When the organizers of the final stage of the URAL regional league of the Yuka Drive Gymkhana Lite Fortis series promised the fastest configuration of the season, the intrigue went beyond just the fight for the championship title. Before the start, the series' sporting director Vasily Shultz spoke about a completely new layout involving a pass through the pits close to concrete blocks—an element where the cost of a mistake was expected to be particularly high. In practice, the track fully lived up to expectations.
Already in qualifying, it became clear that the high-speed configuration demanded maximum precision from the drivers. The best time was set by Maxim Akhtyamov from Chelyabinsk in a Toyota Corolla—2:22.859. Nikita Belioglov in a BMW E36 was just over two seconds behind, and this result was enough for Akhtyamov to secure the URAL regional league championship title even before the start of the paired runs.
However, Sunday's runs showed that qualifying and the fight for stage victory are two different stories. Akhtyamov himself unexpectedly ended his performance already in the TOP-16 due to a technical malfunction in his car, while the new track configuration continued to claim its "victims." The organizers' forecast proved accurate: the concrete blocks did not forgive mistakes. In the TOP-8, contact with the barrier put an end to Igor Sakharov's fight for the stage win.
After the elimination of the season leader, the fight for victory opened up completely. In the semifinals, Andrey Zinin faced Kamil Khamidullin, while Nikita Belioglov took on Semyon Vasilyev. In the decisive run, Belioglov and Khamidullin met, where the BMW E36 driver proved faster and more precise, ending the season with a victory at the home stage.
Thus, the main awards of the final weekend were shared by different drivers. The winner of the third stage was Nikita Belioglov, while the champion of the 2026 season of the URAL regional league was Maxim Akhtyamov. He will represent the regional league in the final stage of the Yuka Drive Gymkhana PRO series. For the Chelyabinsk driver, this will be his second appearance in the PRO series after starting at the stage in Kazan.
A separate award for "Best Stage Livery" was given to Maxim Lukoshenko in a Nissan Silvia S13.
The URAL regional league has concluded its season, but the Yuka Drive Gymkhana Lite Fortis series calendar continues. On August 9, the VOLGA regional league in Samara will take the baton!
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