Baja Poland, the 8th round of the 2015 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies will be held for the 7th time in a row this year. For the 4th time though the biggest cross country rally in Poland will be one of the World Cup series. The event located in Szczecin and with the special stages near Dobra and Drawsko Pomorskie military site will start on Friday afternoon, 28th August and its finish is scheduled for Sunday, 30th August. The route of the rally covers 706 kilometers, while 414 of them are special stages.

Baja Poland is also a round of the 2015 FIA Central Europe Zone for Cross Country Rallies (FIA-CEZ), Polish Cross Country Championship (RMPST), Czech Republic Cross Country Championship (MMCR) and Polish Cross Country Cup (RPPST). Baja Poland will also be twinned with Polish Cup in Baja Rallies for motorcycles. All of these will mean that fans will be able to see in action more than 100 of rally cars, trucks, motorcycles, quads and UTV vehicles.

The heart of Baja Poland is traditionally the Rally Park located in Szczecin at Szafera street, which will also bring the finish line with the prize giving ceremony. However the start of the event is planned in a very special place this year.

- Boulevard Wały Chrobrego is the most prestigious location in Szczecin and we are very happy this year’s inauguration of Baja Poland will take place right there, at the Odra river bank. Baja Poland is growing bigger and gathers the best drivers and thousands of fans. Choosing this place for a start is the ennoblement for the rally, but also promotes the city itself. The impressive rally cars will begin the rivalry from this place and head straight to the first rally stage. On Saturday the competitors will face two demanding tests on the military site nearby Drawsko Pomorskie, in which the service park will be located this day. On Sunday the crews still have 120 kilometers more to cover in the area of Dobra, after which the winner of Baja Poland will be known – said Mariusz Podkalicki, the chairman of the rally organizing committee.

Krzysztof Hołowczyc is a driver with the biggest number of wins in Baja Poland. He used to take the top spot of the rally podium 4 times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014). Balazs Szalay from Hungary in 2009 and Alexandr Zeludow from Russia in 2013 are also on the list of winners. Hołowczyc, who was third in famous Dakar in January 2015 will also start in Baja Poland this year, the same plans refer to Adam Małysz and Marek Dąbrowski. However the entry list will be published, according to the rules, on 24th August.

The leader of the FIA World Cup on the halfway of the season (after the Italian Baja) is the defending champion  Władimir Wasiliew (171 points), ahead of the Nasser Al Attiyah from Qatar (150 points) and Reinaldo Varela from Brasil (85 points). There are also two Polish drivers in the top ten: Dąbrowski is 4th (78 points) and Małysz keeps 10th position (28 points).

Brief itinerary of Baja Poland 2015

Thursday, 27th August:
12:00-21:00  administrative checks
13:00-22:00  scrutineering

Friday, 28th August:
08:00-11:00  administrative checks
09:00-22:00  scrutineering
14:30  press conference with the top drivers
17:00  ceremonial start of the rally, Boulevard Wały Chrobrego, Szczecin
18:00  SSS Szczecin (6,50 km)

Saturday, 29th August:
08:30  SS-2 Poligon Drawski (144 km)
11:05  first crew at the service park in Drawsko Pomorskie
13:35  SS-3 Poligon Drawski (144 km)
16:05  first crew at the service park in Drawsko Pomorskie
20:00  finish of Leg 1, Rally Park, Szczecin
 
Sunday, 30th August:
09:15  SS-4 Dobra (60 km)
10:05  first crew at the service park in Szczecin
12:45  SS-5 Dobra (60 km)
14:30  ceremonial finish of the rally, Rally Park, Szczecin

2015 season calendar:

13/02 – 15/02 Baja Russia – Northern Forest (Russia)
27/03 – 02/04 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Abu Dhabi)
19/04 – 24/04 Sealine Cross Country Rally (Qatar)
10/05 – 17/05 Pharaons Rally (Egipt)
18/06 – 21/06 Italian Baja (Italy)
24/07 – 26/07 Baja Espana (Spain)
13/08 – 16/08 Hungarian Baja (Hungary)
27/08 – 30/08 Baja Poland (Poland)
03/10 – 09/10 Rallye du Maroc (Morocco)
22/10 – 24/10 Baja Portalegre (Portugal)