”Rally “Kuzeme” first time took place in 1965 and it has become a very significant component of autosport history of Lavia and all the Baltic States. At the same time, each year it could be said about rally “Kurzeme” that only now the real life is starting — each year the battle for the highest place on the pedestal starts from the beginning, and also organizers of the rally find new challenges for themselves. The challenge of this year for the organizers is to make exciting competitions with several hundreds of participators and spectators of different generations.” says Uldis Hmieļevskis, director of Speed Festival — rally “Kurzeme 2015”.

This year is very special for Speed Festival because it’s the 50th anniversary of rally “Kurzeme”. Already in April cherry garden was planted next to the legendary stage Vecpils, in its turn next week, July 9 on 17:00 exhibition in Liepāja museum will be opened “From the garage to the victory”, where everyone will have an opportunity to learn rally history of the past half of the century. The exhibition in the museum will be available until August 31.

During the last decade rally “Kurzeme” has developed to speed festival dedicated to motorsport, which allows to watch various autosport disciplines at one place, starting from the traditional autorally and even competitions of gocarts and standard cars, as well as the most skilled and outstanding athletes of motorsport and pilots of speedboats from the Nordic countries.

This year spectators of the festival will have the opportunity to have fun watching street bike stunt riding championship of Northern Europe “Streetbike Freestyle Kurland Stunt 2015” and the first Latvian championship for scooters “Scooter Stunt 2015”. In its turn the final stage of the championship in water motosport for speedboats will take place in the Liepāja Trade Channel, which is very complex for the pilots.

”The history of water motosport is very rich and old, and in the middle of the previous century there were even 12 teams in Liepāja, which successfully took part in competitions of Latvian and former Soviet Union level. It is a great pleasure that we have found common ground with the organizers of the rally, and to make together” ambitious celebrations for fans of motorsport says Mārtiņš Bergholcs (“UPB Energy Team”) world champion in water motosport for speedboats.

Special role in the program of Speed festival is left for the most famous stage of the Baltic States — Vecpils, next to which there is Vecpils autocross track, which is very loved by the spectators. Exactly here rally stage and battle of Rally legends will take place, where famous rally pilots from several countries with identical cars will fight for the title “King of gravel”.

On 30 August Speed festival will be concluded by Latvian championship of rally supersprint and KTSK Summer cup stage.

On 12 August also the traditional “Kids’ rally Kurzeme” will take place, where the smallest road users will fight for the victory. Four selection rounds will occur in Liepāja, Ventspils, Saldus and Kuldīga, but the grand final of the competition – during Speed festival on 29 August in Liepāja.

”Participators of Kids’ rally are kids in age up to 14 years. Participators of our competition can’t drive with the big cars, so we offer to check their skill of nimbleness and reaction by riding a bicycle and other related vehicles. This project has also educational role because the young road users can test their theoretical knowledge of road traffic rules.” says representative of organizers of “Kids’ rally Kurzeme” Baiba Damberga.

For information:

Rally “Kurzeme” is the oldest and richest autorally in the Baltic States, and this year it will celebrate 50 year anniversary.

In 1965 Autosport section of Liepāja Dairy produce factory in management of its head Mārtiņš Sesks started to organize the first autorally competitions, which soon became famous not only in the Baltic States but also in whole Soviet Union and even outside its borders. Latvian SSR and USSR championship stages had taken place in Liepāja, as well as after regaining of independence also championship stages of Lithuania, Estonia and Russia. For several years “Kurzeme” was rated also as well organized stage of European championship.

Since 2010 “Kurzeme” have become something more than only rally — it is a speed festival, which gathers together rally drivers from Latvia and the nearest neighbouring countries, as well as representatives of other kinds of motorsports.

Dzintars Hmieļevskis, Spokesperson of Rally “Kurzeme”. Photo: Lina Arnautova