Marian Bublewicz
Encyclopedia
Marian Bublewicz was the best Polish rally and racing driver of 80s born in Olsztyn
, the home of Rally Poland. Including the triumph classes, Marian Bublewicz won the Polish Rally Championship 20 times.
and this is what distinguished him from his rivals. He also financed his passion himself managing a car service garage where, in 1993, he employed 50 people.
Marian Bublewicz at the beginning of his career was a motocross
driver, but a terrible accident destroyed his plans. He switched to driving a rally car. Marian Bublewicz became an icon of Polish sport
.
In the 1980s Marian Bublewicz fought with Andrzej Koper
. Their great rivalry forced them to import new sports cars from outside the Eastern Bloc
. In this way raising the level of Polish rallies.
In 1983 Marian Bublewicz became a driver of official FSO Rally Team, using such cars as Polonez 2000 Rally and Polonez 2000 Turbo. Marian was very hard-working and had a habit of spending as much time on training as he could so OBRSO (FSO Development Division) constructed special Polonez training car based on 3 door body with fiberglass parts like in 2000 Turbo but with much cheaper, modified 1.5 OHV engine and smaller dog-cluth gearbox instead of 2.0 DOHC turbocharged engine with more expensive transmission.
In 1987 Bublewicz won Polish Championship behind the wheel of Polonez 2000 Rally and it was the last time when this car was used by FSO Rally Team. Since 1988 Bublewicz changed make and started using private Mazda 323 4WD because A group Polonez 1.5C Turbo was not competitive enough.
In 1991, he was the first in Poland
who created a professional team – Marlboro Rally Team Poland.
In 1992 Bublewicz was the vice–champion of European Rally Championship
and received the prize from Max Mosley
's hands.
.
Bublewicz started in the Winter Rally Lower Silesian
as the number 1. He had won this rally seven times. During the rally, 2 km from the start of the 5th special stage of Orłowiec – Złoty Stok, on 20 February 1993 his car came off the road at a right hand corner, he struck a tree. The car wrapped around a tree and the safety cage failed it pierced him, but he remained conscious. Severely injured, Marian Bublewicz, was pulled out of the crashed car by fans and volunteer firemen. Marian Bublewicz died in hospital the same day in Lądek Zdrój.
Bublewicz in an interview said:
"Many admirable rally drivers died, but I consider it as a mischance that can be quite quickly suffered by the loss of life in such discipline. It is a great tragedy when a man dies in sport competition."
is called "The Memorial of Marian Bublewicz".
In a poll held by the monthly newspaper "Auto Moto i Sport" in 2000, Marian Bublewicz was named 'The Best Polish Rally Driver of the 20th Century'.
The tree which Bublewicz's car drove into was later cut down and made into a cross. There has also been set a commemorative stone in that place.
Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
, the home of Rally Poland. Including the triumph classes, Marian Bublewicz won the Polish Rally Championship 20 times.
Career
He trained a lot, often in the forests near OlsztynOlsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
and this is what distinguished him from his rivals. He also financed his passion himself managing a car service garage where, in 1993, he employed 50 people.
Marian Bublewicz at the beginning of his career was a motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
driver, but a terrible accident destroyed his plans. He switched to driving a rally car. Marian Bublewicz became an icon of Polish sport
Sport in Poland
Poland's sports include almost all sports, in particular: track & field, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, American football , handball, ice hockey, swimming, volleyball, and weightlifting. The first Polish Formula One driver, Robert Kubica, has also brought awareness of Formula One Racing to...
.
In the 1980s Marian Bublewicz fought with Andrzej Koper
Andrzej Koper
Andrzej Koper - Polish rally driver and four-times champion of his country in 1982, 1984–1985 and 1988.He is the first Pole who finished the Dakar Rally. During his career he was associated with Renault. He started in European Rally Championship. Now he drives Subaru Impreza N14 in Polish Rally...
. Their great rivalry forced them to import new sports cars from outside the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. In this way raising the level of Polish rallies.
In 1983 Marian Bublewicz became a driver of official FSO Rally Team, using such cars as Polonez 2000 Rally and Polonez 2000 Turbo. Marian was very hard-working and had a habit of spending as much time on training as he could so OBRSO (FSO Development Division) constructed special Polonez training car based on 3 door body with fiberglass parts like in 2000 Turbo but with much cheaper, modified 1.5 OHV engine and smaller dog-cluth gearbox instead of 2.0 DOHC turbocharged engine with more expensive transmission.
In 1987 Bublewicz won Polish Championship behind the wheel of Polonez 2000 Rally and it was the last time when this car was used by FSO Rally Team. Since 1988 Bublewicz changed make and started using private Mazda 323 4WD because A group Polonez 1.5C Turbo was not competitive enough.
In 1991, he was the first in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
who created a professional team – Marlboro Rally Team Poland.
In 1992 Bublewicz was the vice–champion of European Rally Championship
European Rally Championship
The European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...
and received the prize from Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
's hands.
Death
In 1993 his name was included in the priority list "A" – published by The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. Bublewicz wanted to win another title, so he bought a factory Ford Escort Cosworth. His new car was not ready to start in the first rally, so he rented the Patrick Snijers's Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 from ERCEuropean Rally Championship
The European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...
.
Bublewicz started in the Winter Rally Lower Silesian
Rajd Dolnoslaski
Rajd Dolnośląski is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobilklub Ziemi Kłodzkiej, a group that also was the organizer for the Rally Poland. The rally base is in Kłodzko....
as the number 1. He had won this rally seven times. During the rally, 2 km from the start of the 5th special stage of Orłowiec – Złoty Stok, on 20 February 1993 his car came off the road at a right hand corner, he struck a tree. The car wrapped around a tree and the safety cage failed it pierced him, but he remained conscious. Severely injured, Marian Bublewicz, was pulled out of the crashed car by fans and volunteer firemen. Marian Bublewicz died in hospital the same day in Lądek Zdrój.
Bublewicz in an interview said:
"Many admirable rally drivers died, but I consider it as a mischance that can be quite quickly suffered by the loss of life in such discipline. It is a great tragedy when a man dies in sport competition."
Aftermath
His death provoked a number of changes in safety and organisation standards on the rally special stages in Poland. Since 1994 season 10th winter Lower Silesian RallyRajd Dolnoslaski
Rajd Dolnośląski is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobilklub Ziemi Kłodzkiej, a group that also was the organizer for the Rally Poland. The rally base is in Kłodzko....
is called "The Memorial of Marian Bublewicz".
In a poll held by the monthly newspaper "Auto Moto i Sport" in 2000, Marian Bublewicz was named 'The Best Polish Rally Driver of the 20th Century'.
The tree which Bublewicz's car drove into was later cut down and made into a cross. There has also been set a commemorative stone in that place.
Polish Rally Champion
| Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Grzegorz Gac | Opel Kadett GT/E Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :... |
| 1987 | Grzegorz Gac | FSO Polonez 2000 FSO Polonez The FSO Polonez is a Polish motor vehicle produced from 1978 to 2002. The car name comes from the Polish dance, polonaise.-Background:The Polonez is a rebodied Polski Fiat 125p that Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych built under license from Fiat... |
| 1989 | Grzegorz Gac | Mazda 323 4WD |
| 1990 | Grzegorz Gac | Mazda 323 4WD |
| 1991 | Ryszard Żyszkowski | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Ford Sierra RS Cosworth The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was a high-performance version of the Ford Sierra. It was the result of a Ford Motorsport project with the purpose of producing an outright winner for Group A racing in Europe.- Development :... |
| 1992 | Ryszard Żyszkowski | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 |