Krzysztof Hołowczyc‘s BMW X3 has served as his trusty steed for over a decade, however he thinks it may be time to place it out to pasture. Concurrently, he isn’t ruling out taking a while away from his profitable cross-country rally profession to return to his roots in conventional rally, significantly within the WRC Masters.
His hopes of defending his Baja Poland victory have been dashed by an engine failure in the course of the first stage on Saturday. Talking with media following his retirement, he defined that he overdrove his automobile past its limits. The 2009 BMW X3 is already so outdated that he remarked “in a couple of years can be a automobile that you would be able to put yellow numbers on and begin within the Dakar Basic.”
Whereas the T1.1 is actually nonetheless fast, having lifted him to the 2023 FIA European Baja Cup championship, he famous it’s roughly 1.8 kilometres per second slower than top-of-the-line automobiles like these within the T1+ subcategory. He had gained the 2023 Baja Poland in a Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus, a T1+ automobile.
“I’m driving one hundred pc as a result of I really feel that I can compete even with a weaker automobile,” Hołowczyc defined. “Sadly, I drove it greater than one hundred pc and there have been unlucky results.”
Whereas his feedback recommend he’s open to switching to extra highly effective equipment, Hołowczyc is definitely taking a look at doubtlessly stepping away from cross-country rally solely, not less than for a quick sabbatical. Throughout this stretch, the 62-year-old would like to pursue rallying in WRC Masters, which is reserved for drivers over fifty years of age.
“I’m nonetheless quick and that makes me very blissful, as a result of at any time when I am going anyplace, I’m racing for one thing large,” he continued. “I gained’t speak about profitable as a result of if I am going, for instance, to WRC rallies, I gained’t say that I’m racing on my own. They got here up with such a stupendous class in WRC Masters. It’s my secret dream to return to my roots, perhaps for a yr or two to interrupt away from cross nation and take a look at once more in WRC, outdated masters, legendary drivers.”
WRC Masters is open to all rally vehicles moreover Rally1. To date in 2024, race winners embrace 2022 champion Mauro Miele, Carl Tundo, Armin Kremer, Jean-Michel Raoux, and fellow Pole Michał Sołowow.
Hołowczyc revealed he had spoken with 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg about racing in WRC Masters, noting Solberg “mentioned that perhaps he’ll strive.” Solberg, who retired from full-time racing after 2018, has continued to run varied rallies in recent times and gained the Race of Champions’ Nations Cup in 2022; the 49-year-old, who turns 50 in November, can be taken with cross-country and desires to run the Dakar Rally sometime. Two-time WRC titlist Marcus Grönholm, who’s 56, was introduced up as a possible Masters competitor as effectively.
“It might be fantastic to race once more with this group of wonderful drivers,” Hołowczyc mentioned. “I believe that it’s incredible that the FIA created such a category in WRC Masters. It might be lovely if I confirmed up there.
“However after all, I really like cross-country and Baja Poland. I can’t think about not being right here. Such is the destiny of a driver who has goals and may’t at all times fulfill them.”
