Mardeev, the veteran
After his army Ilgizar 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 as he accidentally saw a stuntman drive a car in a spiral on TV. In 1986 Ilgizar shifted to the KAMAZ research and development centre, where he created buggies and participated in nationwide buggy competitions and European Cup buggy races as a mechanic. In 1992 he became a constant participant of international rallies as an assistance vehicle driver. In 1997 Ilgizar tried the role of co-pilot in a sports crew and he became a pilot in 2002 finishing third of the Dakar a year later. He managed his best performance on the rally in 2007 when visiting Africa for the last time, finishing just behind the winner Firdaus Kabirov. With Chagin and Kabirov stopping their driving careers, Ilgizar Mardeev remains the veteran in the Kamaz team. His son Ayrat has followed his father's footsteps and will also be the driver of a Kamaz on the Dakar.
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