Baja is a sort of a rally raid that takes place both cross country and on roads – the main difference is that it is much shorter.

It was the decisive race, because the struggle between the competitors during the championship was very tight and there were no obvious leaders in the rankings. So whoever won the final round would be crowned Russian Rally Champion.

The drivers had to race through five special stages of 300 kilometers. Eight of the 27 vehicles never made it to the finish line due to crashes and malfunctions.

The scariest accident happened when several cars broke the rules and decided to change their route. Two cars were involved in a head-on crash.

After that crash, it seemed that Boris Gadasin, one of the leaders of the season, would not be able to continue the race and his car was taken away. But his crew performed a miracle and the next day managed to start the engine of his car again. This time he was quickest to the finish line.

Thus, winning all five speed stages, Gadasin and his co-driver, Vladimir Demianenko, claimed first place.

“Despite the difficulties that we faced during the first day, I would say I'm very pleased. We liked the second day of the competition very much, as the road was dry and we could show our best qualities. The route was very challenging and we had strong opposition, so it is a real pleasure to win here in Latvia and become champions of Russia,” a happy Gadasin said after the race.

The organizers of the Riga Baja hope that next year Russian drivers will come to Latvia again. While the fans themselves are confident that the sport is alive and well in Russia, and that the next championships could be even more spectacular.