Benik Balázs has won laurels twice in Mecse: in 2006 and 2007, together with István Varga, they drove the Ford Focus Wrc to the absolute first place. As the former absolute champion regrets, although he really wanted to, he won't be able to come here for the race in Pécs this time.

The Mecsek Rally has always been among the first for me, one of my favorites. Most of the time, it appeared as the final race in the competition calendar, the championship was often decided in this race. Among the asphalt courses, it has almost unique properties, you can find such magnificent ones in very few places, moreover, in such a beautiful environment, which in my opinion is also very important, and the spectators also like to come here. I have almost only good memories of the previous competitions, of course, I am not saying that there were no failures, even punctures, or minor accidents, but overall I remember that we had a championship ceremony, the fate of the end of the year was decided several times there, so I definitely think about it with a good heart. I understand that the directors are expecting a lot of viewers this year, and it will certainly be the same. I regret that I could not take part in the race at such a time, when I started, it was always foggy, it rained, there were leaves lying on the road, from this point of view it will definitely be a little different.

Every year I plan to come back next season, but to be honest, it's unlikely that I'll start this year. I'm not saying that I'm not thinking about something towards the end of the year, but right now I have to focus on other things. During the competition, the family will have priority, the children are the most important, we will spend the holidays together. For them, the break is shorter than usual and we want to take advantage of the time to be with them. Of course, I would have liked to have been there, at least I could have participated in the event, but unfortunately it will not be possible now. However, I wish everyone a broken arm and leg, or good luck, whichever you prefer.

By the way, because of my work, I spend a lot of time in Pécs, where we carry out several construction projects at the same time. Three major works are currently underway: a sports complex, a market hall, and a hotel near Pécs. I can say that these projects put a lot of strain on me, I travel there two or three times a week, and we also have investments in other parts of the country. I drive around 1,500-2,000 kilometers a week, which is why I feel like driving has become more of a chore.