LRC1 group have currently applied Valerii Gorban from Ukraine with the already mentioned WRC, as well as Martin Absalon with Ford Fiesta Proto, Ainars Igavens with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 and Karl Martin Volver, a 22-year-old Estonian who has engineered and built his Škoda Fabia Proto car as part of his studies with the help of university engineers, the Latvian rally team Sport Racing Technologies and former WRC driver Toni Gardemeister.

The most interesting situation is in the Rally2 (R5) class. One of the biggest surprises is the five-time Finnish champion Teemu Asunmaa with Škoda Fabia, who got familiar with the Rally Sarma 2019 as a consultant of one crew and later decided to return as a competitor. Asunmaa started his season with the famous Arctic Lapland Rally, where he was the leader till the mistake in the last special stage. Another star is the Russian champion of 2021 Igor Bulantsev with Škoda Fabia. The start of the season also was quite tricky for him. He lost his safe leader position in the last special stage on Rally Zolotye Kupola 2022, but in Rally Karelia he tried to catch the leader, another competitor of Rally Sarma 2022, Denis Rostilov and went off-road in the middle of the rally.

Another very fast pilot is the regular participant of the World Championship, Estonian Georg Linnamäe who won Otepää Talv 2022 in a tight fight last weekend. Unpredictable results can be expected from Estonian and Lithuanian young drivers who have entered this group, as well as from the Polish Łukasz Kotarba, who is fast in asphalt rallies, but made his winter debut only in the Rally Sarma 2019. Unfortunately no any Latvian crew will start in this group, which most likely will fight for the overall victory.

Although it’s not really true due Martins Sesks will start with a Škoda Fabia Rally2-Kit rally car, which is closer to Rally2 cars than Rally3. According to the manufacturer, this car is only 0.8 seconds slower than Rally2. The LRC3 group isn’t active yet. It is a place for last, once popular, N4 rally cars and new Rally3 class cars - actually less powerful Rally2 cars designated for youngsters who transit from Rally4 with front-wheel drive to powerful Rally2 with all-wheel drive. About fifty cars of this class have been produced only by M-Sport already and we will see three of them in the Rally Sarma 2022. Estonian Kaspar Kasari will start with one, Ainars Susts with the other and with third will debut in this class young polish driver Hubert Laskowski. Experienced Guntis Lielkajis and a regular participant of rallysprints and minirallies Ilja Zakmans, both with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, will also face these crews.

Currently, ten participants have applied for the LRC4 group where young talents with front-wheel drive Rally4 class cars compete as usual. At the moment, it looks like it will be an Estonian, Polish, Spanish and Turkish youth competition, without the competitors from Latvia. Famous Latvian rally drivers will be seen in the LRC5 group, in which such well-known athletes in Latvia as Janis Vorobjovs, Edijs Bergmanis, Edgars Balodis, as well as others, will compete with different generations of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally cars. The only Estonian in this class so far is Vallo Nuuter, who will start with a Subaru Impreza STi.

Andris Baumanis will return to the rally after a break of twelve years with classic Ford Escort MK2. He will be met by the famous Martynas Samsonas with his even more famous BMW M3, as well as several rear-wheel-drive geeks from Estonia and Russia. Undoubtedly, surnames are not important in this LRC6 group, as the spectators are most pleased with the wide driving style of this group. LRC7 group stars are also well known to the spectators of the Rally Sarma - Klim Baikov, Ivo Kilpis, Ralfs Sirmacis, Arvis Vecvagars, Uldis Lepiksons and others.

From the Audi 80 and 90 Quattro, Subaru Impreza B22 to the classic VAZ – is something that we will see in the historic car standings. The total number of participants in the rallysprint classes has reached only 17, but there is a surprise as well - the return of the brothers Matiss and Mikelis Mezaks to the rally - last time together they were seen in the year 2013.

Rally Sarma 2022 will run in an epidemiologically safe environment, in a green mode, with a limited number of spectators. Tickets can only be purchased in advance on the online ticket sales platform eKase.lv. Before buying tickets, it is important for spectators to read the rules, which can be found on both eKase.lv and autorally.lv, where you can also find more information about the rally Sarma 2022.

Ģirts Avotiņš, Rallija Sarma media officer. Photo: Andrius Laucius