Baja Poland: Holowczyc wins in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i
08/31/2026
- Gameiro finishes sixth in the Ultimate classification of the European Baja Cup
- Busy September ahead for X-raid
Krzysztof Holowczyc and Baja Poland – a combination that simply works. The Pole secured his eleventh victory at his home rally this weekend and his tenth win in an X-raid-developed vehicle. His teammates Maria Gameiro and Annett Quandt finished the Baja in the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d in 17th overall. This secured them the points for sixth place in the Ultimate classification of the FIA European Baja Cup.
Together with his navigator Lukasz Kurzeja, Holowczyc set the fastest time on four of the five special stages. Only on the opening stage did they lose a few minutes after having to stop to change a tyre. From then on, however, there was no stopping the Polish duo. Even the nimble side-by-sides could not match the pace of the MINI JCW Rally 3.0i. On Sunday afternoon, they were able to celebrate a well-deserved victory.
Gameiro and Quandt had to contend with the challenges of Baja Poland on the opening day. Along with several other competitors, they got lost on the first leg and received a four-minute penalty for missing two waypoints. Although they were able to make up several minutes on the following stages, they ultimately had to settle for 17th overall.
An eventful September lies ahead for the X-raid team. In two weeks, the Baja España Aragón will take place after being postponed in July due to a high risk of wildfires. One week later, the Baja Sharish in Portugal is on the schedule. From there, the team will continue on to Morocco, where the Rallye du Maroc starts on September 28.
Statements
Krzysztof Holowczyc (MINI JCW Rally 3.0i): „An eleventh victory at Baja Poland feels truly special. It was a very good rally for us, although it wasn’t completely trouble-free. On the very first stage on Saturday, we had to stop and change a wheel, which cost us around three minutes. Despite that, our pace was excellent and we knew we could make up the lost time. On the next run through the Drawsko military training area, we pushed hard, recovered the time we had lost and took the lead. From that point on, we were able to control the rally, although we still had to stay fully focused because Baja Poland leaves no room for mistakes. We won four of the five special stages and finished the rally with a lead of more than six minutes. The car performed brilliantly, Łukasz did an excellent job, and I simply felt really good behind the wheel. Eleven victories at Baja Poland is something I’m extremely proud of. This rally has always been very special to me, and I’m delighted that once again we can celebrate a victory in front of the Polish fans.“
Maria Gameiro (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): „Baja Poland was very challenging. Annett and I were competing together for the first time, so we first had to get to know each other in the car. The MINI worked really well. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the GPS, which caused problems from the very beginning. That was a real shame. Many of our competitors were from Poland and at least knew the terrain. We gave it our best, but we are happy with our MINI and with the work we did.“
Overall standings
1. K. Holowczyc / L. Kurzeja – MINI JCW Rally 3.0i – 3h 57m 24s
2. M. Maluszynski / J. Maluszynska – Toyota – 4h 04m 00s
3. A. Kus / M. Giemza – Taurus – 4h 04m52s
4. B. Vanagas / A. Paliukenas – Toyota – 4h 05m 16s
5. M. Wiatr / L. Laskawiec – Ford – 4h 06m 01s
…
17. M. Gameiro / A. Quandt – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 4h 46m 26s
