Holowczyc and MINI united in success with second place result at Baja Poland. Three MINI ALL4 Racing finish inside top five.

Press release

28 August 2016

 

Holowczyc
and MINI united in success with second place result at Baja
Poland. Three MINI ALL4 Racing finish inside top five.

 

Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL) achieves sensational second place at Baja
Poland. Fellow MINI ALL4 Racing driver and Polish compatriot Jakub
Przygonski finishes in fourth. Erik van Loon (NDL) places the third
MINI ALL4 Racing inside top five.

 

Munich. Baja Poland, the seventh round of the FIA
Cross Country World Cup, proved once again to be the arena for Polish
rally expert Krzysztof Holowczyc to showcase his exceptional driving
talent. For Holowczyc, this particular race and fine second place
result will be equally memorable as his five previous Baja Poland victories.

 

The 2016 edition of Baja Poland was a one-off race for Holowczyc –
and first major race since his retirement at the end of the 2015 rally
season. With fellow countryman Lukasz Kurzeja in the co-driver seat,
the pair started Baja Poland in a determined mood.

 

At one point it looked possible the Polish pairing in the MINI ALL4
Racing could upset the main World Cup chasers until a puncture on the
Saturday stage robbed them of time and positions. Despite this, the
Polish duo recorded first place finshes in four of the Baja Poland’s
seven Special Stages.

 

“Well, this is rally and it is pointless to speculate what would have
happened if not for the flat tyre yesterday,” said Holowczyc. “We were
driving on our limits but I am happy because, after a one year pause,
I was still able to drive very fast. Huge thanks to all the fans that
were supporting us this weekend in Szczecin. It gave us amazing power
and energy.”

 

The second MINI ALL4 Racing inside the top five was that of pairing
Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) with Tom Colsoul (BEL). Consistent
driving across the stages in Szczecin, Dobra, Lubieszyn and Drawsko
Pomorskie thrilled the crowds but, more importantly saw them position
their MINI ALL Racing of ORLEN Team in fourth.

 

The event’s stones also played a hand in Przygonski’s final position.
Punctures and brake damage did their best to undermine his spectacular
assault but skill and composure ruled the day.

 

Przygonski: “This Rally was full of surprises. We got flat tyre
twice, and also brake damage, but anyway we were close to the leaders.
We’ll fight for a better position in Morocco!”

 

Dutchmen Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar applied their vast
experience to good effect in the hotly contested Special Stages.
Always in sight of the leader, they ended Baja Poland with a fine
fifth with the MINI ALL4 Racing of team Van Loon Racing.

 

Boris Garafulic (CHL) and Filipe Palmeiro (POR) in the fourth MINI
ALL4 Racing also had a share of bad luck across the 788 km distance of
Baja Poland. Their official final position was ninth. Even so, the
event experience of this duo and the other MINI ALL4 Racing crews is
considered vital to the development of the MINI ALL4 Racing in
readiness for the 2017 Dakar Rally. A race so demanding on crews and
cars that only the best prepared excel.

 

 

2016
Baja Poland
: MINI ALL4 Racing final standings

 

 

 

Race calendar: 2016 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

 

19/02 – 22/02 Baja Russia
02/04 – 7/04 Abu Dhabi Desert
Challenge
17/04 – 22/04 Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar
23/06 – 26/06 Italian Baja
22/07 – 24/07 Baja Aragón
11/08
– 14/08 HunGarian Baja

25/08 – 28/08 Baja Poland

03/10 – 08/10 Rallye Oilibya du Maroc
21/10 – 23/10 Baja
Portalegre 500

 

Find reports, photos and videos in high resolution of previous MINI
ALL4 Racing activity on the BMW Media Website by clicking here.