h. My record on the distance is 6 hours on Lancia Delta Integrale HF, and Zhigunov's record is 4:40 on Evo7. There is big difference between technical tests and trainings under time pressure. As Andrey Zhigunov says (I just 10 minutes ago arrived to PRO-Sport team from Saint-Petersburg on tests he's thinking first of all about safety, because the task is to tune the car but not to win secons. But - during the rally he's thinking only about time, safety is secong or third thing, because only during 5-10-15 minutes on special stage team can show best time and win the race.

Yes, we drove without helmets, but we took good photos for PRO-Sport 2009 calendar, which we hope will be published up to 1 of October. Anyway cars, races, trainings are connected with some level of risk anetime.