Amateurs and professionals, production vehicles and tuned cars. The annual Tej kiraki 2021 / 4x4 Off-Road Festival took place in Armenia. Our ASTRON-Vitano GmbH crew also participated in the event under the leadership of the Green-Light Yerevan team.
The track is full of surprises: Mud, pits, steep slopes and even swamp. The car is so bumpy that you can only wait to be thrown out of the body. It takes an hour and a half to cover two kilometers.
"I'm stuck, but don't worry, I'll get out soon," says one of the race participants.
When the track is muddy, it's a good time to engage four-wheel drive. If the clutch loses traction in the mud, the steering wheel needs to be turned in quickly to regain wheel grip and get the car out of the way. If you lose grip, it would be wiser to stop the car, otherwise you will get stuck and will not be able to pull the car out without a winch.
Off-roading is a relatively young sport in Armenia, but the number of off-road enthusiasts is growing rapidly. Many of those who recently drove their first kilometer are now already participating in competitions.
"In 2020, for obvious reasons, there were no events. And to be honest, we thought there would be no people this year either. But as you can see, 25–30 teams have registered for the event. Here in Idjevan we have a very favorable landscape and infrastructure for this kind of event, so all off-roaders will also meet here for communication and introduction," said Artashes Stepanyan, the founder of the event.
Next year, the organizers plan to expand the area and invite foreign participants.
The track is full of surprises: Mud, pits, steep slopes and even swamp. The car is so bumpy that you can only wait to be thrown out of the body. It takes an hour and a half to cover two kilometers.
"I'm stuck, but don't worry, I'll get out soon," says one of the race participants.
When the track is muddy, it's a good time to engage four-wheel drive. If the clutch loses traction in the mud, the steering wheel needs to be turned in quickly to regain wheel grip and get the car out of the way. If you lose grip, it would be wiser to stop the car, otherwise you will get stuck and will not be able to pull the car out without a winch.
Off-roading is a relatively young sport in Armenia, but the number of off-road enthusiasts is growing rapidly. Many of those who recently drove their first kilometer are now already participating in competitions.
"In 2020, for obvious reasons, there were no events. And to be honest, we thought there would be no people this year either. But as you can see, 25–30 teams have registered for the event. Here in Idjevan we have a very favorable landscape and infrastructure for this kind of event, so all off-roaders will also meet here for communication and introduction," said Artashes Stepanyan, the founder of the event.
Next year, the organizers plan to expand the area and invite foreign participants.