Acclaimed Russian rally participant Ilgizar Mardeev killed
Died in a crash while driving a quad, says Marathonrally.com
Ilgizar Mardeev
Kamaz-Master
Russian international athlete and Kamaz Master Dakar-participant Ilgizar Mardeev died in an accident while riding a quad bike on Sunday. A farewell ceremony for Ilgizar Mardeev took place on Monday at team’s production shop, reported the magazine TATAR-INFORM.
According to Marathonrally.com, Ilgizar Mardeev began his career in 1975 as a miller at General Designer’s Department experimental workshop. In 1992 Mardeev was hired by Kamaz where he started as a blacksmith and finally became a motor testing engineer. Ilgizar states that he took interest in vehicle testing and racing in his childhood after watching a stuntman drive a car on TV.
First as a mechanic (with Kabirov), Ilgizar was given the opportunity to sit behind the steering wheel of a Kamaz on the Dakar. He managed his best performance on the rally in 2007 when visiting Africa for the last time, finishing just behind the winner Firdaus Kabirov.
In 2013 Marathonrally.com said he became an assistance driver for the team leaders, Eduard Nikolaev and his own son Ayrat, who followed his father's footsteps. He organised the entire race truck assembly and testing work and trained all team mechanics, as well as technical support crews.
The Kamaz Master team mourns the loss of their member. "It is impossible to believe that Ilgizar, full of life, aspirations and new plans, is no more with us. For all of us it is huge and irreplaceable loss. It is a premature death of the person of extraordinary charm, talent and diligence. Ilgizar devoted himself to his favorite work and had unchallenged authority, always differed in selfless courage, persistence, tireless aspiration to the new," the team reported.
Marathonrally.com
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments