Limassol/Minsk. Prestigio, a dynamic international vendor of state-of-the-art IT and CE products for style-conscious consumers, sponsors The Belarusian MAZ Factory Team in the third edition of the Silk Way Rally, part of the Dakar Series, the biggest and the most awaited motor sport event in Russia.

Two stages of the Racing Season 2011 having remained behind (the Khagan’s Gold and the Simbirsky Trakt), The Belarusian MAZ Factory Team is already on mark at the longest, the most challenging and the most demanding stage of the year, the Silk Way 2011. Silk way is the world’s second largest rally start, named after the main route repeats the ancient trade tract: Staraya Russa (Moscow or Saint-Petersbourg) - Lipetsk - Volgograd - Astrakhan – Stavropol – Mayko and Sochi. Prestigio, as a sponsor and partner of MAZ Factory Team for the whole Racing Season, cannot await the official kick-off of the Rally that is taking place this time in Moscow, Russia, on the 9th of July 2011.

A record number of drivers and co-drivers will start in Moscow for an outstanding adventure all the way to Sochi. The starting flag will wave on Staruday morning at the Red Square, the heart of the Russian capital, and the race will end 1 week later in Sochi at the spot of future Olympic Village, an accommodation center being built for the Olympics 2014.

The participant list of the truck category, in which MAZ Factory Team competes, consists this year of 36 crews, which is the highest number in the rally's history. Among the main competitors of the Belarusian Team are Dutch Ginaf Rally Power and Veka MAN, as well as the legendary Tatra from Czech Republic and the kings of heavy weight – Russian KAMAZ.

MAZ Factory Team racers will participate in the rally with 1 truck, the crew being led by the experienced Belarusian racers: Alexander Vasilevsky, the pilot, Valery Kozlovsky, the rally navigator, Vladimir Vasilevsky, the mechanic.  The Crew will be also accompanied by a vehicle of technical support and an assistance crew, represented by Grigory Patskevich, Sergey Legkiy, Aleksey Korobejnikov, Dmitry Borboryko, Alexander Polischuk, Pavel Garanin.

The Crew will be racing the truck of the Minsk Automobile Plant MAZ-5309RR, assembled in 2010 and tested for durability during Silk Road Rally 2010. The engine of the truck is also native of the Minsk motor plant, performing 800 hp. The maximum power output is 775 kW @ 2100 min and a maximum torque power is incredible 3,234 Nm. The car can reach a speed of up to 170 km/h.  The fuel tank volume is 900 liters. Dimensions and weights of the car: wheelbase – 4,300 mm; length – 7,140 mm, width 2,550 mm, height 3,550 mm; the total race weight of the vehicle is 11,280 kg. The new enhanced braking system is designed to ensure a high level of security for the racers. In addition, the developers provided a four-wheel drive and central tire inflation. MAZ-5309 reflects the potential and the spirit of the Belarusian Crew: inherent power, maneuverability, speed, perseverance and desire to win. The truck is of glowing red color and is glorified with a stylized bison – the symbol of Minsk Automobile Plant and the Republic of Belarus. 

As for the route, all the participants will have to undergo a very intense race: the total distance is 3,981km, divided into 7 stages, will combine rural areas, difficult specials, numerous sand ergs, small dunes. The area is also considered particularly difficult due to excessive number of waypoints, track crossings and changes in direction. The most spectacular sequence of the week will be, however, the Astrakhan-Astrakhan loop stage on 13th July: the 400 km on the map could feel like twice as much for already quiet tired crews.

The race promises to be exciting, and the battle - to be fierce. The event will also enjoy a massive television exposure with images broadcast in more than 190 countries.

Prestigio wishes best of luck to the Belarusian racers, may the time tick in favor of the Belarusian Maz Factory Team.

About Silk Way
Silk Way Rally is a Russian-French co-project. The Silk Way Rally came into being in 2009, organized by the founder and manager of the KAMAZ-master team, Semen Yakubov. The pioneers set off from Kazan with Ashgabat as their goal. In 2010, a series of five years dedicated to the 22nd Winter Olympic Games was inaugurated, with a route starting out in Saint Petersburg and finishing in Sochi. For the third act, the change of date will provide a showcase for the Russian summer, on a route between Moscow and Sochi, from 9th to 16th July. The announcement of this innovation was accompanied by renewal of support from Prime Minister Vladimir Poutine, who appointed the deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov as Chairman of the Silk Way Rally organization team. The lead sponsor of the project run by Semen Yakubov is once again Transneft. Furthermore, the French sports event organization company A.S.O., which organizes the Dakar, supports and participates in preparation for the Silk Way Rally.

About MAZ Factory Team
Minsk Automobile Factory (MAZ) has been found as early as in 1944 and since then has always played an important role in economic development of Republics of the former Soviet Union , providing the demands of the Republic of Belarus and other countries of CIS in heavy-duty vehicles. MAZ Factory Team debuted last year by having participated in the 2nd series of the rally-raid “Silk Way Dakar Series”. It’s been 10 years since the Crew, called then “MAZ-YAROVIT” won the prestigious race. After such long interval, the Team asserted itself in the international sport competition, successfully overcoming the race and finishing 12th in the overall standing.

About PRESTIGIO
The Prestigio brand offers an exclusive combination of elegance, sophistication, high product quality, advanced technology and state-of-the-art design to more than 70 countries. Prestigio aims to provide an enhanced quality of life with affordable luxury products to those who enjoy a contemporary lifestyle. The portfolio encompasses various collections with Tablet PCs, GPS navigators, small form factor PC, mobile storage devices, eBook Readers, Apple accessories, and more. The brand is committed to providing innovative and reliable product to meet the growing demand for accessible, modern IT-related products and consumer electronics. Feel free to contact marketing@prestigio.com for any questions or visit www.prestigio.com. Master distributor of Prestigio products is ASBISc Enterprise Plc.