Official fired for racing tractors on Russian street

Moscow, Feb 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A municipal official in Russia's Siberia region got the boot after a video popped up on YouTube of his subordinates racing tractors in the streets.

Two tractors were filmed drift racing -- a technique of sideways steering popular with street racers -- at night in front of a sports venue in Irkutsk city.

The vehicles, fitted for snow ploughing, are seen encircled by cars with lights on and cruise around to cheers from the crowd.

The 1.45 minute video, apparently shot with a cell phone, appeared on YouTube last week.

The drivers were disciplined and stripped of bonuses, said the head of the municipal street cleaning company that owns the tractors.

The chief of the unit that allowed the misuse of company equipment was fired.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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