After two decades on the gravel roads of the Masurian Lakes, Rally Poland is changing its face. This year the oldest Polish classic moves to asphalt in the Silesian region, and Kajetan Kajetanowicz is on the entry list. For a three-time winner of this event, it marks his twelfth start and a return to the roads where he first learned the craft. Here is what you need to know about the 2026 edition and why it shapes up as something special.
82nd Rally Poland 2026 - Dates, Location and Surface
The 82nd Rally Poland runs July 24-26, headquartered in Katowice, the heart of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Area. The program calls for fifteen special stages totaling just under 190 kilometers. That alone marks a fundamental shift from recent years - the competition moves off the gravel roads around Mikolk and onto the demanding asphalt of Silesia.
The event keeps its international status. Katowice will draw not only crews fighting for the Polish national title but also teams competing in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC). Asphalt demands a different driving technique, different suspension setup, and a different risk profile than the loose surface fans had grown used to over the past two decades.
Rally Poland - The Second-Oldest Rally in the World
The first edition of Rally Poland was held in 1921, making it the second-oldest event of its kind anywhere - only Rallye Monte-Carlo is older. That century-plus history is the foundation of a prestige that makes a start here mean more to Polish drivers than an average calendar round.
The 2026 edition opens a new chapter. Switching from gravel to asphalt, and from Masuria to Silesia, is not just a change of scenery - it changes the challenge for every crew. Gravel forgives a degree of imprecision; asphalt punishes a late braking point every single time. For fans it means new stages, new vantage points, and a chance to watch their favorite crews in a completely different element.
Kajetanowicz and His Three Rally Poland Victories
Kajetanowicz has an exceptional record at the Polish classic - three outright wins. The driver from Ustron made his debut here in 2005 in a Peugeot 206 XS in the cup class. Five years later, co-driven by Jaroslaw Baran and competing in a Subaru Impreza TMR 10, he took his first overall victory while also claiming a round win in the European Rally Championship.
He repeated that success at the following edition and completed the hat trick in 2013. The field that year was serious - among those he beat were Bryan Bouffier, Craig Breen, Jan Kopecky, Robert Kubica, and Krzysztof Holowczyc. Winning in that company needs no further commentary.
In 2016, when Rally Poland was a World Rally Championship round, Kajetanowicz made his WRC debut here, finishing just off the WRC2 podium. In 2024 he was fighting hard for the class win until a suspension failure on the third day ended a heated battle. His connection to the event also includes a 2023 start as car zero, checking stage safety for spectators before the competitive cars ran.
ORLEN Rally Team - Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and Crew
At the 82nd Rally Poland, Kajetanowicz will be co-driven by Maciej Szczepaniak. The ORLEN Rally Team's weapon of choice is the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, prepared by Spanish outfit RaceSeven. It is a proven combination - Kajetanowicz is the 2023 WRC2 Challenger world champion and the only driver in rally history to win the FIA European Rally Championship three consecutive times, from 2015 through 2017.
Rally2 cars demand total trust in the machinery protecting the crew at every rollover and every impact with road furniture. The roll cage, FIA-homologated seats, and harnesses work just as hard on asphalt as they do on gravel. Toyota Gazoo Racing knows this world from the inside out - it is under that banner that the Japanese manufacturer has collected its rally titles.
Crew safety in a Rally2 car also depends on equipment spectators never see from the roadside. Homologated seats, firesuits, and helmets are the standard that determines whether a crew walks away from a serious incident. Head and neck protection is a baseline requirement for every rally driver at this level.
A Sentimental Journey Back to Silesia
The rally's move to Silesia is, for Kajetanowicz, a return to his roots. Organizers have built special stages that partly run over roads where the four-time Polish champion cut his teeth. Back in 2003, still largely unknown outside local circuits, Kajto made his debut in the country's premier rally series by winning his class at the International Rally of Silesia behind the wheel of a small Peugeot 106 S16.
The driver makes no secret of the emotion heading into the start. "This is the most important motorsport event in our country, with a beautiful, rich history," he said when announcing the entry, noting that he learned his craft and scored his first results on some of these very Silesian roads. For a fan, that arc - from a debut on these same stages to a championship-level return - is the kind of story no screenwriter could improve on.
Before Rally Poland - Rally Malopolski and the Car Zero Run
Before Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak reach Katowice, they have one more public appearance on the calendar. At the request of Rally Malopolski organizers, whose event runs July 2-4, the ORLEN Rally Team pair will cover the route as a road-safety crew. The Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 carrying the number zero will run the special stages ahead of the competitive field, checking for hazards and verifying spectator positions.
The car-zero role is not a formality. The safety crew covers each stage at near-competitive pace, identifying dangers and monitoring crowd control. For Kajetanowicz it also means extra asphalt kilometers in the Yaris before the July classic - more time to understand exactly how the car responds before the real fight begins.
The Key Question Going into the Start
The central question is straightforward: does the surface change play in Kajetanowicz's favor? His three Rally Poland wins all came on the Masurian gravel, and Silesian asphalt is a different school of driving. On the other hand, this is exactly where he started his career, and local road knowledge is worth real time in rallying.
The entry will be strong - the presence of FIA ERC crews raises the bar for everyone, and nobody will get an easy ride. Picking a clear favorite is difficult because an asphalt debut shuffles the deck across the entire field. What is certain is that fifteen stages and nearly 190 kilometers of competition through Silesia will draw large crowds hoping to see Kajto back in his home territory.
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