This shows that the fight for victory in the rally Sarma 2022 will be fierce and interesting. Although only one WRC class car has been registered so far – the Rally2-Kit', season plans to be announced later”>Mini John Cooper Works WRC – the number of powerful and fast cars is significant. The list already includes eleven Rally2 or R5 class cars, which is a new rally Sarma record, with two more Proto and two Rally3 cars, as well as one Rally2-Kit class car.
Valērijs Gorbans from Ukraine with the already mentioned WRC, as well as Martins Absalons with Ford Fiesta Proto, Ainārs Igaveņš with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 and Karl Martin Volvers, a 22-year-old Estonian athlete who has designed his Škoda Fabia Proto car, have currently applied to the LRC1 group. and built as part of his studies with the help of university engineers, the Latvian rally team Sport Racing Technologies and former WRC driver Tony Gardemeister.
The most interesting situation is in the LRC2 test, where a very bright line-up of Rally2 (R5) class cars has entered. One of the biggest surprises is the five-time Finnish champion Thema Asunma with Škoda Fabia, who got acquainted with the rally Sarma in 2019 as a consultant for one crew and decided to start it himself. Asunma started this season in the famous Arctic Lapland Rally, where the last stage before the mistake was the leader. Another star is the Russian champion Igor Bulantsev of 2021 with Škoda Fabia, for whom this season has also started variegated. In the rally “Zolotye Dome 2022” he lost the position of a confident leader, making a mistake in the last stage, but in the middle of the Karelian rally, trying to catch the leader, another participant of Sarma 2022 – Denis Rostilov with Škoda Fabia, he left the track and withdrew from the rally. Another very fast pilot is the regular participant of the World Championship, Estonian Georg Linnamae, who won “Otepää Talv 2022” in a fierce fight last weekend. Unpredictable results can also be expected from Estonian and Lithuanian young people who have applied for this test, as well as from the Polish Lukash Kotarbas, who is fast in asphalt rallies, but made his debut in the winter rally only in the Sarma 2019. Unfortunately, in this test, who will most likely fight No Latvian athlete will start in the overall rally rating.
Although it can’t really be said, because Mārtiņš Sesks will start in the LRC3 with a Škoda Fabia Rally2-Kit, which is closer to Rally2 cars than Rally3. According to the manufacturer, this car is only 0.8 seconds slower compared to Rally2. The LRC3 test has not yet flourished. It launches the latest, once popular N4 class cars and a novelty in the rally – Rally3 class cars, which are actually less powerful Rally2 cars and are designed for the transition of new drivers from front-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. Currently, about fifty cars of this class have been produced only by M-Sport, and we will see two of them in the rally Sarma 2022. Estonian Kaspars Kasari will start with one, Ainars Šusts with the other. Experienced Guntis Lielkājis and regular rally sprint and minirally participant Ilja Zakmans, both with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, will also face these crews.
Currently, ten participants have applied for the LRC4 test, in which young people with front-wheel drive Rally4 class cars compete as usual. At the moment, it looks like it will be an Estonian, Polish, Spanish and Turkish youth competition, without the participation of Latvians. On the other hand, the Latvian flower will be seen in the LRC5 test, in which such well-known athletes in Latvia as Jānis Vorobjovs, Edijs Bermanis, Edgars Balodis, as well as others, will compete with Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution of different generations. The only Estonian in this class so far is Vallo Nuters, who will start with a Subaru Impreza STi.
Andris Baumanis will return to the rally after a break of twelve years. At his disposal in place of the famous Ford Escort RS Cosworth this time will be a classic second generation Ford Escort. He will be met by the famous Martin Samson with his even more famous BMW M3, as well as several supporters of Estonian and Russian classic drivetrain. Undoubtedly, surnames are not important in this LRC6 group, as the viewers are most pleased with the wide driving style of this group. LRC7 test stars are also well known to the spectators of the rally Sarma – Klims Baikovs, Ivo Ķilpis, Ralfs Sirmacis, Arvis Vecvagars, Uldis Lepiksons.
From the Audi 80 and 90 Quattro and the uncomfortable Subaru Impreza B22 to the classic VAZ, there will also be something to see in the historic car standings. The total number of participants in the rally sprint classes has reached only 17, but it is also a surprise – the return of the brothers Matīss and Miķelis Mežakis to the rally – both started the rally together in 2013 for the last time.
It will be recalled that the rally Sarma 2022 will take place in an epidemiologically safe environment, in a green mode, with a limited number of spectators. Tickets can only be purchased in advance on the online ticket sales platform eKase.lv. Before buying tickets, it is important for the spectators to get acquainted with the rules, which can be found on both ekase.lv and autorally.lv, where you can also find more information about the rally Sarma 2022.
Composition of participants – HERE.
The information was prepared by:
Ģirts Avotiņš
Rally Sarma press secretary
