Rzeźnik leads Polish rally championship decider after dominant day one
Adrian Rzeźnik and Kamil Kozdroń have taken a commanding lead at the 70th Rally Wisła, the final round of the Polish Rally Championship (KIQ RSMP). The pair won all six special stages on Friday's opening leg, finishing with a 34.4-second advantage over championship rivals Jarosław and Marcin Szeja. Third place went to Łukasz Byśkiniewicz and Łukasz Jastrzębski, who trail the leaders by one minute.
Rzeźnik and Kozdroń entered the event holding just a one-point lead in the championship standings. They extended their advantage decisively through the day's two loops, which comprised stages at Województwo Śląskie–Goleszów (8.10 km), Skolnity Kubalonka (12.84 km), and ORLEN VITAY Wisła (4 km), totalling 49.88 km of competitive distance. Evening darkness added difficulty on the narrow, undulating forest roads.
The Szeja brothers' challenge was hampered when they suffered a puncture on the opening loop's final stage, forcing them to limp to the finish on the rim and lose 18.4 seconds to the leaders. Rzeźnik reported adopting a measured approach on the second loop, reducing risk in the most demanding sections while maintaining precision and pace. He completed the six stages in 31:50.0 with a combined time advantage that puts him within reach of the title.
In the Rally3 class, Michał Chorbiński and Adam Chrzanowski (Renault Clio Rally3) won all six stages in their category, building a 1:02.9-second buffer over Marcin Górny and Mateusz Martynek (Ford Fiesta Rally3). In the 2WD category, Piotr Wincencik and Maksymilian Staniszewski (Renault Clio) lead by just 2.6 seconds from Kamil Kawalec and Sebastian Krzyżowski (Peugeot 208 Rally4), with the field tightly bunched.
Saturday's final leg will feature seven more stages totalling 63.06 km, including two passes of the ORLEN VITAY Partecznik stage, which will serve as the bonus-point Power Stage. Victory in the round will secure the Polish championship for Rzeźnik and Kozdroń regardless of Power Stage results, though the title will only be confirmed after Saturday's stages are completed.