Robert Kolčák’s run in the competition came to an end as early as Friday’s opening stage. He arrived at the time checkpoint in the service zone ahead of schedule, which is subject to a penalty. Overcome by negative emotions, the crew handed in their time card and did not continue in the competition. With the benefit of hindsight, they decided to continue in the competition during Saturday’s stage after all. However, with a 10-minute penalty, a good result was no longer within reach. Another favored crew, the Melichárek brothers, faced a similar fate. Fortunately, their penalty for the mix-up at the same time control was only 3 minutes. The Melichárek brothers were subsequently the fastest in all special stages and managed to finish in 3rd place at the finish line. The awards for the top two spots in the overall standings went to the Czech Republic. The Odložilík–Persein crew won ahead of the Trněný–Pritzl crew; both competed in Škoda Fabia Rally2 cars.
Following last year’s inaugural Martin Rally, we can take a closer look at what awaits us in 2026.
MMSR – International Championships of the Slovak Republic
MSRHA – Slovak Historic Car Championships
SRP – Slovak Rally Cup
RL – Rally legend
ST – Slovak Historic Car Regularity Rally Trophy
For the upcoming 2026 season, the organizers have managed to create an even more compact course than last year. The only thing that remained unchanged was the location of the service area at SIM Martin – Priekopa. Spectators will have the opportunity to get to know the top racing teams better at an autograph session, which will take place on Friday at the OC Galéria Martin shopping center. The official start and finish of the competition will be located on SNP Square in front of the OC Galéria shopping center. However, the main attraction of any car rally is the special stages, which take place on a closed course. Their total length is approximately 82 km, and they will be run across four sections.
Piatkové popoludnie a večer na súťažných jazdcov čakajú tri prejazdy okruhovou rýchlostnou skúškou v blízkosti centra mesta Martin v okolí AMFIKA a tri prejazdy rýchlostnou skúškou Sklabiňa – Sučany. Obidve sú oproti minulému roku v modifikovanej podobe. Diváckym lákadlom bude predovšetkým okruhová rýchlostná skúška AMFIKO LIQUI MOLY Martin na ktorej súťažné posádky pôjdu efektným 1 malým okruhom pod schodami Múzea a potom budú v premiére prechádzať priamo Amfikom a do cieľa pôjdu do Tomčian.
Sobotňajšia etapa zahŕňa dve rýchlostné skúšky, na ktorých súťažní jazdci absolvujú po 3 prejazdy. Prvou je úplne nová rýchlostná skúška AUTOALLES Nolčovo – Podhradie s dĺžkou 7,5 km. Ide o najmalebnejšiu , ale zároveň o najťažšiu skúšku , kde sa bude rozhodovať o celkovom poradí jednotlivých tried. Môže sa uskutočniť iba vďaka pochopeniu a ústretovosti občanov a miestnych samospráv obcí Nolčovo, Konské a Podhradie. Po štarte v obci Nolčovo sa nachádza úsek hneď za štarom, ktorý má polookruhový charakter a pôjde sa 2 x . Druhou rýchlostnou skúškou je trať medzi Sučanmi a Sklabiňou, ktorá sa ide opačným smerom ako v piatok. Oproti vlaňajšku je však trať hlavne v strednej časti pri prejazde obcí Sklabiňa a Sklabinský Podzámok výrazne zmenená a atraktívnejšia a prejazd bude aj obcou Sklabinský podzámok.
The urban speed trial in the heart of Martin, with its many turns of varying radii, will really put the brakes of the race cars to the test—and we believe it will also get all the spectators in attendance fired up. Its final evening run will take place amid the unique atmosphere of a light and sound show, accompanied by the play of lights from the racing cars’ light bars, brake discs glowing red-hot, sparks flying from the brake pads, and screeching tires during the crews’ dramatic runs, which are sure to delight fans with more than a few drifts.
On the contrary, the classic special stages of Sklabiňa–Sučany and Nolčovo–Podhradie—run on asphalt of varying characteristics and forming the core of the competition—will test the crews’ teamwork in an authentic natural environment that combines technical sections with heart-pounding fast stretches. The heart always beats a little faster when there are trees, meadows, or ditches in the immediate vicinity. The picturesque natural setting beneath the Veľká Fatra mountain range, where the Rally Martin routes are set, will certainly add to the photogenic appeal of the special stages. All crews, fans, and spectators are warmly welcome, and we believe that together we’ll make the second edition of Rally Martin a staple of the Slovak racing calendar—a place everyone will love to return to!
