Moldcell: V1 Challenge conquers Moldova!
A press conference took place on May 4 in Chisinau, organized by the National Auto sport Club (NAC). The first race of V1 Challenge Championship in Moldova is launched in the framework of this club. This new autosport activity will begin this week in Chisinau. The press conference was attended by the President of the NAC, Mr. Chiril Gaburici, the honorary President of the NAC and the founder of team "Team 47 motorsports" from Turkey Mr. Halim Ateş and the Turkish champion, pilot and creator of volkicar racing cars - Mr. Volkan Işik.
V1 Challenge Moldova Championship will include six races, four of which will take place on the capital streets, the other two planned to be held in Comrat and Balti in order to give the opportunity for audience all over the country to witness this unique show. The first race will be held on May 6, Sunday, under the Telecenter Bridge, starting from 11:00 a.m.
Hosting the V1 Challenge competition, Moldova brings to its audience a car race organized at international level in accordance with all FIA (International Automobile Federation) safety standards. The V1 Challenge, unique show in which speed, fun, adventure and professionalism are harmoniously joined, came to Moldova on the initiative of Mr. Halim Ateş, who has spectacular successes with his team “Team 47 Motorsports” in Turkey. Having the necessary experience and a professional team, willing to share with Moldovan colleagues with their mastery, Halim Ates together with National Auto Sport Club from Moldova managed in a short time to find ambitious young people, who are eager to show courage and to prepare for racing. Moldovan pilots, registered for a competition, benefited from daily practice and from theoretical trainings on V1 Challenge competition rules. Participants tested racing cars and learned the FIA safety standards.
“We decided to bring in Moldova not only the great show and international level racing championship; we have the ambition to bring up an active lifestyle here, to promote autosport culture and to provide opportunities for young people to show their potential. Driving a racing car involves combining of several skills, namely, this sport contributes to multilateral development of personality. Although there is only one winner of the race, all pilots benefit from it, because they develop leadership skills, quick thinking, maximum concentration, complexity and accuracy of movement, resistance to stress situations and thirst for victory. All these capabilities are required for each person to successfully manage any business in modern life. I highlight with pleasure that within our team there are Moldovan pilots and two ladies. It proves that this sport is available and recommended for everybody” - stated Mr. Halim Ateş during the press conference.
Why V1 Challenge is unique?
V1 Challenge competition is challenging mastery, reaction and pilots’ professionalism because everyone from 10 racing participants will drive a volkicar. Piloted cars are identical in terms of technical characteristics, but beyond comparison, they put into value the skills of its drivers. During the press conference, Mr. Volkan Işik, the volkicar creator, presented the racing car:
“In December 2008 we started to work with my team on the first volkicar. The whole process itself was very interesting. We had been working days and nights, having many plans and emotions. And as a result, from the first car prototype till today, we have already a world-famous product under the name of Volkicar. These machines weigh only 500 kg and top speed up to 150 km/h having 115 horsepower. I should remark that volkicars use special tyres produced by Lassa, that is the number one tyre producer in Turkey and one’s Europe’s largest tyre producers. The company, which has been involved with various motor sports over a number of years, is attracted to tyre sponsorship of V1 Challenge in Moldova as an indicator of its commitment to support the development of motor sports. In Moldova we came with technical equipment brought from Turkey, overall we are talking about three trucks full with equipment. In V1 challenge everything is automated, even time of each pilot is cal culated and automatically transmitted to the central base”, summed up Volkan Işik.
V1 Challenge brings racing to spectator; audience does not have to go out of city to watch competition. Therefore, all races are held in cities and every time before the event, several tracks are checked in order to find one that corresponds to all requirements;
Thanks to distinctive format of V1 Challenge competition, each race will be different from the other depending on the chosen route. In total there will be 6 races, and this Sunday participants will line up for the first time at the starting line in rows of three and will compete according to playoff-type system.
Moldovan pilots will compete throughout the season under the same number and in the same car. During the competition there will be one driver in a volkicar and participants will have lap of practice and/or qualifying session in every racing. After the qualifying round cars line up at the start, while elimination is done via the transponder system.
Chiril Gaburici, NAC President: "All conditions and security measures were taken. Safety of pilots as well as of spectators is a number one priority for us. Although, cars seem so small and harmless, it is important to remember about speed because it is a real racing. The track perimeter will be equipped with tires, protective fencing and other precautions. During the race, all pilots will be provided with special suits, helmets, gloves and sports shoes approved by the FIA”.
V1 Challenge racing cars are monopost, are assembled in Turkey and have all modern facilities. All 10 racing cars will remain in Moldova after the championship is over, the NAC will continue to use them in order to promote this type of sport. While preparation for the championship, 20 marshals from Moldova had been identified and trained, they are ready to monitor the competition in the most rigorous way. Moreover, a special technical support team had been trained to be ready at any time to provide the necessary quickly and qualitative help and to eliminate any type of defect.
“Thus, besides Moldova and fans of racing will have a chance to watch live competition organized according to international standards, we invest in young people from Moldova because they benefit from V1 Challenge training and it will be useful for them in future. Moldova is the first country after Turkey in which we brought this championship. We would like to extend the V1 Challenge geography and to organize a tournament in the nearest future for international teams, with pilots from different countries "- said Halim Ateş.
At the end of the conference the organizers invited all Moldovan public to come and to support the pilots. Chiril Gaburici, NAC President assured the audience that there would be a special show with participation of international champions: Luca Rossetti (European Rally Champion 2011), Volkan Işik (European Rally Champion, 2nd place, 2007 and European Rally Championship, 3rd place, 2008, Turkish champion, 1995 and 2003) and Halim Ateş, team 47 motorsports founder.
The luckiest guests of the Championship will have the unique opportunity to experience speed and adventure, becoming co-pilots for a few minutes to test the Mitsubishi EVO VII rally cars together with famous pilots.
The organizers express their sincerely gratitude to sponsors of the V1 Challenge Moldova Championship: Moldcell – the mobile operator that helps you to discover the world in motion, Lassa, BCR, Alo.md, KVK, Cumpara.md, Rendoo, Bere Chişinău, Medpark, PRO TV, Bemol, Moldasig.
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