Now this looks like a bit of a lark...or the kind of truck racing BLB might just get interested in! Newly-arrived Biglorryblog contributor Caspar P has sent me this little selection and salutations: "Hey Brian and Greetings to all BLB Readers! Here's some photos of unique motorsport in Baltic countries, to be exact, Latvia and Estonia, not sure about Lithuania---maybe any readers can confirm that? And it's of course also in
Caspar continues;" The vehicles are modified to meet all the race regulations of the sport---the vehicles are mainly from the 60's and 70's, stock, with no modifications apart from a roll cage and changing the driving seats and few other smaller changes."
"Also the weight is over 4 tons with some trucks loaded with some extra weight at back. Nowdays it's everything that's not needed is stripped out and the trucks are lightened for minimum weight. Now click through here for more words and pix on the Baltic banger races!
Caspar adds: "The vehicles used in the races are produced in
Anyway from what I can gather (and what Caspar sent me) the GAZ 51 was one of the most prolific of Soviet trucks and longest produced having also bee built under licence in other Soviet satelite states as well as
The GAZ 52 and 53 it seems came later with a throbby 75 hp 6-cylinder engine developed from the GAZ-51.
Either way the drivers clearly have a lot of fun charging around the dirt course...wheel up anyone?
Tally ho!
Must be a bit hard on the old rear-end though..what?
And not entirely without incident either! Great shots Caspar and thanks for introducing BLB to the wonderful world of Baltic Banger racing!
Similar races are held as the St. Day circuit, between Redruth and Truro in Cornwall, using time expired buses and coaches and these races have to be seen to be believed with the vehicles still racing as the bodywork disintegrates.