Salavat (speedway club)

Soviet years

The city of Salavat appeared on the map of the Soviet Union only in 1954, but already in 1959 the Stroitel stadium appeared in the city. Soon, a cinder track was laid on it, and in 1962 the first speedway competitions took place in Salavat. The origins of motorsport in Salavat were Victor Karoli, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Vladimir Kovalenko and Vladimir Kornev.

To strengthen the traditions of motor sport, Ufa masters Vladimir Sokolov and Vladimir Belyaev moved to the city, a motor club was created in the city, and already in 1963 the Salavat team took part in the USSR team championship, taking 5th place. The club was assisted by the Salavatstroy Trust.

Soon the first successes at the all-Union level came to the team: in 1965 and 1966 V. Sokolov won the bronze of the USSR Personal Championship , and in 1967 the Salavat team became the silver medalist of the USSR championship , losing only to the Ufa “Bashkiria”. The winners were V. Sokolov, Vl. Kovalenko, V. Kornev, Vl. Kuznetsov, Anat .. Lebedkov, A. Kravchenko, Vas. Kovalenko, V. Kononovich, V. Akshentsev, A. Goncharov. In the same years, the city hosted prestigious motorcycling competitions on ice - the finals of the World Cup.

However, the 1968 season was unsuccessful for Salavat, and the team left the Higher League of the Soviet Speedway. Against the backdrop of the team’s failures, it was decided to suspend the club’s participation in the USSR Championship, and Salavat missed the seasons 1970 and 1971. A part of the riders moved to Meleuz and Sterlitamak , V. Sokolov switched to coaching, and although the team resumed performances in 1972, Salavat settled for a long time in the First League (the second-highest league of the Soviet speedway).

The team leaders in the 1970s and early 1980s were N. Suyargulov, V. Kononovich, M. Sagitov, V. Stolyarov, R. Fathutdinov and others. The team experienced material and technical difficulties and could not show high results, but showed sports tenacity.

In the mid-second half of the 1980s, I. and R. Timirbulatov, A. Baskakov, O. Karateev, A. Khlynov and others took the baton. However, due to reforms of the Soviet speedway system in 1987, Salavat actually ended up in third in prestige league (First League, class B), from where he was able to rise to the second (First League, class A), winning the 1989 season.

The 1990 season was overshadowed by the death of Salavat motorcycle racer A. Baskakov as a result of a severe accident on the Salavat track during a race with Kuzbass. Since 1991, annual memorial races in memory of A. Baskakov have been held in Salavat, a monument to the athlete was unveiled at the stadium.

Russian period

Unlike many teams, Salavat was able to survive the collapse of the Soviet Union and began to take part in the Championships of Russia. In 1993, in the final of the KCR, “Salavat” on its track stopped a step away from medals, and in 1994 won bronze. The winners were I. Borisenko, O. Kiptev, A. Khlynov, R. Kashirin, I. Glavinsky and others.

For the next three years the club remained in 5th place, and in 1998, due to financial problems, the club was forced to move to Ufa , and the Salavat racers spent the season under the auspices of the Ufa “Bashkiria”. However, in 1999, Salavat returned to the championship. For the 1990s a new generation of local racers has grown up in Salavat - D. Saifudinov, R. Galimov, S. Vlasov, A. Tibeev, also O. Yudakhin, R. Valiev, A. Latypov, Ukrainian I. Marko K. Kornev et al. Finally, in the early 2000s, the future absolute leader of the Russian speedway, Emil Sayfutdinov , was growing up in Salavat, but already in 2003 he was leaving for Tolyatti.

Serious changes occurred with the team in 2004. The team was headed by I. Dmitriev, the motor fleet was updated, and 10 years later Salavat became the bronze medalist of the country again with the efforts of I. Marko, D. Saifutdinov, R. Kashirin, G. Ishutin, K. Kornev, R. Tibeev, V. Golubovsky, R. Kantyukov, A. Pavlov, A. Khlynov.

The next time the team seriously strengthened in 2008, when R. Gafurov , S. Vlasov , S. Darkin , and the Polish legionary A. Medzinski were invited to the club. This, however, did not save the team from 7 defeats in 8 matches, and due to funding problems the club completely missed the 2009 season.

Upon returning, the club was staffed mainly by its pupils and was unable to impose a struggle for medals on “Turbine”, “East” and “Mega-Lada”. For three years, the main rival of Salavat was the revived IC Oktyabrsky, which challenged the 4th line of the championship in the Bashkir derby.

However, in 2013, Emil Sayfutdinov returned to his native club, in addition, two-time Russian champion Denis Gizatullin came to the club, and as a result, Salavat won over Vostok and Turbina on the home track. However, E. Saifutdinov could not attend many championship races, and in Vladivostok the race that started was stopped due to weather conditions, and Salavat refused to participate in the second race, having received a technical defeat and a fine of minus 2 points. As a result, the club was again unable to stand on the podium of the championship.

In 2011, Viktor Golubovsky won the bronze medal of the European Championship among couples - the club’s first European medal ^[1] .

In 2015—2017 due to lack of funds, Salavat missed the KCR seasons.

Results