Puls Biznesu / Maciej Lubiak
Puls Biznesu / Maciej Lubiak
Lubiak’s love for sport was instilled in him by his parents from a young age. The topic of rallying was always present in the household, as his father, Andrzej, is a six-time rally champion, two-time racing champion, and former rally driver for FSM; and his godfather, Maciej Wislawski, is the most decorated and popular Polish co-driver.
Despite this motorsport heritage, Lubiak’s first sporting endeavors were not in karting or motorsport, but in tennis. At the age of 6, he began regular training on the court. He quickly progressed and achieved his first successes while still in elementary school. He began competing, winning titles at home and abroad.
In 1988, at the age of 12, he became Polish Junior Champion. Two years later, he won an international tournament in Paris and the Bohdan Tomaszewski Cup, and in 1992 he was crowned the National Boys’ Doubles Champion.
His tennis career was interrupted by a serious injury, which forced him to withdraw from competing.
However, this wasn’t the end of his adventure with racket sports. He returned to the courts in 2008 – in between rallies – and went on to win numerous titles, including the Polish Team Championship and the title of Polish Squashmasters Vice-Champion.
Auto świat / Maciej Lubiak
At the age of 21, Maciej felt the need for speed and decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps. In 1997, he made his rally debut in a Fiat Cinquecento Sporting. Although the early days were challenging, in 2000, behind the wheel of his “six hundred,” he won 3 out of 6 rallies and finished two rounds in second place. In his third full season of competition, he won his first title – the prestigious Fiat Cup (Fiat CC/SC Sporting Cup 2000).
After this success, he decided to hone his skills in a slightly more powerful car and started competing in a VW Polo, in which he won rounds in the A5 class. His results caught the eye of the rally community, and the promising young racer was entered in the Junior WRC. Despite facing budget constraints, Lubiak persevered and took part in the Polish Rally Championship in 2002. At the wheel of a Clio Sport, he won four rallies in the N3 class.
Twenty years ago, Lubiak decided to try his hand at driving a four-wheel drive car, with remarkable results. In 2003, with Maciej Wislawski as co-driver, they won the title of Second Vice-Champion of Poland N Group, and capped off an impressive season with victory in the prestigious Criterium of Polish Speedway Leagues Aces on the famous Karowa St. in Warsaw.
From 2004 to 2006, competing behind the wheel of all generations of Mitsubishi Lancer rally cars available at the time, together with Maciej Wislawski, they battled for top honors in the Polish Championship. Their string of successes remained intact, even in 2005 when the EVO VIII MR proved to be a temperamental car that on occasion prevented our drivers from reaching the finish line. However, it was Lubiak’s “Lancer era” rallies that became legendary among motorsport fans.
Auto świat / Maciej Lubiak
In 2007, Lubiak made history as the first Polish driver to compete in a Super 2000 class car. This was made possible through his collaboration with the Fiat Rally Team, where he had the opportunity to compete in an entire Polish Rally Championship season with their latest car design, purpose-built for rallying. The car, however, came with the usual bugs and quirks of a new design and initially proved to be uncompetitive. Nevertheless, in the rallies where it managed to avoid technical glitches, it was able to compete with state-of-the-art machines.
After this challenging yet rewarding experience, Lubiak returned to the familiar Lancer for part of the next season. In 2009, he made a new commitment to a rally team, this time with Renault. Competing in a Clio R3, Lubiak secured third place in his class. This marked a turning point in his rally career, as he decided to take a break from competing to focus on his business development.
WRC Rally Magazine / Maciej Lubiak
WRC Rally Magazine / Maciej Lubiak
2017 was a pivotal year for Lubiak, as he decided to return to rallying, this time in a car of an iconic motorsport brand. He fulfilled his dream of driving a Subaru Impreza STI, once again teaming up with Maciej Wislawski. Despite the car’s age and the significant investment required, it was an opportunity to compete once again on special stages and enjoy the thrill of the rally. As rallying served as a respite from his demanding business endeavors, Lubiak sought a comfortable car with minimal logistical challenges. In the 2018 Polish Championship season, he opted for a new design – the nimble yet powerful Opel Adam R2.
Two years after his return to motorsport, Lubiak decided to take on the challenge of driving an R5 class car, the most advanced design permitted in the Polish Rally Championship. Drawing upon his experience and skills honed on special stages over the years, he embarked on an intense 2019 season, securing several victories and, most importantly, reaching the finish line in nine out of ten rallies. The year 2020 proved to be fortuitous for Lubiak, as he ventured into the realm of front-wheel drive rally cars, piloting a Peugeot 208 R2. With triumphs in Rzeszów and Slovakia, along with a podium finish in the Salgó Rallye, he claimed two titles of Slovak Rally Champion.
Lubiak commenced the 2021 season driving a Hyundai i20 R5. In the middle of the year, he made a strategic decision to switch to a Skoda Fabia Rally2. These were incredibly busy months in his career, as he participated in as many as twelve rallies.
Training and countless miles behind the wheel of rally cars finally paid off. The following year, a podium finish in the Podlasie Rally and consistent top placements in the other two rounds held on gravel roads resulted in Lubiak securing the title of Gravel Vice-Champion of Poland by mid-season.
In life, there are things important and things more important. Rallies gradually took a backseat in Lubiak’s schedule and life, prompting him to dedicate the second half of 2022 to his loved ones. Although he couldn’t compete regularly in Polish Rally Championship rounds, he didn’t squander his time – he utilized every moment to train and test for the upcoming season. As he would say, to come BACK FOR MORE!
Puls Biznesu / Maciej Lubiak
