“The rally I won in 1967 was one of the most important events of my life. My victory caused a sensation that reached far beyond sports; the Polish community in Argentina was overjoyed. Now I want to drive this rally as a 96‑year‑old. And who knows—maybe I’ll come back again when I’m 100,” Zasada said during the ceremonial start, according to a press release.
In 1967, driving a Porsche 911, he beat more than 300 competitors and earned the nickname “El Polaco Volador”—“The Flying Pole”—from the Argentine press.
Zasada is competing in a specially prepared Porsche 911 Dakar with the number 405, the same number he used in 1967. His co‑driver is Krzysztof Bąk, his business partner.
A total of 104 cars have entered this year’s Gran Premio Argentino Historico. The route covers 3,351 kilometers across six stages. The rally runs from Buenos Aires through Luján, Alta Gracia, Catamarca, and San Juan, finishing in Córdoba. Zasada is participating as a special guest and is not included in the general classification.
The ceremonial start took place on Friday on the ramp in front of the Automovil Club Argentino headquarters on Avenida del Libertador in Buenos Aires. Among the guests was Jorge Macri, the mayor of the Argentine capital.
“It is a great honor to welcome Mr. Zasada after so many years. He left a remarkable mark on our city’s history, and now he is returning in grand style,” Macri said.
Argentine media have also highlighted Zasada’s presence. La Nación, one of the country’s leading newspapers, wrote that “the return of the Polish legend to Argentina is a special highlight of this race. Zasada will once again drive the route that turned him into a historic figure back then.”
(pu)
Source: PAP