Three-time Rally Silesia winner, now chasing the European crown
Szymon Gospodarczyk has been competing for 20 years – he has spent half his life in a rally car – and he is the only co-driver to win Rally Silesia three times. Two weeks after triumphing at this year’s Rally Silesia, he stands on the brink of the biggest success of his career – the FIA European Rally Championship title.
Gospodarczyk is among the most experienced and versatile rally co-drivers, in Poland and beyond. Over a 20-year career he has started more than 230 rallies – from regional events, through the Polish Rally Cup and the Polish Rally Championship (RSMP), to rounds on the FIA ERC and WRC calendars. The 40-year-old from Jordanów has also posted strong results in cross-country events, including a T3 podium on the Dakar – the sport’s toughest test.
BOUND TO RALLY SILESIA
Gospodarczyk’s story is tightly linked to Rally Silesia. In 2019, he and Mikołaj Marczyk celebrated victory – and their first Polish title – at the finish in Żory. They repeated both achievements two years later. Their third Rally Silesia win came this season, entered as a sharpener before Rally Croatia (3–5 October). Marczyk/Gospodarczyk start the ERC finale as points leaders – one of three crews still in the title fight. A neat twist: if they clinch the crown in Croatia, it would come on their 100th start together.
HE WATCHED WRC – AND DREAMED OF A SEICENTO
Gospodarczyk debuted in 2005, on a round of the Polish Rally Cup.
“It was huge for me. I remember waiting before a stage, helmet on, belts done, notes in hand – and then thinking: ‘Hold on, these aren’t my notes!’ I’d got into the wrong car. That’s how nervous and excited I was,” recalls today’s ERC leader.
“I owe becoming a co-driver largely to my brother, five years older. He once took me to Rally Kraków, run near our hometown of Jordanów. We went to the famous jump on Mucharz – now under Lake Mucharz. Watching the WRC cars, I thought: I want to do Rally Kraków one day, as soon as possible – even in a Fiat Seicento. That rally was the spark. Five years later I had my licence. My first start really was in the co-driver’s seat of a Fiat Seicento – not at Kraków but Rally Mazovia, with Łukasz Bednarski,” he says.
FIRST TIME IN SILESIA
As befits rallying, his career gathered pace quickly. In his very first season the 20-year-old was thrown in at the deep end – a debut in the Polish Championship (Rally Elmot Remy) and first time co-driving an AWD car (Lancia Delta Integrale). His first major success came in 2012, winning the Ford Fiesta Rally Trophy (run within the Polish championship) with Radosław Typa.
“That was huge. Watching Rally Kraków 12 years earlier, I never imagined I’d be a Polish champion – even at class level,” he says.
In the seasons that followed, the Jordanów co-driver mixed national starts with WRC and ERC outings. In 2017, already with Mikołaj Marczyk, he won Rally Silesia in Open N, taking the national title in that category.
Their next victory at Rally Silesia, this time in the overall classification, came in 2019
“I won’t forget that evening. At the finish of the final stage Miko told me we’d taken the title. Moments like that – every rung on the ladder – mean a lot,” says Szymon.
THE FIRST START WITH MIKO
In 2017 came one of the most important calls of his life.
“Jacek Wyrzykowski, Subaru Poland Rally Team coordinator, asked if I could co-drive Rally Dolnośląski with Mikołaj Marczyk. I didn’t need long to decide. An honour – and a challenge,” recalls the two-time Polish champion.
“The next step was meeting Witold Rogalski (team director and Subaru’s Polish importer), who ultimately gave the final approval for us to drive together. The “job interview” – Rally Dolnośląski – went brilliantly: P4 overall and the Open N win.
“Honestly, Director Rogalski kind of invented us. He paired us, and thanks to him we’ve had our success – and now we’re fighting for the European title. I’m very grateful for the trust he showed,” says the 40-year-old.
That the partnership clicked immediately was clear from the results.
“We synced fast. I was shocked how mature Miko was – 22 years old with not many starts. You could see the SPRT schooling. After that, things rolled like a Hollywood script,” Gospodarczyk laughs.
HALF A LIFETIME IN A RALLY CAR
This year Gospodarczyk marked 20 years in the sport.
“I was a bit stunned realising I’ve spent half my life in a rally car – two decades devoted to this,” says the co-driver, who this weekend (3–5 October) at Rally Croatia can secure the ERC title.
“I’m proof you should be careful what you wish for. If you can connect the dots and you’re persistent, you can reach goals that seemed out of reach. It always takes work. I put my eggs in one basket, committed – sometimes at the expense of other parts of life,” says Gospodarczyk, who has already started 20 rallies this year. “Each one is basically a week of your life – sometimes more, like Dakar, which runs for over half a month.”
“Rallying has given me more than trophies. I always wanted to see the world – rallies took me to places I might never have gone, and to different cultures. The Saudi desert or the Argentine backcountry – those images stay forever. And the skills: willpower, discipline, resourcefulness, composure, courage, and confidence – all have been forged by this sport.
Contrary to appearances, rallying demands serious physical and mental fitness. Driver and co-driver must remain fully focused and work flawlessly – even when cockpit temperatures hit 60°C. No surprise their heart rates at a stage finish rival a hard run.
“Rallying also taught me respect – for rivals and for myself, above all for my health. I have to be resilient and strong to do my job. If I need to change a wheel in 40-degree heat or dig the car out of sand, I’ll cope,” he says.
TITLE FIGHT: DOWN TO CROATIA
After seven of eight ERC rounds, Marczyk/Gospodarczyk lead the standings. This year they have four podiums – in Hungary, Poland, Italy and Great Britain – and 146 points in total.
Closest pursuers Andrea Mabellini/Virginia Lenzi are 15 points back; Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne also remain in contention, 33 points adrift.
The title will be decided at Rally Croatia, where – as at other FIA ERC rounds – a maximum of 35 points is available.
