The fifth stage of the Russian Drift Series Grand Prix will take place on August 1 and 2 at the Siberian racing track "Krasnoye Koltso". In Krasnoyarsk, Irishman Tommy Kaily from the Fresh Racing team could clinch the championship title early. At "Krasnoye Koltso", Ivan Nikulin will return to the RDS GP, joining the "Systeme Electric Oderzhimye Motorsport" team.
The fifth stage of the Russian Drift Series Grand Prix (RDS GP) will be held on August 1 and 2 in Krasnoyarsk at the legendary circuit racing track "Krasnoye Koltso". This iconic circuit for Russian drifting, where the discipline developed in Russia, could name a new champion in 2026. Irish legionnaire Tommy Kaily, representing the Fresh Racing team, has a chance to secure the title early.
The circuit in the heart of Siberia has a configuration that is not the fastest but extremely technical for the assessed section, making it difficult even for experienced drivers to master, let alone a foreign debutant. Adaptation will be necessary under conditions of the opponents' moral superiority, as local fans actively support the Siberians. But Tommy Kaily has repeatedly proven that he can block out external distractions and deliver brilliant runs.
At an RDS GP stage, each driver can score a maximum of 272 points by winning both qualifying and the pair runs. Before the start of the weekend in Krasnoyarsk, Kaily's lead over his closest pursuer, Anton Kozlov (Carville Racing), is 288 points, 292 points ahead of Sergei Kuznetsov (Fresh Racing) sitting third in the standings, and 315 points ahead of Arkady Tsaregradtsev ("Systeme Electric Oderzhimye Motorsport") in fourth place.
If Tommy outperforms or achieves similar results to Kozlov, Kuznetsov, and Tsaregradtsev, the Irishman will become unreachable in points and secure the championship early. If Kaily is eliminated earlier than this trio in Krasnoyarsk, the fate of the title in the individual standings will be decided at the final stage in Moscow. The situation for the Fresh Racing athlete is challenging but quite manageable. Although drifting is interesting precisely because making any predictions is pointless – the situation on the track can instantly change the entire balance of power.
Local heroes will be contenders for victory and at least podium places at "Krasnoye Koltso". First and foremost, last year's RDS GP stage finalists from Takayama Forward Auto – Georgy Chivchyan and Timofey Dobrovolsky, who in 2025 achieved his first victory in RDS Grand Prix pair runs right in Krasnoyarsk.
Athletes who grew up on this track and have won the Siberian RDS GP stage multiple times will also compete for the podium: Fresh Racing representative Damir Idiyatulin and leader of "Systeme Electric Oderzhimye Motorsport" Arkady Tsaregradtsev. High hopes are placed on Anton Kozlov, who has managed to build good momentum this season, and Sergei Kuznetsov, who has transformed after moving to Fresh Racing.
A major headline of the Krasnoyarsk stage will be the return of Ivan Nikulin to the Russian Drift Series Grand Prix. One of the brightest representatives of the Siberian drift school, who rose from regional competitions to the country's top tournament, last competed in the RDS GP in 2022.
In the 2026 season, the driver from Barnaul will reunite with his long-time teammate Arkady Tsaregradtsev as part of "Systeme Electric Oderzhimye Motorsport" and will replace Evgeny Losev, who left the team after the first two stages. At "Krasnoye Koltso", Ivan Nikulin will drive the iconic Toyota Mark II (JZX100).
Via a wild card, the current winner of the RDS Open Championship stage, Sergei Korneev, will take part in the fifth stage of the RDS Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk. The bronze medalist of the 2025 RDS Open PRO season, driving a Toyota Supra A80, will arrive at "Krasnoye Koltso" after a victory at the "concrete Colosseum" of the "Igora Drive" track.
In 2026, the Russian Drift Series, together with the Aimol Junior young motorsport talent development program, is conducting a series of summer training camps for juniors. After performing at circuits in the European part of Russia, the young athletes will head on a Siberian tour.
At "Krasnoye Koltso", as part of the training camp, 12-year-old Arseny Tsaregradtsev in a Toyota Altezza will take to the track again, having won the training camp stages at "Igora Drive", "Nizhegorodskoye Koltso", and ADM Raceway in a dominant style. But now the son of two-time RDS GP champion Arkady Tsaregradtsev will face his most serious rival – Roman Lovkis in a Toyota Mark II (JZX100) will compete in Krasnoyarsk. The driver has already beaten both Arseny and Arkady Tsaregradtsev in Krasnoyarsk, albeit in winter during the STAR PЁR STARS AIMOL DRIFT CUP training camp in February 2026. Now Lovkis will battle the younger Tsaregradtsev in summer runs.
In the 2026 season, the qualifying and pair runs of RDS Grand Prix drivers are evaluated by experienced judges Anton Novikov, Andrey Pauli, and Dmitry Ermokhin. The fourth judge, responsible for replay analysis, changes from stage to stage to ensure an effective process for training new judging personnel.
August 1, Saturday
August 2, Sunday
* The time difference between Krasnoyarsk and Moscow is +4 hours.
You can follow the events on the track both from the stands of the "Krasnoye Koltso" circuit and live on the RDS TV platform – qualifying runs can be watched for free after registration, while pair runs will be available via subscription.
KGT "Krasnoye Koltso" is a true talent forge in Russian drifting. For over 15 years, it has hosted drift competitions, including the country's main championship RDS GP, and also serves as an arena for winter tournaments in this discipline. The track is well-known not only as a venue for drifting and drag racing. It has hosted circuit racing competitions of various levels – from local to all-Russian.
2023
2024
2025
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