First results of "Ikon Tyres Speed Days on the ice of Baikal"
From February 27 to March 2, the "Ikon Tyres Speed Days on the ice of Lake Baikal" festival was held on the icy track in the Maloe More strait, which brought together professionals and amateurs to set new national records on the icy surface in accordance with the regulations of the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF).
The first two days were traditionally devoted to qualifying, however, on the first day, due to a strong gusty wind and poor visibility, only two heats took place. The next day, the speeds of the side and headwind decreased, and the sun that appeared began to melt the ice, creating a slight aquaplaning effect, and several new heats were held: for example, the Audi RS6 tried to accelerate to 300 km/h.
On the third day, the WEY 05 crossover exceeded a speed of 200 km/h, which will probably become a new record in the category of hybrid vehicles with a mass of 2-2.5 tons. At the same time, participants in cars with internal combustion engines encountered technical problems that required repair and replacement of parts.
Finally, on the fourth day, there was a calm, i.e. no wind, one of the most dangerous factors that prevent the use of the full potential of cars. In addition, thanks to the strong night frost, the ice grip had grown by morning, which was used by the pilots to increase the speed. As a result, the heats were held successfully, and the organizers express hope that after the consideration of the judges' protocols by the RAF committee, eight new achievements will be added to the table of national records.
All cars were equipped with Ikon Autograph Ice 9 tires, which were supposed to provide the necessary grip on the rough surface of the lake, and the pilots experimented with the pressure level to improve performance on both the icy morning ice and the thawed ice cover from the bright sun.
The "Ikon Tyres Speed Days on the ice of Lake Baikal" festival is a unique event, as it is the only annual event in the world for setting official records on an icy surface.