On Friday morning, the 57th Mecsek Rally ORB 2 field started with nine cars, followed by the pairs registered in ORB3. The wake-up run took place on the Hatos-Trefortpuszta stage, covering 13.5 km. Fortunately, yesterday’s rain didn’t cause significant changes on the track; only a few puddles remained as a memory, quickly evaporated by today’s sunshine, making dry tires a better choice for the more daring drivers.

In the first stage, ORB3 Bévárdi Péter, the ORB3 winner from Diósgyőr, had a rather short program. After completing 1.5 km, he ended up in a ditch and couldn’t continue. Several others almost fell victim to the second stage in Pécsvárad—some found themselves in a pile of logs, while others ended up in ditches. Luckily, everyone managed to carry on.

In ORB2, Rónavölgyi had to change a wheel right after the first stage, and then they hit roadside stakes in the second stage. It was time for them to regroup to secure at least second place. On the other hand, Baksai and their team won all three stages, leaving five pairs in the field by the end of the first round, plus one pair continuing with the opportunity for a “super rally” in the remaining two stages. The Tamás-Sztrakon pair started the second round in third place.

In the ORB3, after the first round, 20 participants continued despite various technical issues complicating the racers’ lives. The Fóti-Fóti pair won the third stage without brakes. Unfortunately, the Borsodi-Szegő pair, as newcomers, achieved the 4th and 3rd times in the second and third stages, but their engine gave up, preventing them from continuing their first appearance.