In the 2026 season, Yuka Drive Gymkhana has finally ceased to be a competition interesting only to a narrow circle of fans. Over the course of several months, the series has managed to hold stages at the country's largest sports arenas, gather champions from various disciplines on one track, launch a full-fledged team standings, and prove that motorsport can exist not only on specialized racetracks.
Now the championship is entering the home stretch. Behind us are three stages of the PRO series, two stages of the regional leagues VOLGA and URAL, and ahead are the final starts of the season, which will determine the holders of the championship titles.
The main feature of gymkhana is that it is impossible to win here solely due to the power of the car. Speed is important, but even more important is the pilot's ability to literally calculate every meter of the distance.
The configuration consists of slaloms, 180 and 360-degree turns, narrow "boxes", paddocks, pinatas, transitions, and high-speed sections. All of this must be completed as quickly as possible without hitting a single obstacle. Any mistake turns into penalty seconds, so the pilot constantly balances between risk and precision. That is why in gymkhana it is often said: faster is not always better.
The third stage of the PRO series in Kazan became a good illustration of this feature. The territory of the Ak Bars Arena turned into an automotive festival for two days. In addition to the sports program, spectators were treated to a car exhibition, G-Taxi, a pilot parade, an autograph session, and interactive areas, while the stands allowed viewing the entire configuration of the mirrored tracks simultaneously – a rare opportunity for competitions of this format.
The race track itself also turned out to be unusual. The organizers built it on a concrete surface, providing a high level of grip. Good traction allowed for later braking, more aggressive acceleration after turns, and faster execution of elements, but at the same time significantly increased the cost of even a small mistake.
The sporting intrigue fully lived up to expectations. In qualifying, Alexey Shendyukov was again the fastest, but the fight for victory was just beginning. Based on the results, the 32 strongest pilots earned the right to continue, starting their battle in the knockout pair race bracket on Sunday. The final predictably brought together the two main contenders for victory – Alexey Shendyukov and Arkady Tsaregradtsev. Shendyukov again demonstrated a high pace, but in the decisive race he made a mistake, hitting an obstacle. Two penalty seconds cost him his advantage, and Arkady Tsaregradtsev claimed the victory.
An equally intense battle continues in the regional leagues of the Yuka Drive Gymkhana Lite Fortis series. In the VOLGA and URAL leagues, the final stages of the season are also yet to be held, where the champions will be determined. For participants, this is not only an opportunity to win a regional title but also a chance to move to a new level: the winners will earn the right to compete in the final of the PRO series alongside the country's strongest pilots.
It is this system that is becoming one of the main advantages of Yuka Drive Gymkhana today. You can start in the regional series, then get into the professional championship and compete there against recognized masters of motorsport. For the Russian automotive scene, such a vertical remains a rarity.
The final stages of the season promise to be no less intense than the previous starts. In the PRO series, the Champion has not yet been determined, the team standings retain their intrigue, and in the regional leagues, the leaders are separated by only a few points. Therefore, ahead is not just the end of the calendar, but the culmination of a season that has become one of the most important steps forward for Russian gymkhana.
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