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Prototype, malachite and Demidov: welcome to ERC2 star Remennik’s winter wonderland!

Sergei Remennik, a winner in the FIA European Rally Championship’s ERC2 category, will take on a challenge of a different kind in his native Urals this weekend.

Remennik will contest the Russian Rally Cup-counting Rally Malachite from 22-24 February alongside long-standing co-driver Mark Rozin and regular team Prospeed.

But while Rozin and Prospeed will be familiar to Remennik, the choice of car is somewhat different with the Russian lining up in a Mitsubishi-powered Ford Fiesta Proto-class car developed by the Latvian outfit.

“We are interested to try what the prototype is,” said Remennik, who is set to begin his ERC2 bid on the Azores Rallye next month. “Rally Malachite is very close and we’ll try the prototype in real rally conditions. And Mark and I can work more together before the Azores Rallye. After all, none of the tests give such a dense work with making and reading the notes. There are no problems with the speed, as practice shows, but there are questions with the note-writing and perception.”

Remennik continued: “We need to adapt the car to me, work with the settings, the seat adjustment. It’s not right after a long break to get into the car and go racing. We will get to know the car closer for a day or two and then we’ll participate in the race.”

Remennik’s wheels Sergei Remennik’s Prospeed Ford Fiesta Proto is similar in performance to an ERC-headlining R5 car. Powered by a 2.0-litre Mitsubishi 4B11 turbocharged engine, the Fiesta Proto features transmission from a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, a six-speed Drenth sequential gearbox and Reiger suspension. Proto class cars are active on events in Baltic countries and in Russia.

Remennik’s rally Rally Malachite, the fifth round of the Russian Rally Cup from 22-24 February, ran for the first time in 2008 and covers 192 timed kilometres. Based in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region and 155 kilometres from Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals, the rally’s ceremonial start is in front of the gates to the historic manor ‘White House’ of Nikita Demidov and dates back to 1757.

What is malachite? Malachite is a beautiful mineral (one of the copper carbonate compounds), having a distinctive ornate pattern with a varied range of green shades and overflows. It was discovered in the Urals in the 18th century. The stone-cutting art began to flourish after 1814, when Nikolay Demidov in St Petersburg received samples of radiant malachite. Large works of art and palace interiors were made out of it with approximately 3276 kilograms of mineral rock used in the Malachite Hall in St Petersburg’s Winter Palace, as well as items such as flowerpots, vases, caskets, snuff boxes and inkstands.

Who were the Demidovs? The Demidovs were a family of wealthy Russian entrepreneurs (manufacturers and landowners) from the times of Peter I. They founded many cities in the Urals and made a valuable contribution to the growth of the area. Family members included talented metallurgists, industrial production supervisors as well as scientists, literary and art figures and philanthropists who left their mark in many European cities, including Florence. There they made a great financial and cultural contribution and their coat of arms is still visible in the facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to this day.

Additional information from Rally Malachite. Subaru action photo is of Sergei Remennik competing on Rally Malachite in 2011 with thanks to Olga Eremeeva
 

Zdroj: fiaerc.com