Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Łukasz Kurzeja (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) confidently won both passes of the nearly 150-kilometer stage at the Drawsko Pomorskie military proving grounds. As a result, they will enter the final day of Columna Medica Baja Poland with a lead of over 12 minutes in the FIA European Cup for Cross-Country Bajas classification. Martin Kaczmarski and Hugo Magalhaes (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) have moved up to second place, with Włodzimierz Grajek and Michał Goleniewski (Toyota Hilux) holding third.
As it does every year, Saturday’s competition on the Drawsko proving grounds proved crucial for the rally’s outcome. Crews tackled the nearly 150-kilometer stage twice, providing a brutal test for both crew skill and mechanical endurance. The challenge was amplified by changing weather conditions; after morning rain, the first pass took place on a partially wet and slippery track. In the afternoon, the sun emerged and the route dried, but it was already heavily damaged and rutted after the passage of the entire field.
“The second pass is more difficult because the road is torn up, there are roots, ruts, and stones, so it was harder to drive,” admitted Włodzimierz Grajek (Toyota Hilux) at the finish line.
EUROPEAN CUP (FIA EBC): A FULL SCORE FOR HOŁOWCZYC, PROBLEMS FOR RIVALS
Rally leaders Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Łukasz Kurzeja started the day with a strong statement, winning the first pass of the stage with a lead of over six minutes. However, they didn’t have a clean run on the second pass.
“We had an ‘off’ on one of the tight, sandy corners; we just couldn’t make the turn. We hit a small tree and had to reverse, so we lost some time there,” reported Hołowczyc, who is aiming for a milestone tenth victory at Columna Medica Baja Poland. Despite the incident, the leaders still set the fastest time on the stage and significantly extended their overall rally lead.
“I think the advantage we managed to build on the first stage will remain decent. It’s great to see the fans. They’re back, which shows that Baja Poland is a big draw. It’s nice to see people lining the route in so many places,” the Polish veteran concluded.
High drama unfolded for their closest rivals. The overnight runners-up, Michał and Julita Małuszyński (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i), suffered a broken left-rear driveshaft on the second stage. “We only had front-wheel drive, which made it very difficult to enter and exit the corners. The car was much harder to handle, so we lost a lot of time,” said Julita Małuszyńska.
Despite his own issues, Benediktas Vanagas, navigated by Aisvydas Paliukenas, showcased incredible pace. After suffering a damaged shock and a puncture on SS1, the Lithuanian driver battled a gearbox failure on the second run.
“The gearbox failed 25 kilometers from the finish. Only the first four gears were working, so our top speed was limited to 119 km/h in fourth,” said Vanagas. Despite these difficulties, the crew of the black Toyota Hilux set the second-fastest time on the stage, losing only two and a half minutes to Hołowczyc and Kurzeja.
Martin Kaczmarski and Hugo Magalhaes capitalized on their rivals’ misfortune. The Polish-Portuguese duo set the third-fastest time on SS1 and repeated that result on the second pass, promoting them to second place overall in the FIA European Cup standings (+12:15.6 s). “We improved our time by 7 or 8 minutes, so we are very happy. Our car is performing great; we had a trouble-free run,” a delighted Kaczmarski said at the finish.
In the FIA European Cup categories, the leaders after Saturday’s stages are: in the Challenger (T3) group, Adam Kuś and Dmytro Tsyro (Taurus T3 Maxx). “I am most satisfied with our consistent pace. That’s fundamental for me. We are preparing for the Dakar, and a steady pace is the most important thing for us,” Kuś emphasized. In the SSV (T4) group, Hungarians Balazs and Gabriella Molnar (BRP Can-Am Maverick R) are in the lead. In the Stock group, Bartłomiej Wajzer and Ernest Górecki (Toyota Land Cruiser) were the sole entrants. “We had no major issues, but the second pass was much tougher, the route was very damaged. The car performed great; we didn’t have to do anything except refuel and change the wheels,” summed up Wajzer, the current FIA European Cup points leader.
POLISH CHAMPIONSHIP (RMPST): A FIERCE BATTLE IN THE GROUPS
After Saturday’s leg, Hołowczyc and Kurzeja also lead the Polish Championship classification. Włodzimierz Grajek and Michał Goleniewski (+13:46.0 s) hold second place. Directly behind them are Michał and Julita Małuszyński, who are over 15 minutes adrift of the leaders but locked in a tight battle for second, just 1:50.2 s behind Grajek.
In the Stock (T2) group, the top three consists of Grzegorz Szwagrzyk/Paweł Wojtczak (Mitsubishi Pajero), Michał and Nikola Lipscy (Dacia Duster, +8:07.7 s), and Bartłomiej Wajzer/Ernest Górecki (Toyota Land Cruiser, +51:35.3 s). In the UTV category, the leaders are Paweł Pietranek and Michał Świerczek (Polaris PRO R), ahead of Grzegorz Urbanik/Dominik Brzozowski (Can-Am Maverick X3, +3:11.6 s) and Mirosław Tokarczyk/Adam Binięda (Can-Am Maverick X3, +20:11.1 s).
The SSV group saw a bittersweet day for Maciej Giemza and Rafał Marton (Polaris RZR PRO R Ultimate). “We won the first stage in our class by a large margin, driving at our own pace. Unfortunately, on the second stage, a drive belt snapped. It’s not a quick fix in a Polaris, and it cost us a lot of time,” Giemza explained. Their breakdown allowed Grzegorz Gąsiorowski and Katarzyna Szałęga (Polaris RZR Pro R) to move into the lead. “We had a good run, but unfortunately, I saw that Maciek had a problem, which allowed us to move up a place. We are very happy; it’s a beautiful route, and Kasia navigated perfectly today,” commented Gąsiorowski.
PIĄTEK AND HALAMUNDA LEAD THE TWO-WHEELED CATEGORIES
In the Polish Baja Rally Championship (MPRB), Kamil Piątek (GasGas ECF) extended his lead among motorcyclists, while in the quad classification, Adam Krysiak (Polaris Scrambler XP 1000S) is the sole finisher. Meanwhile, in the Polish Baja Rally Cup (PPRB), motorcyclist Marek Halamunda (Red Moto Honda CRF 450RX) took the lead, and the fastest quad rider (Q4) is Tymon Baszczyński (Polaris Scrambler).
In the Cross Country Cup (PCC), Kacper Chromiński and Krzysztof Chromiński (Nissan Navara) have extended their lead. In the Can-Am Baja Promo series, Daniel Kocęba and Krzysztof Molendowicz (Can-Am Maverick) are the current leaders.
THE FINALE NEAR SZCZECIN
On Sunday, August 31, competitors face the final leg of the rally. The crews will tackle two passes of the 26.08 km Sławoszewo – Wołczkowo special stage. After more than 52 kilometers in the final battle for seconds, the event’s winners will be decided. The official podium ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 PM at the Netto Arena in Szczecin.
Columna Medica Baja Poland 2025 – FIA EBC standings after SS2:
1. Hołowczyc/Kurzeja (POL/POL, X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) 3:01:26,5 s
2. Kaczmarski/Magalhães (POL/PRT, Toyota Hilux Overdrive) +12:15,6 s
3. Grajek/Goleniewski (POL/POL, Toyota Hilux) +13:46,0 s
4. Małuszyński/Małuszyńska (POL/POL, X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) +15:37,2 s
5. Vanagas/Paliukėnas (LTU/LTU, Toyota Hilux) +16:27,4 s
6. Kus/Tsyro (POL/UKR, Taurus T3 Maxx) +18:14,1 s
7. Kotwica/Jędrzejewski (POL/POL, Taurus T3 Maxx) +19:22,3 s
8. Baranowski/Dudziński (POL/POL, Toyota Hilux) +31:25,4 s
9. Molnar/Molnar (HUN/HUN, BRP Can-Am Maverick R) +33:34,3 s
10. Lekavičius/Liškus (LTU/LTU, BRP Can-Am Maverick R) +33:45,8 s
Columna Medica Baja Poland 2025 – RMPST standings after SS2:
1. Hołowczyc/Kurzeja (POL/POL, X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) 3:01:26,5 s
2. Grajek/Goleniewski (POL/POL, Toyota Hilux) +13:46,0 s
3. Małuszyński/Małuszyńska (POL/POL, X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) +15:37,2 s
4. Wiatr/Janda (POL/POL, Ford F150) +16:47,7 s
5. Gąsiorowski/Szałęga (POL/POL, Polaris RZR Pro R) +18:54,2 s
6. Kus/Tsyro (POL/UKR, Taurus T3 Maxx) +19:04,1 s
7. Kotwica/Jędrzejewski (POL/POL, Taurus T3 Maxx) +19:22,3 s
8. Kościuszko/Syty (POL/POL, Polaris RZR PRO R ULTIMATE) +24:26,3 s
9. Kufel/Chełmicki (POL/POL, Ford Ranger) +27:34,1 s
10. Gałecki/Ragiel (POL/POL, Can-Am Maverick X3) +28:20,0 s
