Martynas Samsonas returns to the U.S. after a three-year hiatus. Well, for those who do not know who Mister Martynas is – Rally Week from Lithuania will give you a brief insight.
Martynas Samsonas returns to the U.S. after a three-year hiatus. Well, for those who do not know who Mister Martynas is – Rally Week from Lithuania will give you a brief insight.
Martynas Samsonas is known for the company Samsonas Motorsport, which was founded by his father Vytautas Samsonas. Samsonas Motorsport manufactures world-class transmissions for various automotive sports, and the latest edition to the range is dampers. Although he runs a successful business, he is very often seen behind the wheel on rally stages. Since Samsonas Motorsports cooperates with the whole world, it is not uncommon to see him at events outside his home country of Lithuania. He often visits Portugal, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Finland or other Baltic countries like Latvia and Estonia with his or his customers’ cars. So this will be the second time he will be in the USA.
Business and driving are not the only activities related to rallying. Samsonas’ name is often seen in some rally logos, as Martynas supports events in Lithuania and Northern Ireland. Last year Martynas and his team organized a rally in his hometown – Utena, which was the most awaited rally in the calendar and the last event of the Lithuanian Rally Championship. The rally was won by a young Finnish superstar – Sami Pajari, who is competing in WRC2 this season.
Speaking of cars – Martynas often drives cars that have his gearbox and dampers. He had some incredible cars like Subaru Impreza 555 with the latest engine and some WRC parts or a 4WD monster BMW M3X E46. Nowadays you can see Martynas behind N5 cars like Ford Fiesta N5+ or last year’s Škoda Fabia N5+. When the Škoda Fabia was loaned to guest drivers like Finnish champion Teemu Asunmaa or Sami Pajari, Martynas was behind his BMW M3 E36. You will see the same car this weekend in 100 Acre Wood. This car will stay in the USA, and hopefully, we will see it in action more than once. This car also has a history – twice in 2018 and 2019 in Samsonas Rally Rokiškis this car was driven by Toni Gardemeister.
And what about the speed? Oh dear, there’s a lot of that, both from the car and the crew. In 2021 Martynas could have won a Lithuanian championship title, but the problem with the steering column of the Ford Fiesta N5+ at the last rally led to a retirement. Martynas is famous for his driving skills and seeing him in a car like the BMW M3 E36 is a spectacle worth a million.
Photos – Krists Andersons, Janne Veetousme
