18,000 km road to the Rally Silesia

This year, the Rally Silesia (11-13 October) is a round of the European Rally Championship (FIA ERC) for the first time in history. The final round of the season will be the title decider in the Old Continent championship. The favorite is the defending champion – Hayden Paddon. The driver from New Zealand will cover almost 18,000 km to fight for the championship on special stages in the Silesian Voivodeship.

Running since 1953, the European Championship (FIA ERC) is the oldest rally series in the world and the second most important series in this discipline, after the WRC (World Rally Championship). Over the years, many Polish rallies have been included in the calendar of the European championship, led by the Rally Poland, the second oldest event in the world – after the Monte Carlo Rally. Poles have also achieved success in the European Championship. Drivers from the Silesian province have three titles to their name – Sobiesław Zasada, born in Dąbrowa Górnicza, and Kajetan Kajetanowicz, born in Ustroń.

This year’s edition of the European Rally Championships has eight rounds. The seven rallies held so far – in Hungary, the Canary Islands, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, the Czech Republic and Great Britain – have not decided the title. The results of the Rally Silesia (October 11-13), which is the final round of the FIA ERC this year, will decide who will wear the championship crown.

Two crews have retained their chance for the final triumph. The first are the French Mathieu Franceschi and Andy Malfoy. The runners-up have collected 104 points so far. The defending champions – Hayden Paddon and John Kennard – are in a better position, leading the table with 131 points.

The New Zealand duo’s path to the championship is not only 14 stages of the Rally Silesia, but also 17,728 km, which separates the competition base at the Silesian Stadium from Cromwell – a town in the Otago region where Paddon lives.

At the end of August, Paddon and Kennard’s start in the final round of the European Championship was still in question. The New Zealanders were supposed to end the season after winning in Great Britain, although this success did not yet guarantee them the title. On the other hand, their absence from the Rally Silesia would increase the chances of their rivals from France.

• Thanks to the efforts of the entire team, we have finalized all the details and can start in Silesia. We have a job to do here – we want to defend our title, so securing participation in this rally was important to us – says Hayden Paddon, the first non-European driver to win the title of champion of the Old Continent (2023).

The New Zealander has already raced in Poland, and with success. The former Hyundai factory team driver stood on the podium of the Rally Poland twice – in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, when the event was a round of the FIA WRC.

• I have already had the opportunity to compete in Poland, but only on gravel, so the asphalt stages in Silesia are new to me. However, I am ready for this challenge. To defend the title, we have to finish the Rally Silesia in fifth place or better, beating many fast competitors. It will therefore be an exciting weekend – the 37-year-old predicts.

To celebrate in Chorzów, Paddon and Kennard need to score at least 16 points. Fifth place in the European Rally Championship round classification will be enough for them. They can also take sixth, seventh or eighth position, provided that they collect the total of 16 points thanks to points from the Power Stage, where the five fastest crews score 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 respectively.

The Silesia Rally attracted not only competitors from Down Under, but also their fans. – Enthusiastic fans from New Zealand are flying with us. It is a small but loyal group, who also cheered us on in other rounds held on the other side of the world. On Tuesday, October 8, they will be guests at our tests, during which we prepare the car for the characteristics of the Polish stages. In the following days, John and I will familiarize ourselves with the Rally Silesia route, and our fans will visit Katowice and the region – Paddon sums up.

Silesia Rally – information:

The first edition of the Rally Silesia took place in 2017, immediately as a round of the Polish Championship – the most important rally series in our country. In the following years, the event was gradually developed – competitors in historic rally cars joined the participants, the Rally Silesia emerged new Polish champions and a spectacular show was organized – a special stage in the center of Katowice. In 2023, the competition gained international rank, becoming part of the FIA European Rally Trophy. It also gained recognition from the World Automobile Federation (FIA) and the promoter of the European Championship, which resulted in the promotion of the Rally Silesia to the European Rally Championship (FIA ERC) – the second most important series in the world.

The honorary patronage over the competition was assumed by Wojciech Saługa, Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship.

The main partner of the Rally Silesiais the Silesian Voivodeship.

The strategic partner of the Rally Silesia is the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis.

The event’s partners are the city of Katowice and the MOYA brand. The co-organizer of the event is the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów.

The event’s partner is also the Ministry of Sport, and the task was co-financed from the state budget from the part administered by the Minister of Sport and Tourism.

All information about the Rally Silesia can be found on the website www.rallysilesia.com, Facebook @rajdslaska, Instagram @rajd_slaska and Twitter @RajdSlaska.