Victory for Bragin in Race 2, as Ladygin extends points lead

Dmitry Bragin won TCR Russia’s second race in Fort Grozniy. The TAIF Motorsport driver started from the pole position, courtesy of the draw that determined the grid reversing the top eight qualifiers and converted this advantage into his second victory of the season. At the wheel of his Audi RS 3 LMS, Bragin led from the start and never gave out the first position. The reigning champion and current points leader Kirill Ladygin started from P2 and managed to reject the assaults from Egor Orudzhev, retaining a second place that is crucial for his defence of the title. 
Bragin, Ladygin and Mikhail Mityaev retained their top-three positions at the start, while Orudzhev passed Egor Fokin for P4. During the opening lap, Carville Racing rookie Artem Slutskiy went off and rejoined at the back of the field, while his older brother and Race 1 winner Zakhar overtook Ivan Lukashevich for P6.
Behind the leading pair of Bragin and Ladygin, Mityaev struggled to keep Orudzhev and Fokin behind. In lap 4, Ladygin clocked the fastest lap and closed in on Bragin, while Andrej Maslennikov and Zakhar Slutskiy joined the fight for the third position.
Bragin rejected an attempt from Ladygin as they ran abreast on the pit straight, but then the Audi driver began to pull away, gradually. 
In lap 9, Orudzhev passed Mityaev for P3; one lap later Lev Tolkachev and Grigory Burlutskiy made contact on the straight and the latter pulled over with a broken front wheel. His Hyundai remained stranded across a kerb for the remainder of the race.
In lap 15, another Carville Racing’s Hyundai car stopped on the track, that of Artem Slutskiy and this time the safety car was deployed to recover it.
The race resumed with three laps to go and immediately Lukashevich was able to muscle his way past Zakhar Slutskiy and Maslennikov, moving into sixth.
Bragin cruised to take his second win while Ladygin put in a great effort to keep Orudzhev at bay until the end. 
With just one event left, at Sochi on October 30/31, and 53 points on offer, Ladygin is now closer to clinch a second consecutive title. His advantage has grown up to 34 points over Bragin, while Slutskiy has dropped to third, 40 points adrift. The only other driver still in contention is Lukashevich, fourth with a gap of 47 points. 

Fort Grozniy – Race 2
1. Dmitry Bragin (TAIF Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 20 laps
2. Kirill Ladygin (LADA Sport Rosneft, LADA Vesta Sport), 1.025
3. Egor Orudzhev (Lukoil Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS), 1.272
4. Mikhail Mityaev (LADA Sport Rosneft, LADA Vesta Sport), 1.795
5. Egor Fokin (A.M.G. Motorsport, LADA Vesta Sport), 2.588

Championship points
1. K. Ladygin 202 pts; 2. D. Bragin 168; 3. Z. Slutskiy 162

Picture: SMP/Grigory Golyshev