Rally Silesia 2023: One hundred crews and a decisive gameplay for the Polish championship

 International rank, more racing (150 km), decisive round of the national championship, 99 crews, three days of competition, five championship series, 12 special stages – trials in the south of the Silesian Voivodeship and spectacular evening stages in Katowice and Chorzów – this is the key information about this year’s edition of the Rally Silesia. The largest motoring event in the region will be held under the honorary auspices of Jakub Chełstowski, Marshal of the Silesian Voivodship, on 8-10 September (Friday – Sunday).

This year, the line-up of participants in the Silesia Rally is even more diverse, as the event, of which the Silesian Voivodeship is the main partner, has been promoted to the FIA European Rally Trophy calendar. The FIA ERT is an international competition under the aegis of the FIA (World Automobile Federation).  Recognised and very popular European rallies are included, among others: Rally Antibes (France, Côte d’Azur), Rali Vinho de Madeira (Portugal, Madeira), Rally du Valais (Switzerland) or Rally Český Krumlov (Czech Republic). Joining the international event means that the total distance of the special stages of the Silesia Rally has increased from 105 to over 150 kilometres.

The Silesian stages will also host competitors competing in the Polish Rally Championship, and the results of the Silesian Rally may determine who will win the title of national rally champion this season. The event is also part of the calendars of the historic Poland Championship (Motul HRSMP), the Southern Rally Championship (RMP) and the Central European Zone Championship (FIA CEZ).

Thus, fans will be able to watch in action the most advanced contemporary rally cars costing more than a million Polish zlotys, as well as cars evoking sentiment from several decades ago – such as the Audi Quattro, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Porsche 911 or Volvo Amazon.

Grzyb within an ace of a third title – who will start in the Rally Silesia 2023?

The sixth and next to last round of the Polish Championship (RSMP) will feature 50 crews, including the entire national top. Last year’s Silesia Rally triumphers and RSMP scoreleaders – Grzegorz Grzyb and Adam Binięda (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) – will drive with the first starting number. Grzyb – a two-time Polish rally champion (2016 and 2018) – can seal his third title already in Chorzów, one round before the end of the season. To do so, he must win in Silesia with at least 23 scores out of a possible 35. Such a result will give him the championship, regardless of the results of his rivals.

The runners-up in the national championship – Łukasz Byśkiniewicz and Daniel Siatkowski (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) – will start with the number two, while the third number is Kacper Wróblewski (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), who comes from Żywiec, piloted by Jakub Wróbel.

In the fastest and most advanced rally cars of the Rally2/R5 category, we will also see other competitors from the Silesian Voivodship. The crew number 6 will be the brothers from Ustroń – Jarek and Marcin Szejowie (Hyundai i20 R5), and the number 8 will be driven by Dariusz Poloński from Gliwice and Łukasz Sitek from Ustroń (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5). A total of 12 double teams will be seen in the cars of the highest Rally2/R5 category.

Scores won on the route of the Silesian Rally may also give the championship title to the leaders of the 2WD classification (cars with single-axle drive), i.e. the team of Gracjan Predko and Michał Jurgała (Peugeot 208 Rally4). This double team will leave Chorzów as the Polish champions if they score nine scores more than second-placed Hubert Kowalczyk and Jarosław Hryniuk (Peugeot 208 Rally4).

Seven crews with identical cars (Ford Fiesta Rally3) will compete in the category 3. The lead in this category is defended by Piotr Parys and Damian Syty.

Foreign guests and leaders of the FIA European Rally Trophy

The international rank means that the Rally Silesia will also be contested by foreign competitors. The Czechs Rene Dohnal and Roman Svec (Peugeot 208 Rally4) will try to increase their lead in the FIA ERT scores. The 32-year-old Dohnal has won multiple category titles in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A twin rally car will be started by a couple from Spain – Edgar Vigo López and Fatima Ameneiro Teijeiro. The third of the foreign crews will be the Romanian duo Catherine Radulescu/Bogdan Minea (Renault Clio Rally5).

14 rally cars from the previous years

Fourteen crews will bring historic rally cars to Chorzów to compete in the fourth, next to last round of the Motul HRSMP season. The historic championship field is made up of crews in a variety of rally cars – from designs from the 1960s  of the 20th century to powerful cars from the 1990s. For the purpose of maintaining historical consistency, the cars are divided into the age categories. In the Rally Silesia, fans will be able to see such constructions as the Subaru Legacy 4WD, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Volvo Amazon or Porsche 911 SC RS.

In the historic championship, the clash between the two leading Motul HRSMP crews, i.e. Robert Lute and Marcin Celiński (Subaru Legacy 4WD) and Marek Suder and Marcin Kowalik (Ford Sierra RS Cosworth), promises to be the most interesting. Suder is a two-time Polish historic rally champion.

 Luty holds a history of three titles and has been fastest four times in a row in historic rallies in Silesia.

Participants in the Motul HRSMP will race on Friday and Saturday (8th and 9th September) and will run nine special stages with a total length of 100.94 km.

Regional race series, fierce rivalry

The Rally Silesia will also include a round of the Southern Rally Championship. The events included in this competition are district rallies, shorter than rounds of the Polish Championship. Participants in the RMP will race over a distance of nearly 55 km, divided into five sporting trials. One is scheduled for Saturday evening and four will be held on Sunday, 10th September. Thirty-five dual teams will compete in the RMP, including score leaders Marcin Gluza and Robert Sęk (Honda Civic).

Entry lists for the Rally of Silesia can be found in the COMPETITORS tab.

Rally Silesia 2023 – information:

Honorary auspices of the competition are held by Jakub Chełstowski, Marshal of the Silesian Voivodship.

The main partner of the Silesia Rally is the Silesian Voivodeship.

The strategic partner of the Rally Silesia is the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis, and Kazimierz Karolczak, Chairperson of the Management Board of the Upper Silesian and Zagłębie Metropolis, has assumed honorary auspices of the competition.

The partner of the event is the city of Katowice, and the honorary auspices of the competition were taken by Marcin Krupa, Mayor of the City of Katowice.

The partner of the event is the city of Bielsko-Biała.

 The Rally Silesia is organised in a cooperation with the poviats of Cieszyn, Pszczyna, Bielsko and Bieruńsko-Lędziński, the city of Jastrzębie-Zdrój, as well as the communes of: Skoczów, Jasienica, Hażlach, Pawłowice, Strumień and Dębowiec.

The Rally Silesia is sponsored by Silesia Oil sp. z o.o. – manufacturer of AVIA brand oils, Febi Bilstein and FOB-Decor.

Motul is the title sponsor of the HRSMP. Motowizja is the media partner of the competition. RMF Maxx is the exclusive radio patron of the event.

All information about the Rally Silesia can be found at www.rajdslaska.pl, Facebook @rajdslaska, Instagram @rajd_slaska and Twitter @RajdSlaska.