Biggest rally event in Lithuania „Samsonas Rally Rokiškis“ will stars in more than a week. Lithuania rally champion Vaidotas Žala will start here as well. However this time rivalry will be quite serious this time. Principal rival Nikolay Gryazin is coming. „Agrorodeo“ team has unsettled scores with this team from Russia since 2018. So V. Žala has no secret that he will seek the revanche.
July 31 / August 1 will be very hot on gravel roads of Rokiškis and Zarasai. Strong teams from Russia, Finland, Ukraine, Latvia, Germany etc. are coming to compete.
N. Gryazin won rally in Elektrėnai in 2018. Now he is competing in World Rally championship in WRC2 category. Team from Russia will drive “Hyundai NG i20 R5”.
Žala won 80 % of Lithuanian rally events. Sportsman finish rallies the second only twice. One of the events was rally in Elektrėnai in 2018 which was won by N. Gryzin.
“We know each other with Nikolay since 2018. We bought „Škoda Fabia R5” then and he helped us with suspension. He got interested in competing together on stages. So a month later he came to Elektrėnai rally. It was one of most interesting competitions in last two years. We had really tough fight on few Special Stages. We made a mistake there – made a spin when Nikolay got further. The passion to fight till the finish is still there. I have no doubt that Nikolay comes to Rokiškis in frightful mood. I am sure he will drive to the maximum“ – said V. Žala.
„On one hand for us it will be easier to drive as we are at home. On the other hand Nikolay has improved very much in last two years. He competes not even in European but in World rally championship. He drives competitive car and got very much improved“ – says V. Žala.
„Rally in Rokiškis is biggest rally event in Lithuania according number of spectators, participants and quality of entry list. Despite of Nikolay there is one more really fast driver – Valerij Gorban. He will bring WRC car. Also Teemu Asunma from Finland who will participate for fourth time already. This year Teemu brigs his own „Škoda Fabia R5”. These are very fast teams. I think that toughest fight will be with Nikolay but I have no doubt that other two pilots will be “breathing in our backs”” – predicts “Agrorodeo” pilot.
“Normally special stages in Rokiškis are very interesting, avarage fast or fast. But our experience shows that mistakes can be done as well. Last year on new Special stage we went off straight to bushes. We were lucky not to get any bigger injuries. Although we will drive at home we will have to be very concentrated. We had warm up in Kelmė. And now we will try to drive as fast as possible. Such competing forces us strech. In Žemaitija I could drive with some reserve, now I will have to be more close to the limits“- says V. Žala
„Samsonas Rally Rokiškis“ will be event of Lithuanian and Latvian rally championship as well as event of „Baltic Rally Trophy“. During two days participants will have to deal with 16 Special Stages and distance of 140 km.