Youngtimers are classic cars which have been manufactured from the early nineteen sixties throughout the eighties. These cars represent a new era in the automotive industry – a time when vehicles became democratic and available to anyone, yet still retained their exclusivity and style.

Youngtimer Rally Talsi competitors will have two synchronous regularity runs, which will need to be done with a certain average speed, with penalties for arriving early or late. When going through the stage the first time, the competitor’s time will be compared to the average speed listed in the rally documentation. When going through a particular stage the second time, however, the competitor’s will be compared to the time they set on the first run. The more precise a crew is, the less penalty seconds will be added, giving them a better result.

“I am thrilled about the great collaboration we have formed with the Youngtimer Rally movement. This will be the third year the Youngtimer cars join us for Rally Talsi, with this being their first event of 2016. It is also good to see GAZ 24 and VAZ 2101 vehicles in the entry list, giving the spectators in attendance a chance to reminisce about the long history of Rally Talsi!” RA EVENTS director Raimonds Strokšs.

“Time flies by so fast, and we’re already preparing for our fifth season,” says one of the Youngtimer Rally organisers, Valts Ceplevičs. “We had only two events in our first year, but last season that number had grown to eight events in a six month span. It is great to see people buying classic cars so that they can take part in our events. This year, for the fiftieth anniversary of Rally Talsi, there will be even more of us – 27 crews from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have already registered for the event.”

“In comparison to past years, we will also see some previously unseen and rare cars on the stages. Lithuanian rally champion Karolis Raišys will tackle the Talsi stages with a car you don’t typically see on gravel stages – BMW 635. A crew from Estonia, Andres Toniste / Marge Arro will take part in a Triumph TR7, while the experienced Latvian touring car driver Kārlis Ņikiforovs will be at the wheel of the rare Mercedes 190e 2.3-16 Cosworth. Olafs Ceplevičs has also prepared something special, and will drive a rally version of a 1971 SAAB 96!” says Valts Ceplevičs.

Provisional entry list:

Photo: PONY&SMITH