Sensation in Lombok Motor Race: Russian Takes Third Place in Mandalika Racing Series

There is a world-class motor racing track on the island of Lombok, neighboring Bali. It even hosts a round of the major MotoGP races (which is like Formula 1 for motorcyclists).

Additionally, the Indonesian championship—Mandalika Racing Series—takes place here 5 times a year. Few foreigners participate, and competition usually unfolds between locals. Thus, a podium finish for Russian Eldar Galiulin became a real sensation.

"I did pretty poorly in the qualification on the first day (races that determine the starting positions for the main race). The Saturday race didn't go too well either, as the bike wasn't perfectly tuned, so the mechanic worked on it all evening so that on Sunday we would have a chance to fight."

The race itself consists of 6 laps on the track and lasts on average about 12 minutes.

"Due to the lack of time to build up speed, everyone takes a big risk from the start, with constant overtaking. We battled for the entire race with the second and fourth places. It's 12 minutes of pure concentration at maximum speeds."

"There were no other foreigners among the participants besides myself. Seeing me on the podium, of course, few people expected. In fact, so far in this relatively young series, riders from other countries have only been on the podium a couple of times at most."

Eldar moved to Bali from St. Petersburg three years ago. Initially, he went to Lombok for track days (renting a racetrack to try out training runs, which anyone can do), then started working with a coach. Later, he began participating in official competitions.

"Unfortunately, even though the motorcycle culture is highly developed in Bali, there's nowhere really suitable for training. There's a small track in Kintamani, but it's not suitable for full-scale preparation."

In 2025, Eldar already stood on the podium. He took second place among 30 participants in competitions organized by YAMAHA (in the 250cc class) and 4th place in the same location in the 150cc class.

"Next year, I want to race all five races of the Mandalika Racing series," says Eldar. The goal is to take first place overall.

By the way, Eldar rides a sporty YAMAHA R-25 around Bali, so you may have seen him in traffic somewhere in Canggu.