Adam Kuś and Maciej Giemza (Taurus EVO MAX) set the fastest time on Friday’s AKPOL Baja Poland 2026 Prologue. Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Łukasz Kurzeja (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) finished 2.3 seconds behind, while Benediktas Vanagas and Aisvydas Paliukenas (Toyota Hilux) took third, 5.1 seconds off the pace. Kuś selected fourth starting position for Saturday, while Hołowczyc will open the road at Drawsko.
Competitive action in the 18th edition of AKPOL Baja Poland began in and around Szczecin on Friday. This year’s event is the fourth round of the FIA European Baja Cup, the sixth round of the FIA Central European Zone Cross-Country Championship, the fifth round of the Polish Cross-Country Rally Championship and the third round of the Czech Cross-Country Championship.
The weekend also features the Cross Country Cup and Can-Am Baja Promo, as well as motorcycle and quad riders competing in the Polish Baja Rally Championship and Polish Baja Rally Cup. The entry lists feature 194 competitors representing 13 countries.
Friday’s programme included an 8.25km shakedown from Dobra to Wołczkowo, the 8.85km Prologue in Szczecin and the ceremonial start at Wały Chrobrego.
KUŚ FASTEST IN SHAKEDOWN
Shakedown gave competitors one final opportunity to check their vehicles and set-ups before the timed competition began. The results did not count towards the rally classification.
Adam Kuś and Maciej Giemza topped the FIA European Baja Cup field with a time of 6min 24.3sec. Mārtiņš Sesks and Didzis Zarins (Bairons SRT Viking), making their cross-country rally debut, finished 9.5 seconds behind, with Benediktas Vanagas and Aisvydas Paliukenas (Toyota Hilux) 13.6 seconds off the pace.
Kuś and Giemza also headed the Polish championship timesheets. Bartłomiej Kotwica and Arkadiusz Jędrzejewski (Taurus T3 Maxx) were 20.4 seconds slower, while Włodzimierz Grajek and Szymon Marciniak (Toyota Hilux) took third, 21 seconds behind the leading crew.
KUŚ BEATS TEN-TIME WINNER IN PROLOGUE
Traditionally held in north-western Szczecin, the 8.85km Prologue did not count towards the overall rally classification but determined the order in which the leading drivers selected their starting positions for Saturday.
It also carried points for competitors registered in the FIA European Baja Cup. They scored for their positions in both the overall Prologue classification and their respective groups, with three points awarded for first place, two for second and one for third.
Kuś and Giemza stopped the clock at 7min 23.2sec. Their lightweight Challenger Taurus beat all the Ultimate machinery, headed by Hołowczyc and Kurzeja, who were fastest in T1+ and finished 2.3 seconds behind.
“It is good to start Baja Poland by winning the Prologue. It is nice to see your name ahead of a ten-time winner here, but the Prologue is not the rally – the real racing starts tomorrow. The route at Drawsko is expected to be faster than in previous years and that reduces our chances against the T1+ cars,” Kuś said.
Hołowczyc admitted that short tests had never been among his favourites. Despite the soft surface, the Olsztyn driver topped T1+ and ended the day encouraged ahead of Saturday’s much longer leg.
“I do not particularly enjoy prologues because any mistake costs a lot on such a short test and there is no time to recover. We put in a clean run and were fastest in T1+. That is encouraging, but tomorrow will be a long day. First we have to reach the finish; only then can we talk about the result,” said the Baja Poland record holder.
Vanagas and Paliukenas set the third-fastest time, finishing 5.1 seconds behind Kuś and Giemza and 2.8 seconds adrift of Hołowczyc and Kurzeja. As Hołowczyc is not competing for FIA European Baja Cup points this season, Vanagas collected the maximum Prologue score in Ultimate.
“I am happy that Baja Poland is under way. We finished third overall in the Prologue and second in Ultimate, behind Hołek. At the same time, we scored the maximum European Cup points in our category, which is the most important thing for us. We kept it clean and took no unnecessary risks, although the loose sand made the test challenging,” the Lithuanian explained.
Kotwica and Jędrzejewski finished fourth, 7.3 seconds off the pace. Mariusz Wiatr and Łukasz Łaskawiec (Ford F150 EVO+, +10.4sec) followed in fifth, ahead of Marcin Nasiłowski and Michał Goleniewski (Taurus Max, +13.7sec), Marek Kubiczek and Dominik Ragiel (Taurus EVO MAX, +18.9sec), and Michał and Julita Małuszyński (Toyota Hilux, +19.9sec).
DISAPPOINTMENT FOR EKSTRÖM
Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist (BRP Can-Am Maverick X3) completed the Prologue in ninth position, 20.2 seconds behind the winners, but withdrew from the event shortly afterwards. A drivetrain issue first appeared during shakedown and returned on the Prologue despite two attempts to repair it.
“I had heard a lot about Baja Poland and had wanted to compete in this rally for a long time. This event was also meant to give us more training for the Dakar. Unfortunately, a problem emerged during shakedown. We tried to fix it twice, but it returned on the Prologue. We know what has happened, but we cannot repair it with the equipment and time available. It is very disappointing, but when you fall down, you get back up and come back stronger,” said Ekström, the World Rallycross champion and third-place Dakar Rally finisher in both 2025 and 2026.
Sesks placed 12th on his cross-country rally debut in Poland. The Latvian, navigated by Zarins, finished 24.3 seconds behind the winners.
Adrian Wasiak and Brajan Brzozowski (Can-Am Maverick X3) set the pace in the Cross Country Cup. They beat Marcel Jędrzejewski and Michał Zoll (Polaris RZR Pro R Ultimate) by 13 seconds, with Szymon Bracha and Paweł Stawecki (Polaris RZR Pro R) 18.3 seconds off the lead.
Adam Krysiak (Polaris Scrambler) was fastest in the Polish Baja Rally Championship. Kamil Piątek (GasGas EC450F) finished five seconds behind and Paweł Nowakowski (Suzuki LTR) trailed the winner by 9.8 seconds.
Wojciech Biedron (Polaris Sportsman) topped the Polish Baja Rally Cup classification, ahead of Sławomir Zamorski (Can-Am Outlander XTP 1000, +33.7sec) and Jakub Żwirek (Polaris Scrambler 1000S, +44.8sec).
HOŁOWCZYC TO OPEN THE ROAD
The leading Prologue drivers selected their starting positions during the ceremonial start. Kuś had first choice and opted to run fourth.
Hołowczyc will open the road, followed by Vanagas and Wiatr. Kuś, Kotwica, Nasiłowski, Kubiczek and Małuszyński will be next, ahead of the BRP Can-Am Maverick X3 XRS Turbo RR of Matthias Walkner and Olivier Pyerin.
That road order suited Vanagas.
“Hołek knows the Drawsko Military Training Ground very well. If he starts first and we start second, that will be a good situation for us,” the Lithuanian said before the starting positions were selected.
THREE STAGES AND 314.44KM AT DRAWSKO
Saturday brings the longest and most important leg of AKPOL Baja Poland 2026. The revised itinerary features three special stages on the Drawsko Military Training Ground, covering 314.44 competitive kilometres.
The opening 128.40km test starts at 09:00. Following a regroup and a 30-minute remote service from 11:45, crews tackle a second stage of the same length at 12:45.
Another regroup and service precede the final 57.64km test, which gets under way at 16:30. Once it is complete, competitors face a 105.20km road section back to the service park in Szczecin, where the first crew is due at 19:00.
AKPOL BAJA POLAND 2026 – PROLOGUE RESULTS, FIA EUROPEAN BAJA CUP:
- Adam Kuś / Maciej Giemza (Taurus EVO MAX) 7:23.2s
- Krzysztof Hołowczyc / Łukasz Kurzeja (X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) +2.3s
- Benediktas Vanagas / Aisvydas Paliukenas (Toyota Hilux) +5.1s
- Bartłomiej Kotwica / Arkadiusz Jędrzejewski (Taurus T3 Maxx) +7.3s
- Mariusz Wiatr / Łukasz Łaskawiec (Ford F150 EVO+) +10.4s
- Marcin Nasiłowski / Michał Goleniewski (Taurus Max) +13.7s
- Marek Kubiczek / Dominik Ragiel (Taurus EVO MAX) +18.9s
- Michał Małuszyński / Julita Małuszyńska (Toyota Hilux) +19.9s
- Mattias Ekström / Emil Bergkvist (BRP Can-Am Maverick X3) +20.2s
- Matthias Walkner / Olivier Pyerin (BRP Can-Am Maverick X3 XRS Turbo RR) +21.8s
AKPOL BAJA POLAND 2026 – PROLOGUE RESULTS, POLISH CROSS-COUNTRY RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP:
- Adam Kuś / Maciej Giemza (Taurus EVO MAX) 7:23.2s
- Krzysztof Hołowczyc / Łukasz Kurzeja (X-raid MINI JCW Rally 3.0i) +2.3s
- Bartłomiej Kotwica / Arkadiusz Jędrzejewski (Taurus T3 Maxx) +7.3s
- Mariusz Wiatr / Łukasz Łaskawiec (Ford F150 EVO+) +10.4s
- Marcin Nasiłowski / Michał Goleniewski (Taurus Max) +13.7s
- Marek Kubiczek / Dominik Ragiel (Taurus EVO MAX) +18.9s
- Michał Małuszyński / Julita Małuszyńska (Toyota Hilux) +19.9s
- Miroslav Zapletal / Marek Sýkora (Ford F150 EVO+) +22.1s
- Adam Goński / Michał Małek (Can-Am Maverick R) +23.5s
- Grzegorz Gąsiorowski / Katarzyna Szałęga (Polaris RZR Pro R) +23.9s
AKPOL BAJA POLAND 2026 PROGRAMME
(FIA EUROPEAN BAJA CUP)
Total route: 646.23km. Five special stages cover 366.60km, with a separate 8.85km Prologue.
Friday, 28 August:
- 10:00–14:00 – Shakedown (Dobra–Wołczkowo, 8.25km)
- 17:20 – Prologue (Szczecin, finishing on Zawadzkiego Street, 8.85km)
- 20:00 – Ceremonial start and starting-position selection (Wały Chrobrego, Szczecin)
Saturday, 29 August:
- 09:00 – Special Stage 1: Drawsko Military Training Ground (128.40km)
- 11:45 – Service A: 30 minutes (Drawsko Pomorskie)
- 12:45 – Special Stage 2: Drawsko Military Training Ground (128.40km)
- 15:30 – Service B: 30 minutes (Drawsko Pomorskie)
- 16:30 – Special Stage 3: Drawsko Military Training Ground (57.64km)
- 19:00 – Service C: 45 minutes (military firing range near Szafera and Szeroka streets, Szczecin)
- 19:45 – End of Saturday’s leg and entry into parc fermé (Szczecin)
NOTE: Saturday’s special stages on the Drawsko Military Training Ground will not be open to spectators. The remote service area in Drawsko Pomorskie will be open to the public.
Sunday, 30 August:
- 09:05 – Special Stage 4: Sławoszewo–Wołczkowo–Szczecin (26.08km)
- 11:20 – Service D: 60 minutes (military firing range near Szafera and Szeroka streets, Szczecin)
- 13:05 – Special Stage 5: Sławoszewo–Wołczkowo–Szczecin (26.08km)
- 14:30 – Podium ceremony and prize-giving (Enea Arena, Szczecin)
- 15:00 – Rally finish and entry into parc fermé (Szczecin)
