Baja Poland: Baja Poland Ambassador Krzysztof Holowczyc - "I love this rally".

In the seasons of 1995, 1996 and 1999 he won Polish Rally Champion titles. He was three times victorious in Rally Poland. In 1997 he added European Championship title to his credit. Nine times he started in Dakar Rally, while his best result in this marathon was 5th place.

He also won FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup in 2013 behind the wheel of Mini All4 Racing from X-raid Team. We mean Krzysztof Holowczyc, who is also ambassador of [ BAJA POLAND ] and one of the initiators who introduced the rally to life.

"Once we spoke with a few guys and we started to think about whether Poland could organise a round of the FIA Word Cup for Cross Country Rallies. At the beginning it sounded quite abstract, like the vision of Rally Poland in WRC again," Holowczyc remembers.

"Than it was Slawek Wasiak, a very good driver himself, who was also dreaming about small, Polish Dakar. Come and see what great stages we have here - he used to encourage me. I realized then that this idea has great potential, but the organization of the event requires a lot of work. So we made a list of things that needed to be done and got to work," Holowczyc talks about the Baja Poland beginnings.

"I always tried to lobby for our Polish event. I spoke about this event with my team, and competitors as well. I told them that we have a great place for a fantastic round of the Cross Country World Cup. Apart from the organizers of the Baja Poland have an unique ability, they are keen to use advice and competitors’ experience. It seems it is not usual situation," Holowczyc says.

"I love this rally, I won it three times but it wasn’t always gracious for me. In the first start, just after 2,5 km my engine caught fire. Last year a gearbox has failed and the final result was far from my dream," Olsztyn-born driver sums up.

The nearest Tuesday’s Baja Poland press conference cannot be missed by Holowczyc. He will arrive to Szczecin almost directly from the Baja Hungaria stages - the seventh round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country rallies. Hungarian event is for him the best form of training before the start in Poland. Baja Hungaria is going to be the first rally, in which Holowczyc will go with his new co-driver - Moises Torrallardona. The Spaniard will co-drive Holowczyc also in Baja Poland.

- It is not easy to find cross country co-driver. I need a partner, who has competed several times in Dakar Rally, a partner with considerable experience. I must admit that I would prefer to start with Polish co-driver, but unfortunately now in Poland there is no free candidate who suits my and X-raid Team needs. Torrallardona is a man with great experience. He is a great navigator, who has had many starts in the trucks. In Hungary, we will see how he will handle working in Mini – Holowczyc ends.

This year's edition of the Baja Poland, just like a year ago, will be held on the last weekend of August in Szczecin (28-31 August) with the majority of the stages to be held around Drawsko Pomorskie and Dobra. 

WRC Rallye Deutschland 2014 ; Titre en vue pour Volkswagen / The title within reach for Volkswagen

A domicile, le constructeur allemand pourrait décrocher son second titre mondial consécutif. Mais Citroën, onze fois vainqueur de l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland, pourrait retarder l’échéance.

Après trois doublés cette saison – Mexique, Argentine, Finlande -, Volkswagen Motorsport compte 175 points d’avance sur Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi au championnat Constructeurs. Or, si le constructeur allemand conclut l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland avec 172 points d’avance sur Citroën, il ne pourra plus être rejoint dans sa quête d’un second titre consécutif. Pour prolonger le suspense, Mads Ostberg et Kris Meeke doivent donc scorer quatre points de plus que Sébastien Ogier et Jari-Matti Latvala en Allemagne.

Sur les huit épreuves disputées cette saison, jamais Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT n’a marqué davantage de points que VW. Mais on se souvient que l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2013 avait tourné vinaigre pour l’équipe allemande. Sébastien Ogier était sorti une première fois dans l’ES3, Mittelmosel, puis Jari-Matti Latvala, alors leader, s’était fait piéger sous la pluie de l’ES12, Stein & Wein. Un rallye catastrophique pour VW, et Citroën avait cueilli son 11^e succès sur l’asphalte allemand grâce à Dani Sordo à l’issue d’un duel épique avec Thierry Neuville.

Cette année, les deux hommes sont équipiers chez Hyundai Motorsport et feront débuter l’i20 WRC/Michelin sur l’asphalte mondial. Cette « dream-team » sera complétée par le Français Bryan Bouffier, 2^e du Monte-Carlo et vainqueur du Rallye d’Antibes (1^ère victoire sur asphalte de la Hyundai i20 WRC). La coréenne sera-t-elle au niveau de ses pilotes sur cette surface ?

Question inverse chez Citroën. On sait que la DS3 WRC est une arme redoutable sur les routes du Deutschland, mais Kris Meeke n’a plus évolué sur « pur tarmac » depuis trois ans et Mads Ostberg est plus à l’aise sur terre ou neige. Mais si les conditions météo sont difficiles, les deux hommes sauront tirer bénéfice de l’immense expérience du team…

Des conditions difficiles pourraient aussi profiter aux pilotes M-Sport Mikko Hirvonen, 3^e l’an passé, et Elfyn Evans, 2^e du classement WRC-2 en 2013 à 12s9 de Robert Kubica. Malgré sa pointe de vitesse sur asphalte, le Polonais se fait peu d’illusions sur ce parcours truffé d’épingles serrées à cause de son handicap au bras droit.

Le parcours 2014 est des plus classiques avec trois profils différents : les routes étroites et escarpées du vignoble mosellan, les pistes bétonnées, abrasives et bordées « d’Hinkelsteins » du camp militaire de Baumholder, et les routes rapides et techniques du Saarland.

Après Cologne l’an passé, l’ADAC Rallye Deutschland 2014 s’élancera de Trèves avec une 2^espéciale inédite près de la frontière belge, Waxweiler, (16,40 km) et Moselland (21,02 km) parcourue dans le sens opposé. Samedi, la mythique spéciale de Panzerplatte (42,23 km) a subi quelques modifications mais devrait toujours jouer son rôle de juge de paix. Dimanche, Dhrontal (18,03 km) et Grafschaft (19,27 km) se parcourront en sens inverse. L’arrivée sera jugée devant la Porta Nigra de Trèves.

The German make has a chance to secure its second world title this week on home soil. With 11 ADAC Rallye Deutschland wins to its name, Citroën could well stay in the chase, however.

Thanks in part to its score of three one-two finishes so far this season (in Mexico, Argentina and Finland), Volkswagen Motorsport has pulled 175 points clear of Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi in the provisional Manufacturers’ standings. If the German make succeeds in completing Rallye Deutschland with a cushion of 172 points over its French rival, the fight will be over for 2014. To maintain the suspense, therefore, Mads Ostberg and Kris Meeke will need to pocket 4 more points than Sébastien Ogier and Jari-Matti Latvala in Trier.

That said, Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT has yet to claim more points than VW on the same event this season, but the German round was something of a disaster for the local team in 2013. Ogier crashed on SS3 (Mittelmosel) and Latvala was a victim of the rain while leading on SS12 (Stein & Wein). Citroën went on to collect its 11^th victory in Trier thanks to Dani Sordo after a thrilling fight with Thierry Neuville.

This time round, these two drivers will be team-mates at Hyundai Motorsport and the i20 WRC/Michelin will be making its asphalt debut at world level. They will be supported by Frenchman Bryan Bouffier who came second on the Rallye Monte-Carlo before winning the Rallye d’Antibes to notch up the Korean car’s maiden asphalt success…

In contrast, Citroën’s DS3 WRC is a known quantity on Rallye Deutschland’s stages, but Meeke hasn’t competed on ‘clear’ asphalt for three years and Ostberg is traditionally happier on gravel and snow. If the conditions prove difficult, however, they could well benefit from their team’s immense experience of this event.

Poor weather could also play into the hands of M-Sport’s Mikko Hirvonen (third in 2013à and Elfyn Evans (second in WRC-2 12 months ago, 12.9s behind Robert Kubica). Even so, despite his speed on sealed surfaces, the Pole is unlikely to be at ease through the countless hairpins because of his right arm.

The 2014 rally features a conventional format, with a day contesting the steep and narrow stages of the Mosel Valley vineyards, followed by the abrasive, ‘hinkelstein’-lined concrete roads over the Baumholder military ranges and, finally, the faster, more technical Saarland tests.

Last year’s Rallye Deutschland started in Cologne, but the event has reverted to a start in Trier this year, followed by a stage near the Belgian border (‘Waxweiler’, 16.40km) and ‘Moselland’ (21.02km) which will be run in the opposite direction. The legendary ‘Panzerplatte’ (Saturday, 42.23km) has undergone a certain number of changes but is likely to be as challenging as ever. Action will conclude with Sunday’s ‘Dhrontal’ (18.03km) and ‘Grafschaft’ (19.27km), again in the opposite direction to usual.

THE HISTORY OF THE JEEP WAGONEER, THE FIRST SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE

By ANDREW CONNOR from GEAR PATROL

Look around a parking lot essentially anywhere in American suburbia and you’ll likely see an array of Sport Utility Vehicles. When you consider the two concepts on their own, the idea of combining utilitarianism and luxury seems incredibly counter intuitive. But there they stand parked, big grilles smiling right at you: proving you can’t build a successful SUV anymore without incorporating comforts like leather and DVD players alongside trail-dominating suspension and chunky all-terrain tires. If any car proved this formula was a successful one, it was the car that did it first: the Jeep Wagoneer.

MORE GREAT WAGONS: 5 Best Station Wagons | The Sad Demise of the Station Wagon | Our Favorite Wagons from Film and TV

Rugged off-road vehicles weren’t uncommon back in the ’60s — you had 4x4s like the International Harvester Travelall, Chevrolet Suburban and the Dodge Power Wagon — but most considered those road-going tractors rather than passenger cars. Instead you would mostly see the suburbanites and city slickers drive around in coupes, sedans and wagons. Driving your family around in a dedicated utility vehicle was not only impractical, it was just plain ridiculous.

1962 Specs

Engine: 3.8L Toronado Inline-Six
Transmission: 3-Speed Borg-Warner Manual or Automatic
Horsepower: 140 hp
Torque: 210 lb-ft
Weight: 4,514 pounds

But while four-wheel-drive vehicles seemed destined to be nothing more than workhorses and niche vehicles, there was potential to be found in using four-wheel-drive to turn an everyday passenger car into a jack of all trades. Willys-Overland (soon to be Kaiser Jeep) hired famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens to draft up a new four-wheel-drive wagon that would need to blow away the competition in the utility wagon segment. Stevens didn’t disappoint with what was dubbed the Wagoneer, which was first sold in 1962.

While many American marques made competent utility wagons, the Wagoneer had the comforts and appeal of a traditional passenger car. A spacious interior, stylish upholstery, roll-down windows and other luxuries all accompanied the Wagoneer in either a two- or four-door body. It was fitted with an inline six engine (and eventually a V8) and either rear-wheel drive or a selectable four-wheel drive system. While trucks and utility wagons at the time had rugged, no-nonsense exterior design, the Wagoneer was elegant; it looked like a respectable family wagon rather than agricultural equipment.

The Wagoneer’s production history isn’t exactly fully of bold changes and dramatic redesigns, but if anything, that’s a testament to how great the original was. The last Wagoneer that rolled out of Chrysler’s Toledo assembly plant in 1991 looked incredibly similar to the first one ever built in 1962. Yes, some small changes were made to the interior and mechanicals to increase refinement, but overall the Wagoneer proved itself a successful design from the start by remaining popular for nearly three decades with no major redesigns.

There were, however, several alternate versions. The most groundbreaking one came in 1966 in the form of the Super Wagoneer. This new trim level incorporated air conditioning, an automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, a push button radio and other luxury features. Today it sounds about as opulent as a bottom-spec Toyota Yaris, but at the time those features were unheard of in a utility vehicle. Perhaps the most impressive aspect was the Super Wagoneer’s engine — a 270-horsepower AMC V8 with a four-barrel carburetor. Try ordering your Yaris with one of those.

WHETHER YOU LIKE TODAY’S LUXURIOUS 4X4S OR NOT, THE WAGONEER PIONEERED THE MARKET SEGMENT AND NAILED IT FROM THE BEGINNING.

The Super Wagoneer was only on sale until 1968, but it was eventually followed by another impressive version: the Limited. After reintroducing the two-door Wagoneer as the Cherokee in 1974, Jeep (now owned by AMC) eventually moved the four-door Wagoneer further upmarket in 1978 and bestowed it with its new fancy-sounding name. Even better equipped than the Super Wagoneer, the Limited offered options such as leather upholstery, power disk brakes, aluminum wheels and cruise control.

In 1984, the Wagoneer-based Cherokee was usurped by the smaller unibody XJ platform, but the top-of-the-line Wagoneer justified its existence with high demand. In 1984, the entire Wagoneer line was consolidated into one fully loaded variant, the Grand Wagoneer. Despite Chrysler’s 1987 acquisition of AMC, the Grand Wagoneer remained unchanged in its design, with only minor interior and exterior improvements. But by 1991, demand had decreased enough that the Wagoneer was finally put to bed.

Whether you like today’s luxurious 4x4s or not, the Wagoneer pioneered the market segment and nailed it from the beginning. Stretching that notion, you could even call it the first garish family hauler ever. After all, it was big, it was powerful, it had bad mileage, and, for its time, it had more comforts than a Hampton beach house. The Wagoneer was a brash car and, today more than ever, those are the kinds of cars people love.

SPECIAL: Schwarz and AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck at Deutschland Rally

The SCORE Championship may be on its summer break in the USA and Mexico, but Armin Schwarz and All German Motorsports are continuing full steam ahead with a guest appearance at home in Germany. The AGM-Jimco X6 SCORE Trophy Truck will be flown from the USA to Germany in time to turn heads at the upcoming ADAC Deutschland Rally (21 to 24 August) around Trier.

With their “desert lizard”, Schwarz and AGM will add a real Baja feeling to the German round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). On Saturday, 23 August, the Trophy Truck will tackle the legendary Panzerplatte stage. This special stage on a former military training area of the US Army has always been one of the highlights of the German rally. Schwarz knows the Panzerplatte well from his time in the European and World Rally Championships, but to tackle the event with the mighty Trophy Truck will be a totally new experience for him.

Schwarz and AGM will first conduct demo runs on the Panzerplatte stage with the Trophy Truck, with the impressive racing monster on display all day Saturday for fans to admire up close. “It’s a great opportunity for us to be on show for the many rally fans who come to the Rally Deutschland every year, particularly to see the Panzerplatte stage,” says Schwarz. “Fans, come and see us – we’re looking forward to meeting you.”

Schwarz is not “only” there to be seen with his Trophy Truck, he will also take part in the “rolling autograph session” with the original rally car with which he won the 1987 German Rally Championship – the Audi Coupé Quattro. Even as far back as 1987, Schwarz enjoyed great success with his partners Schaeffler – LuK, INA and FAG.
Another highlight on the programme: a kind of “yellow-green Pas de deux”. At the wheel of his SCORE Trophy Truck, Schwarz will encounter the reigning DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller in his Audi RS 5 DTM. The two vehicles could not be more different – and yet they have something very obvious in common: the distinctive Schaeffler Racing Design. Plans include a power duel between the Trophy Truck and Audi RS 5 DTM.

Schwarz and AGM also use their visit to the ADAC Deutschland Rally to further promote Baja racing and their Baja project in Europe. “For this reason I’d like to specifically invite media representatives who are at the Deutschland rally. I’d be very pleased if they could drop by the Panzerplatte and I get the chance to share a little of the Baja fascination,” said Schwarz.

The Trophy Truck will be on display on Saturday, 21 August, at the special stages 9 &13 Arena Panzerplatte in the fan area.