Rally raid „Riga Baja” will take place already for third time and this year it will be held from September 21st -23rd in Jekabpils, Krustpils and Viesites surroundings. This year „RE Autoclub” will be represented by sportsmen from Finland – Tapio Suominen and Markku Hurskainen. 

Already for second year „Riga Baja” is the final stage for Russian rally raid championship, that’s why this is one of the most hardest stage full of fierced fight for last points and medals. Usually in this rally raid participates not only the strongest participants from Russia and Latvia, but also from Belarus and Ukraine. This year „Riga Baja” geography will be expanded with „RE Autoclub” equipage from Finland.

Tapio Suominen is well known as co-driver of „RE Autoclub” pilot Tony Gardemeister. Unfortinatelly, during rally raid „Silk Way” in Russia, Tony got back injury, that’s why for this season he won’t be able to pilot „Mitsubishi Pajero L2”. Pilots place will overtake Suominen with his co-driver Hurskainen.

„Tony’s back recovery process goes as planned. We both have visited several World Championship stages in Finland. Unfortinatelly, in this season Tony Gardemeister won’t be able to participate in competitions. During the conversation with „RE Autoclub” manager Raimonds Elbakjans, we came out with the idea about my participation in rally raid „Riga Baja”. As a co-driver will participate Markku Hurskainen, who has participated only in local competitions as a pilot and as a co-driver”, explains Tapio Suominen, who has a great experience with „flying finn” Gardemeister in classical WRC rallies and IRC championships. „This will be very valuable experience for us, as we will participate for first time in this kind of rally raid competitions. Although we plan to participate more for fun, as soon as I put on a helmet and sit in a car, the racing spirit rises up in me.”