KAMAZ-master

KAMAZ-master
The KAMAZ-master is a team of prominent racers, who are 3 time World Cup champions in off-road truck rallies. The team has won the Silk Way rally several times and is a thirteen-time winner of the legendary Dakar Rally.  Omnicomm is proud to be the technological partner of KAMAZ-master, with the Omnicomm Solution installed on all KAMAZ-master racing trucks.


Why KAMAZ-master chooses Omnicomm

While preparing for the race it is highly important to accurately calculate the required amount of fuel in the tank. As fuel means weight, precise calculations need to be made so that the exact amount of fuel required is supplied – no more, no less.  It’s equally important to monitor fuel consumption as the race progresses, drivers make decisions constantly and having an accurate reading of the available fuel impacts these decisions.


100 LITERS OF FUEL EQUALS ABOUT 83 KG WEIGHT

In KAMAZ-master’s long-term participation in rally-raids there were cases when the race organizers were late in informing the race participants about changes in road surface. In Dakar 2005 with a total route of 600 km the crew ran out of fuel within just 50 km of the finish line. Original fuel calculations were made for hard route surface, but the organizers changed the route and selected soft shifting sand due to the heat. As a result the team placed 18th.

In addition to fuel control, the Omnicomm system allows the team to  track the route and characteristics of truck performance during practice races, and to remotely monitor truck location and technical condition of vehicles – which is especially important during test drives when preparing for the most extreme international races: Dakar, Silk Way and Kagan Gold.

“We have chosen Omnicomm as the technological partner of our team. Omnicomm solutions are able to operate smoothly throughout the entire extreme route of the rally, with high vibration and high temperature conditions while still being fully aware of fuel on board. Reliable. Accurate. Flawless. Omnicomm Fuel level sensors are our warning signal. Now the navigator is aware of exact fuel consumption at any stage of the way, how much fuel is left in the tank and how many miles the truck would last with the remaining fuel. This information allows us to calculate the exact amount of fuel accurately for different sections of the route and not carry extra liters of excess weight, which is very important for a racing car under competitive conditions.”
– Vladimir Chagin, KAMAZ-master Team Head


OMNICOMM CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS FOR KAMAZ-MASTER

Especially for the KAMAZ-master team, Omnicomm has developed a new, advanced multi-function LLD display, installed in the truck cabin. The LLD display provides the crew with real-time information about the amount of fuel remaining, helping them control their consumption and manage their fuel usage perfectly.

Every extra liter in the tank overloads the truck and slows it down, so it’s critical to calculate fuel consumption for the whole route taking into account all modes of engine operation and different coatings during all the rally.


THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION

After the poor result in Dakar 2005, KAMAZ-master engineers thoroughly assessed and evaluated their equipment.  The team knew that in order to win, they must have precision accuracy and smooth continuous operation.

For several years the team tested solutions offered by various global manufacturers, but never found a solution that offered the required strict control of fuel.  Most solutions were not built for rugged extreme environments, so shaking and weather would lead to inaccurate results at best, or break the machinery at worst. The team was forced to resort to using a measuring dipstick to monitor the amount of fuel in tanks.


OMNICOMM TEST RESULTS

In due course, Kamaz-master selected Omnicomm to evaluate. The process had 3 stages:

Stage 1

The first test installation of Omnicomm fuel level sensors was carried out in hot summer conditions during the tough road rally “Kagan Gold”, held in 2012 in the Astrakhan Region. The decision was made to test the Omnicomm equipment in one support vehicle participating in the race. The result?  The strong shaking of the truck and fuel tank, and the extreme track conditions did not affect the OmniComm’s accuracy at all. The readings were within +/- 1% variation, enabling the crew to monitor their exact amount of fuel and manage it properly.

Stage 2

The second test for  Omnicomm equipment was held during the legendary Dakar Rally in January 2013. This time the team decided to  equip one more car with the same equipment that had previously tested successfully. The Omnicomm technology ran faultlessly. All of the solution parts once again proved high quality, reliable, durable and offered pinpoint accuracy on fuel levels.  The race handed a victory to the team.

Stage 3

The third stage of  testing was the installation of the Omnicomm fuel control system for significant number of the racing truck fleet. The system was tested once again during training in Morocco in May 2013. All the results were consistent – OmniComm delivered precision accuracy in extreme conditions.

“Rally-raids for SUVs and trucks have always been considered a race for strong, goal-oriented and highly motivated people overcoming high barriers to reach targets set. Extreme conditions do not allow the team to relax even for a moment. Our credo is to always pay big attention to transport and preparation of crew members. After each race we are improving the characteristics of technical support by using high-tech and reliable equipment. Now for all races we use Omnicomm solutions for high precision fuel measurement and to monitor the location and truck performance as well”.
– Sergey Savostin, Kamaz-master Team Navigator

The successful testing with KAMAZ-master proved that OmniComm’s equipment is of the highest quality and reliability, and it can be used in the most severe road and weather conditions continuing to provide accurate results.

The Dakar Rally 2015 was an absolute triumph for KAMAZ-master team. Its crews swept the podium. The gold winner was the crew of Ayrat Mardeev. The second place went to the crew of Eduard Nikolaev. The crew of Andrey Karginov, winner of the rally in 2014, got the third place.