Baja Poland is the seventh round of the 2025 FIA European Baja Cup, but the first for Kamena Rally Team and Oasis Rally Team in their journey to the 2026 Dakar Classic. It’s not uncommon for teams to use bajas to prepare for the Dakar Rally, but both teams were in Drawsko with the adjacent vintage regularity race in mind.
A Polish team on their home soil, Kamena plans to compete in the 2026 Classic with the DAF Bull, a legendary truck that raced the 1985 Paris–Dakar with Jan de Rooy. Driven by 2024 Baja Poland SSV winner Tomasz Białkowski with Dariusz Baśkiewicz and Adam Grodzki by his side, the truck was designated as the “Zero Car” and not scored in the final results. Besides the #0 plate on the side, the Bull also bore a tribute decal to Maciej “Slab” Krakowian, the team’s friend and lead pilot in F-16 Tiger Demo Team Poland who was killed in an accident on Thursday.
Although not part of the race itself, the Bull still drove at competition pace so the trio could get used to truck racing since Białkowski and Baśkiewicz are accustomed to a Polaris RZR. Team de Rooy, who leased the Bull to Kamena and will provide technical support at the Classic, sent their mechanic Darek Rodewald—who finished third in Truck at this year’s Dakar Rally—to Poland to help out.
“It’s completely different to drive compared to the other cars like Can-Am or Polaris,” Białkowski noted on Thursday. “It’s nine times heavier than Can-Am or Polaris. It’s a very big truck with very big tires and everything, even more than 800 horsepower so it’s a very powerful bull. […] It’s a beast because it has two engines: one in the front and one in the back. 800 horsepower, so it’s very powerful. What can I say?
“Baja Poland is a small step for preparing for Dakar 2026. Here, we will learn how to drive this car, what to expect, how it goes in on the corners with big bumps and big jumps.”
Unlike Kamena, Oasis Rally Team was entered in the race as part of the Pucharze Cross Country (Cross Country Cup) in the Open class. Sladjan Miljic and Marcel Adelmann raced their Lada Niva T3 prototype that they had been working on for months.
Polish-based Trasek Off-Road helped build the car while Völkel Dakar Team, who’s fielded G-Wagons in the Classic, provided logistical support.
The muddy conditions from the rain caused Miljkic and Adelmann to get stuck twice in teh Prologue, and they also dealt with smoke and differential problems. Despite their struggles, they managed to reach the finish, albeit 29th and last among PCC cars.
They replaced the gearbox differential and tried reducing the tire pressure for the first day of racing, but the latter ended up causing the tire to go flat. The Niva also got stuck again in the water and mud, forcing the two to dig it out. Officially, the Niva was classified as a retirement with a busted right front wheel.
Despite the DNF and conceding “the car is probably not made for these kinds of condition,” Adelmann liked how it fared.
“We came here basically to prepare for Dakar and to shake down the car because we both never drove the new setup, especially with the new suspensions and cage and everything that these guys actually did very great. There is a lot of positive to take away,” Adelmann stated. “The car actually was driving very, very nice. The first 35 kilometers, we had a blast, I had a blast because I was able to drive it the first time. It was fantastic driving.”
With Białkowski and his Polaris not defending his FIA SSV win, that class was instead won by Balázs Molnár. Molnár led a convoy of Can-Am Maverick Rs that swept the top four for SSVs.
The FIA overall was claimed by Krzysztof Hołowczyc for the tenth time; he previously won in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Hołowczyc dominated the race, setting the fastest time in all four Selective Sections and the Prologue to beat fellow Pole Włodzimierz Grajek by nearly 15 minutes.
The victory is the second in a row in the European Baja Cup for the petrol-based Mini JCW 3.0i after Denis Krotov won the Hungarian Baja. It’s also the fifth straight at Baja Poland for the Mini family after Hołowczyc from 2021 to 2023 and João Ferreira in 2024. Michał Małuszyński joined Hołowczyc on the overall podium in his own Mini.
“You always think Baja Poland is very short, but even though today we only drove very short stages, I was completely drenched in sweat,” Hołowczyc said at the finish. “Baja Poland is my home rally, and I have now been able to win it ten times. I’m absolutely thrilled about that. Here, I always give more than 100%.”
Miroslav Zapletal suffered a broken brake disc before the first SS, while Martin Kaczmarski bowed out after ranking second overall at the end of Saturday because of lingering pain from a rib injury he sustained at the Baja Aragón.
Oasis and Kamena weren’t the only teams with Dakar on their minds in Poland. 2023 Dakar Truck winner Janus van Kasteren and fellow Dutchmen Michiel Becx and Roger Grouwels used the race to prep for the Dakar Rally with their new Century CR7s Van Kasteren, who previously raced the CR7 at the Morocco Desert Challenge in April, did not finish.
FIA
Ultimate
| Finish | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Class | Total Time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 201 | Krzysztof Hołowczyc | Łukasz Kurzeja | X-raid Mini JCW Team | Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i | T1+ | 3:44:00.1 | Leader |
| 2 | 2 | 205 | Włodzimierz Grajek | Michał Goleniewski | Grajek Rally Team | Toyota Hilux | T1+ | 3:59:47.7 | + 14:47.6 |
| 3 | 3 | 203 | Michał Małuszyński | Julita Małuszyńska | Michał Małuszyński | Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i | T1+ | 4:00:48.9 | + 16:48.8 |
| 4 | 4 | 204 | Benediktas Vanagas | Aisvydas Paliukėnas | Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics | Toyota GR DKR Hilux | T1+ | 4:01:06.8 | + 17:06.7 |
| 5 | 7 | 206 | Tomasz Baranowski | Konrad Dudziński | Finarto Racing | Toyota Hilux | T1+ | 4:21:56.9 | + 37:56.8 |
| 6 | 15 | 207 | Magdalena Zajac | Błażej Czekan | Proxcars TME Rally Team | Toyota Hilux | T1.1 | 5:02:28.6 | + 1:18:28.5 |
| 7 | 16 | 210 | Michiel Becx | Wouter de Graaff | Century Racing | Century CR7 | T1+ | 5:32:43.0 | + 1:48:42.9 |
| 8 | 17 | 209 | Roger Grouwels | Rudolf Meijer | Century Racing | Century CR7 | T1+ | 5:36:50.6 | + 1:52:50.5 |
| DNF | DNF | 200 | Miroslav Zapletal | Marek Sýkora | Offroadsport | Ford F-150 EVO | T1+ | DNF | N/A |
| DNF | DNF | 202 | Martin Kaczmarski | Hugo Magalhães | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ | DNF | N/A |
| DNF | DNF | 208 | Janus van Kasteren | Marcel Snijders | Century Racing | Century CR7 | T1+ | DNF | N/A |
Challenger
| Finish | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Class | Total Time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 300 | Adam Kuś | Dmytro Tsyro | AKPOL Rally Team | Taurus T3 Max | T3.1 | 4:03:45.4 | Leader |
| 2 | 6 | 303 | Bartłomiej Kotwica | Arkadiusz Jędrzejewski | Grupa PBI | Taurus T3 Max | T3.1 | 4:09:24.1 | + 5:38.9 |
| 3 | 11 | 301 | Lőrinc Mészáros | Albert Horn | M1 Motorsport | G Rally OT3 | T3.1 | 4:26:44.7 | + 22:59.3 |
| 4 | 19 | 302 | Miguel Valero | Carlos Ruiz | Gedeser XXI | VM Competición T34 | T3.1 | 11:21:50.6 | + 7:18:05.2 |
SSV
| Finish | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Class | Total Time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 402 | Balázs Molnár | Gabriella Molnár | M1 Motorsport | Can-Am Maverick R | SSV1 | 4:22:51.2 | Leader |
| 2 | 9 | 405 | Arūnas Lekavičius | Andrius Liškus | Pilėnai Motorsport | Can-Am Maverick R | SSV1 | 4:25:16.5 | + 2:25.3 |
| 3 | 10 | 406 | Mindaugas Sidabras | Arūnas Gelažninkas | Izotono Sportas | Can-Am Maverick R | SSV1 | 4:25:52.1 | + 3:00.9 |
| 4 | 12 | 404 | Maciej Oleksowicz | Marcin Sienkiewicz | Maciej Oleksowicz | Can-Am Maverick R | SSV1 | 4:28:35.3 | + 5:44.1 |
| 5 | 13 | 403 | Juraj Varga | Radovan Schneider | Varga Motorsport Team | Polaris RZR Pro R | T4 | 4:36:58.1 | + 14:06.9 |
| 6 | 14 | 400 | Afonso Oliveira | Fabio Belo | Santag Racing | Polaris RZR Pro R | T4 | 4:47:35.8 | + 24:44.6 |
| DNF | DNF | 401 | Yağız Birinci | Evangelos Sotirchos | Birinci Racing Performance | Can-Am Maverick X3 XRS Turbo | T4 | DNF | N/A |
Stock
| Finish | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Total Time | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | 500 | Bartłomiej Wajzer | Ernest Gorecki | Bartłomiej Wajzer | Toyota Land Cruiser KDJ 155 | 5:56:49.1 | Leader |
National winners
Mistrzostwach Polski w Rajdach Baja (MPRB)
| Class | Number | Rider | Team | Vehicle | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADV2 | 21 | Krzysztof Oliński | Krzysztof Oliński | Husqvarna 701 Enduro | 3:54:20.9 |
| ADV3 | 20 | Krystian Marzec | 115Moto Rally Team | Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid | 6:25:22.0 |
| ATV | 17 | Jakub Nowak | Quadowa Grupa Południe | Polaris Scrambler XP 1000S | 3:33:08.2 |
| Moto | 2 | Kamil Piątek | Motocross Team Rapacz | GasGas EC 450F | 2:34:33.8 |
| Q2 | N/A | No Finishers | N/A | N/A | DNF |
| Q4 | 12 | Adam Krysiak | Polaris Polska Racing Team | Polaris Scrambler XP 1000S | 2:38:53.8 |
Rajdowe Mistrzostwa Polski Samochodów Terenowych (RMPST)
| Class | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1+ | 1 | 201 | Krzysztof Hołowczyc | Łukasz Kurzeja | X-raid Mini JCW Team | Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i | 3:44:00.1 |
| T1 FIA | 8 | 701 | Robert Kufel | Maciej Chełmicki | Robert Kufel | Ford Ranger | 4:13:12.8 |
| TH | 24 | 721 | Piotr Brakowiecki | Tomasz Chmielewski | NAC Rally Team | Dacia Duster | 5:58:29.4 |
| T3.1 | 4 | 300 | Adam Kuś | Dmytro Tsyro | AKPOL Rally Team | Taurus T3 Max | 4:03:45.4 |
| Challenger | 13 | 732 | Csucsu | Márk Mesterházi | Speedy Motorsport | Taurus T3 Max | 4:23:16.4 |
| T4 Nat+ | 7 | 749 | Grzegorz Gąsiorowski | Katarzyna Szałęga | Grzegorz Gąsiorowski | Polaris RZR Pro R | 4:09:38.6 |
| T4 Nat | 9 | 743 | Wojciech Szulecki | Paweł Kuta | Wojciech Szulecki | Can-Am Maverick X3 | 4:19:22.5 |
| SSV1 | 15 | 405 | Arūnas Lekavičius | Andrius Liškus | Pilėnai Motorsport | Can-Am Maverick R | 4:25:16.5 |
| T2 Nat | 20 | 710 | Grzegorz Szwagrzyk | Paweł Wojtczak | NAC Rally Team | Mitsubishi Pajero | 5:18:51.4 |
| T2.1 | 24 | 500 | Bartłomiej Wajzer | Ernest Gorecki | Bartłomiej Wajzer | Toyota Land Cruiser KDJ 155 | 5:56:49.1 |
Pucharze Cross Country (PCC)
| Class | Overall | Number | Driver | Navigator | Team | Vehicle | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSV Promo | 1 | 813 | Daniel Kocęba | Krzysztof Molendowicz | Grpa D&D Rally Team | Can-Am Maverick R | 3:25:39.7 |
| Limited | 10 | 10 | Jarosław Rostkowski | Marcin Witkiewicz | Jarosław Rostkowski | Mitsubishi Pajero | 5:24:09.8 |
| X-SSV Promo | DNF | N/A | No Finishers | N/A | N/A | N/A | DNF |
| Open | N/A | 852 | Jarosław Andrzejewski | Maciej Radomski | Jarosław Andrzejewski | Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 90 Series | 7:05;14.7 |
Featured image credit: Oasis Rally Team
131 Off-Road 
Leave a comment