Russian Bears Motorsport
Encyclopedia
Russian Bears Motorsport is a Russia
n auto racing
team based in Moscow
. They ran the works team for Lada
in the World Touring Car Championship
(WTCC), under the banner LADA Sport in the 2009 season
.
s in the Dutch Supercar Challenge
, with drivers Viktor Shapovalov
(who also owns the team), Lev Fridman
, Evgeny Zelenov
and Oleg Petrikov. Shapovalov, Fridman and Zelenov all made their WTCC debuts in the BMWs at Circuit Park Zandvoort
, and Shapovalov and Fridman also competed in the following round at Circuit de Valencia
.
The team returned to the WTCC to run Lada 110
s in 2008
, with Dutch driver Jaap van Lagen
joining Shapovalov with driving duties. Kirill Ladygin
joined the team in a third car for the final four rounds.
For 2009
, the team attracted support from Lada, with the Russian company thus becoming the fourth manufacturer in the championship alongside SEAT
, BMW
and Chevrolet
. The introduction of the new Priora
at Porto and the addition of former British Touring Car Champion James Thompson
to the driver lineup helped the team to increase their competitiveness during the season. Drivers points were achieved by Thompson for a pair of 6th places at the Imola round, which were also the first for either a Russian Bears driver or a Lada driver in the series. In order to make room for Thompson, Shapovalov had stepped down from driving duties to concentrate on team management.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
team based in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. They ran the works team for Lada
Lada
Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...
in the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
(WTCC), under the banner LADA Sport in the 2009 season
2009 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2009 World Touring Car Championship season was the sixth FIA World Touring Car Championship season, the fifth since its 2005 return. It began on March 8, and ended on November 22, after twenty-four races...
.
Team history
Russian Bears Motorsport was formed in March 2007, and started by running BMW 320iBMW E46
The BMW E46 is the fourth generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW, produced from 1998 when it succeeded the BMW E36 until it was replaced by the BMW E90 in 2005....
s in the Dutch Supercar Challenge
Dutch Supercar Challenge
The Dutch Supercar Challenge is a motor racing series centered on the Benelux. A special feature is that touring cars, GTs and Sportscars can all participate on an equal basis within the same class, enabled by very open regulations. The championship was first held in 2001...
, with drivers Viktor Shapovalov
Viktor Shapovalov
Viktor Shapovalov is a Russian auto racing driver. Most of his career has been in touring cars, competing in the Russian Touring Car Championship as well as the Dutch Supercar Challenge...
(who also owns the team), Lev Fridman
Lev Fridman
Lev Fridman is a Russian auto racing driver.Career highlights include finishing third in the 2006 Russian Touring Car Championship. He competed in four rounds of the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship at Zandvoort and Valencia...
, Evgeny Zelenov
Evgeny Zelenov
Evgeny Zelenov is a Russian auto racing driver. He competed in one rounds of the 2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship at Zandvoort. Driving for the Russian Bears Motorsport team in a BMW 320i, his best finish was a twenty-first place in race one...
and Oleg Petrikov. Shapovalov, Fridman and Zelenov all made their WTCC debuts in the BMWs at Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
, and Shapovalov and Fridman also competed in the following round at Circuit de Valencia
Circuit de Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo, also known as Circuit de Valencia and officially named Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, is a motorsport race track located in Cheste and built in 1999. It has a capacity of 120,000 spectators and seating for 60,000...
.
Lada 110
The Lada 110 is a Russian sedan car built by AvtoVAZ since 1995. It also spawned two close derivatives - the 111 estate and 112 hatchback...
s in 2008
2008 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2008 World Touring Car Championship season was the fifth World Touring Car Championship season, the fourth since its 2005 return. It began on March 2, and ended on November 16, after twenty-four races...
, with Dutch driver Jaap van Lagen
Jaap van Lagen
Jaap van Lagen is a Dutch racing driver, who is a former competitor in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and a former Eurocup Megane Trophy champion....
joining Shapovalov with driving duties. Kirill Ladygin
Kirill Ladygin
Kirill Ladygin is a Russian auto racing driver. He is twice champion of the Russian LADA Revolution Cup in 2004 and 2006. In 2008 he competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship when the Russian Bears Motorsport Team entered a third car, alongside Jaap van Lagen and Viktor Shapovalov...
joined the team in a third car for the final four rounds.
For 2009
2009 World Touring Car Championship season
The 2009 World Touring Car Championship season was the sixth FIA World Touring Car Championship season, the fifth since its 2005 return. It began on March 8, and ended on November 22, after twenty-four races...
, the team attracted support from Lada, with the Russian company thus becoming the fourth manufacturer in the championship alongside SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
and Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
. The introduction of the new Priora
Lada Priora
Lada Priora is an economy car produced by the Russian automaker AvtoVAZ since March, 2007. It is largely a restyled Lada 110.-Body styles:* VAZ-2170: base sedan ;...
at Porto and the addition of former British Touring Car Champion James Thompson
James Thompson (racing driver)
James Thompson is a British auto racing driver and commentator for Eurosport's motorsport coverage. He has twice been champion of the British Touring Car Championship , and was third in the 2007 World Touring Car Championship.-Racing career:He started racing in the BTCC in a privately-entered...
to the driver lineup helped the team to increase their competitiveness during the season. Drivers points were achieved by Thompson for a pair of 6th places at the Imola round, which were also the first for either a Russian Bears driver or a Lada driver in the series. In order to make room for Thompson, Shapovalov had stepped down from driving duties to concentrate on team management.