30/04/2021
ORLEN becomes title sponsor of jubilee Rally Poland
(08.04.2021) Six cars set out on 23 July 1921 from Warsaw on a 576-kilometer route to Białowieża forest and back to the capital of the Republic of Poland. The winner was Tadeusz Heyne, one of the pioneers of the Polish automotive industry, who sat behind the wheel of a Dodge car. This is how the history of Rally Poland, which is celebrating its centenary this year, began. The title sponsor of the 77th edition of the second oldest rally in the world is PKN ORLEN.
The classic Polish event, second only to the famous Monte Carlo Rally in terms of age, will be held this year on June 18-20. The ORLEN 77th Rally Poland is the second round of the FIA European Championship (ERC) and the fourth encounter of the top national series - ProfiAuto Polish Rally Championship (RSMP).
It is not the first time that PKN ORLEN is supporting the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the organizer of the rally very much liked by fans and appreciated by the competitors. Back in 2006 and 2007 the Polish ERC counter was held as Platinum Rally Poland, which is a brand of ORLEN-made top quality lubricants. The next two editions (2008 and 2009) were named ORLEN Platinum Rally Poland, with the latter, as well as ORLEN 74th Rally Poland in 2017, enjoying the status of a World Rally Championship round based in Mkołajki, the event’s home since 2005.
Michal Sikora, President of Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation said: This year we celebrate a great jubilee of Rally Poland. We are very pleased with the commitment and support of PKN ORLEN, whose activity in the field of motorsport is extremely important for the organizers of the events. Our goal is to celebrate 100th anniversary of Rally Poland in a unique way, however it can happen that not all of our plans will be feasible due to COVID-19 pandemic. Special stages are different venue to stadiums or indoor arenas. This means that we face a very demanding challenge of keeping the event safe in terms of epidemic hazards. Safety of all involved parties is crucial for us. However, we hope the epidemiological situation will improve significantly by the middle of June and will allow us to hold the last special stage and the finish ceremony of the ORLEN 77th Rally Poland in Warsaw. The event will begin in picturesque city of Mikołajki, which host the best world and European rally crews since 2005. Most of the stages will be held on fast and flowing Masurian gravel roads. The itinerary will also include spectacular head-to-head battle on Mikołajki Arena track, which is one of the very few rallying venues in the world. Rally HQ will be situated in well-proven and convenient Gołebiewski Hotel. I have no doubts that the competition in the jubilee edition of ORLEN 77th Rally Poland will be met with lively interest confirming Poland's elite position among the top ten countries where rallies are the most popular.
Support for the jubilee Rally Poland is just one of the many expressions of PKN ORLEN's exceptional commitment to the development of motorsport. The concern has been associated with, for example, Robert Kubica for many years. In February 2021, the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN car was officially presented at the Grand Theater of the National Opera in Warsaw. It was an unprecedented event, because for the first time in history, the Formula 1 team presented their vehicle to the world here in Poland.
Robert Kubica is also a member of the ORLEN Team, a group associating leading representatives of Polish motorsport. In addition to the only Pole who has performed in F1, the ORLEN Team also includes two-time individual world champion - a speedway rider Bartosz Zmarzlik, Kuba Przygoński - well-known from the routes of the Dakar Rally, rally drivers Mikołaj Marczyk and Kacper Wróblewski, or one of the best paramotor pilots in the world - Wojciech Bógdał. It’s worth to remember that ORLEN Team has been operating and supporting the development of Polish motor sports since 1999. The concern also supports five young kart drivers as part of the ORLEN Team Academy. Thanks to this, talented players from Poland - Maciej Gładysz, Gustaw Wiśniewski, Karol Kręt, Karol Czepiel and Tymoteusz Kucharczyk - have a chance to repeat the successes of the aforementioned older colleagues in the future.
Further information and copyright free pictures: www.rallypoland.pl