First Stage of the Winter Cup in Folkreiss and Autocross

On Saturday, February 15, the first stage of the Winter Cup in Folkreiss and Autocross will be held at the Makašāni track in Ludza, gathering more than 50 participants. The large number of participants in the all-wheel-drive Folkreiss 4WD category makes the race a true Quattro festival. Admission for spectators is free!

On Wednesday, the registration deadline concluded with 51 athletes signing up. This is a new record for the winter stage at the Ludza track. Out of this lineup, 19 drivers will compete in the Folkreiss 4WD class. This is also a record – never before has the Winter Cup seen so many all-wheel-drive monsters at the start. An impressive class with an excellent lineup, and predicting the winner is almost impossible.

There is also a great lineup in other categories. In the main Folkreiss category (single-axle drive), 27 drivers will compete for victory. Several favorites are in the running for the win – Dainis Žvagins, previous Winter Cup overall winners Mārtiņš Starks and Ivo Gabrāns, Jānis Apinis, and others. The class will see intense internal competition from the drivers of the Latvian Autocross Championship's Xtreme and JuniorXtreme classes – Jānis Bogdasarovs, Markuss Ūtēns, Klāvs Žvagins, and Emīls Mirošņiks, all of whom have extensive racing experience but have not yet competed in the Folkreiss winter season (Bogdasarovs has significant summer racing experience).

Another record was set in the Folkreiss Junior Cup category, whose qualifying races will take place alongside other Folkreiss drivers, but their final will be held in a separate race. Nine juniors (aged 13 to 18) will start, an unprecedented lineup for the Winter Cup. In the Ladies' Cup, which also has a separate final, there are four drivers, with Baiba Beržuka being the only one with experience in winning celebrations.

Of the many participants, seven will be competing in their first Folkreiss race.

The autocross class will showcase wild speeds, with athletes competing in cars equipped with long sports studded tires. The number of participants will still be finalized as drivers rush to resolve the last technical issues. Nevertheless, six participants have registered for the class, promising an enjoyable lineup for spectators.

The competition will begin with practice runs early on Saturday morning, with the first joint starts scheduled for 9:00 AM. The battles will take place throughout the day, with decisive events in the afternoon when the classes must face their tough finals. As usual in the Ludza stages, admission for spectators is free!