On 13 June the next cross-country rally race will start, the Baja Satu Mare, which will be held as a championship race for not one, but two countries. The third round of the M1 Flotta Hungarian Off-Road Rally Championship and the Romanian Championship will test the drivers with a similar schedule to last year, but with new routes - even if it is a car-friendly track. The race, based in Nagykároly, will see the field cover 303 kilometres over 2 days on sandy terrain similar to the Desert Express 300 and Nyír1 Baja.
This is the 4th year that the Baja Satu Mare returns as the Hungarian championship race, and the 5th time in total - the first cross-country rally in 2019 was held independently. The first time the field visited Nagykároly was during the pandemic, and the venue was so popular that it was made a championship race the following year.
"The special thing about this race is that it is a round of the championship of two countries, and it is included in the Hungarian and Romanian rankings. It is no exaggeration to say that in Romania, the Baja Satu Mare Hungarian Baja is a race of Baja's calibre." - said Attila Csató, the Hungarian chief organiser of the competition.
The timetable is identical to the 2023 timetable, but there will be new stages: part of the course has been shortened, but a new route has been added. On Friday, the rally will open with a city show, where the drivers will race around the asphalt track to the delight of spectators - whether this will be broadcast live, as last year, will be revealed in the days before the start. After that, the riders will plough the course twice for 36 kilometres, then three times for 70 kilometres on Saturday, with the final stage being the 26-kilometre Power Stage, with a special prize for the winner - donated by one of the municipalities involved.
"For an off-road rally, closing down an entire town on a Friday during the city rush hour, ditching the road, baling the hay, arranging police security, is a very serious organisational process. There is always a huge crowd at the show, because they can watch the whole field in one place, although the fans also come to the track and the field." - said the organiser.
Saturday's race will be a loop system, with a single lap of 70 kilometres without stages, and because the sand is as deep as Bugacon in some places, the course has been shortened by 10 kilometres per rapid compared to the original plan. Thanks to the format, there will be an opportunity to refuel immediately after crossing the finish line, then service, pit, and finally roll back to the start.
"The race is on beautiful roads, untraversed by cars, with the difficulty of getting in and out of the forest due to the differences in light and the possible glare of the sun. Last year there was a helicopter hovering over the clearing out of the forest, waiting for the riders, which gave them plenty of surprises. We take great care to ensure that the course is as safe as possible." - said Attila Csató.
The race office will be located in the fabulous setting of the Károlyi Castle, while the permanent service park will be set up in the surrounding cobbled streets in the centre of the city, surrounded by restaurants and hotels. On Fridays and Saturdays, the service park will be set up in a clearing surrounded by woodland, which is tidied up every year for the off-road rallyists and will this year have a refuelling zone - to accommodate the side-by-side riders with a standard tank who have to refuel lap after lap. Despite the fact that the race is being held abroad, everything from the GPS to the timekeeping will be provided from Hungary, to the standard to which we are already accustomed.
As a result of the inclusion of foreign competitors in the Hungarian cross-country rally championship, the quality of Romanian vehicles has improved dramatically over the last 4 years, as has the number of entrants. This year, the Romanian organising committee has been restructured, with many state and former state officials and disaster management generals joining the organising committee.
One of the interesting things about the competition, which ran from 13 to 15 June, was that despite the fine weather, there was a shower every year. Two years ago, huge rain washed away the service and soaked everyone to a pulp, and hopefully this year will be a sunny, minimal rainfall similar to last year. Another oddity is that part of the route runs through the area where János Kádár and Ceaușescu met and hunted without a border crossing ceremony, this part of the forest is still paved to this day.
As a result of the inclusion of foreign competitors in the Hungarian cross-country rally championship, the quality of Romanian vehicles has improved dramatically over the last 4 years, as has the number of entrants. This year, the Romanian organising committee has been restructured, with many state and former state officials and disaster management generals joining the organising committee.
One of the interesting things about the competition, which ran from 13 to 15 June, was that despite the fine weather, there was a shower every year.Two years ago, huge rain washed away the service and soaked everyone to a pulp, and hopefully this year will be a sunny, minimal rainfall similar to last year. Another oddity is that part of the route runs through the area where János Kádár and Ceaușescu met and hunted without a border crossing ceremony, this part of the forest is still paved to this day.
The locals always prepare for Baja Satu Mare and the arrival of the participants with great enthusiasm, and the 2023 event was very special and memorable not only from the point of view of the competitors but also from the organisers' point of view."The race is only 5 kilometres from the border, we have an extremely good friendship with this region and they are very accepting of suggestions on how to run the race in a sporting way and they put in the local characteristics, which is a miracle.One year, they were so prepared for us that they had three deer shot by the local hunters, which they used to make a venison stew and served the whole field, and for dessert they baked jam doughnuts.It is very nice that they love us so much and are so prepared for our arrival.At the end of the race, the Romanian organisers host a standing reception with a buffet dinner, which is usually very enjoyable. The live coverage and the hovering helicopter that crowned the 2023 weekend were also an unforgettable moment of the race."- Attila Csató recalled the previous races.
Original Hungarian version available here: https://www.terep-rallye.hu/hatart-lepunk-a-soron-kovetkezo-tereprallye-futamhoz-jon-a-baja-satu-mare/
Author: by Réka Erős
Photo by Péter Pataky
Source: Terep-rallye.hu
Automatic translation from the Hungarian version
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