Fifty-three teams from six countries have registered for the Otepää Winter Rally, marking the second round of the Terminal Rally Estonian Championship. Scheduled for February 22nd, this winter rally will take place on the frosty roads of Otepää, Kanepi, and Kambja municipalities.
The Otepää Winter Rally serves as the second round for classes EMV1 through EMV8, as well as the Estonian Junior Challenge. It also kicks off the season for classes EMV GAZ, EMV Lada, and the participants of the Sprint Rally Estonian Cup.
Race Director Marko Koosa shared, “The road conditions for the Otepää Winter Rally are typical of winter—frozen with fresh snowfall. All stages are set for today. This year’s courses will feature typical Otepää jumps, a broad, faster section, and the traditional RMK sections complete with ditches. Spectators will enjoy the splendid winter conditions, and our RallyPin app will guide them to the best viewing spots.” Further details for attendees can be accessed via the rally’s official website and Facebook page.
The rally will commence with Priit Koik and Alari-Uku Heldna in a Škoda SRT Proto 02, representing the EMV1 class. Notably, Mikołaj Kempa, a fan favourite, will also compete in the EMV1 class, with Marcin Szeja as his co-driver in their Hyundai i20 VRT1.
In other classes, Sergey Uger and Maria Uger will compete alone in the EMV2 class, driving a Ford Fiesta. Esmar-Arnold Unt and Denisa-Alexia Parteni in a Ford Fiesta Rally3, and Kerli Vilu and Arvo Liimann in a Ford Fiesta R2, will represent the EMV3 and EMV8 classes, respectively.
The front-wheel drive EMV4 class will see Hugo Arendi and Kaimar Taal in a Ford Fiesta Rally4 starting first. The EMV5 class boasts 10 pairs, including stage one winners Emīls Blūms and Didzis Eglītis in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. The EMV6 class features eight pairs, led by championship front-runners Martynas Samsonas and Ervinas Snitkas in a BMW M3 E36.
Seven pairs will compete in the EMV7 class, with Joonas Palmisto and Jan Nõlvak in a Volkswagen Golf 2 taking the lead. The rally also marks the first stage for the Lada and truck classes (EMV Lada and EMV GAZ). Among them, Veiko Haabu and Veiko Vares will pilot a Lada VFTS, and Veiko Liukanen and Toivo Liukanen will drive a GAZ-51.
For the Estonian Sprint Rally Cup and Estonian Youth Rally Championship, six pairs have registered, with Romet Reimal and Inga Reimal in a Citroen C2 set to open the track.
The rally will launch from Tehvant at 10:00 AM, with six special stages covering 84.56 kilometers. The event will conclude with the first race car crossing the finish podium at 19:10. Tickets, which are not sold at the competition center or special stages, can be purchased online, and are priced at 20.90 euros, with free admission for children under 12.
All race schedules, stage information, and maps are available on the RallyPin app and the event’s website. Live results can be monitored on autosport.ee, and the rally will be broadcast by RING FM and Delfi TV for stages 1, 3, 5, and 6.