Mechanical engineer of "ALD Engineering and Construction" Nikolay Panasyuk has been engaged in motorsport for 10 years.

Adrenaline, stress, desire to win, pleasure from dynamic ride is the way Nikolay Panasyuk, the citizen of Zaporozhie describes his cool hobby. He traditionally takes part in autocross competitions in different cities of Ukraine several times a year. Recently he participated in the First stage of Ukrainian championship "KHADO-MAXIMUM" being held in Kharkov.

Nikolay started autocross training in 2012. At the beginning I bought a car of Zaporozhets type, and then changed it to a buggy. The racer works as a mechanical engineer in the construction company "ALD Engineering and Construction" and his knowledge and experience often helps to repair the car, to anticipate breakdowns on the eve of the competition.

 - I decided to go in for motor sports because I love speed and cars. Before I was 18, I bought myself a car of Zaporozhets type and took part in amateur races. Parents, of course, were worried. So, I rode for about a year, and then changed it to a buggy. This is a special racing car for official competitions, which provide compliance with certain rules and requirements. It is safer. The health of the rider and the characteristics of the car are checked before the competition.

 - Is it difficult to prepare for a competition?

 - Competition is a drive in everything. Of course, preparation is an important stage, so it is the most exciting for me. This is such a pleasant bustle. When you drive the highway, you get excited. I want to go faster, more maneuverable.

 - Was it difficult at the last competition in Kharkov?

 - Usually all competitions are held according to the traditional scheme. There is a training process on Saturday. There are qualifying races for a while the next day. Participants with the best time on these races line up at the starting grid and the race begins.

Unfortunately, I failed to finish during the first stage of the championship in Kharkov., There happened a failure with the electronics in the car during the last lap, I had to fall from the race.  

But this is sport and it happens. Anyway, participation in the competition is cool. It is preparation, races, communication. I participated in races in

Bulgaria, Moldova. In Moldova, we often went to competitions associated to the Day of the automobilist. It has always been unforgettable.

There are plans for participation in European competitions.

 - Do you need to prepare for this somehow?

 - First of all, you need to prepare the car. I used to drive in the second scoring group. I had a mono drive with an engine capacity of 1500. This year I bought a car of the next generation. It is 1600 all-wheel drive. I work toward it, as I can participate in European championships. I can participate at a high level competitions.

 - It must be repaired for sure, who does this work?

 - I repair everything myself. It is important to understand the car, to know its way around. Now I have bought a new motor drive. I am trying to make sense of it. I'm interested. My professional activity helps me. I work as a Mechanical engineer in "ALD Engineering and Construction" company. Of course, here is another specificity. It is industry. It is important to detect breakdowns at the early stages in both of these directions. So, something in common is still exist and it helps.

- How do you transport the car to the races?

 - You cannot drive a buggy on public roads. We transport on a trailer car connected to another car. It often happens a rather difficult checkout before the races.

 - Are there any interesting stories at the competition?

 - In fact, there are a lot of such stories. There are both funny and not. It happens that one of the participants may be carried out of the track line or the car may even roll over onto the roof as a result of a race. It happened to me too. Injury rate among drivers is low. Unpleasant incidents happen but not often.

Personally, I like not just driving, but doing a kind of show. Once I came to a competition in Chernivtsi and I had my own plan. I missed everyone on the track and then I caught up and overtook them. As a result, I reached the second place out of seven cars. Although it was surprising for many people. It is cool to take the first place, but I also want to show the audience a beautiful, dynamic ride.

 - Was there a desire to stop and leave motorsport?

 - It is a hobby of my life. I found myself and I like the way I develop. So, I started studying this new high-tech motor. It takes my free time, but I feel that it makes me happy. This is what I'm interested in.