The race is the final round of no less than three championships, all of which have Estonian drivers in or near the top of their categories.

As well as forming a part of the Lithuanian domestic rally championship, the Samosonas Utena race, taking place in the final weekend of September is a round of the Latvian championship, and the Baltic Sea Rally Championship as well.

Estonian teams are in the running for medals in the Lithuanian, Latvian, and Baltic Sea Rally Championships.

In the latter case, Estonia holds a solid first place with 522 points. A total of 13 nations have participated in this year's championship

In the Latvian Championship, Priit Koik and Kristo Tamm are currently in third place in the LRC2 class, heading into the final round.

The pair are also tied for second place in the Baltic Sea Championship, class 1.

Karl-Markus Sei and Martin Leotoots are similarly in third place In the LRC4 class, also sharing third in the Baltic Sea Championship, this time in class 3.

As for the Lithuanian Championship, Markus Tammoja and Karol Pert are chasing gold medals in both the LARC9 and 2WD categories.

Tammoja is also leading the Baltic Sea Championship's class 5, where Estonian teams occupy the top four positions.

The Baltic Sea Championship class 2 category sees Estonians tied for the lead, namely Patrick Enok and Silver Simm, along with Esmar-Arnold Unt and Raiko Lille, who have amassed an equal number of points over the three rounds held so far.

Mark-Egert Tiits and Jakko Viilo are just six points behind the leaders going into the final round, in class 3.

Additionally, Estonian teams are within striking distance of podium finishes in class 4, both still vying for the championship trophies: Egon Kaur and Allan Birjukov trail the class leaders by 13 points, while Urmo Aava and Janno Siitan are 16 points from the top.

Finally, in class 6, Sander-Erik Tiits and Fredi Kostikov are just five points away from the championship title going into the final stage.

The rally officially begins on Thursday, including technical inspections a course recce and the opening of the service park, the Estonian Motorsports Federation (Autospordiliit) said.

Day one, Friday, September 27, starts with a three-kilometer shakedown stage in the morning, before the first stage proper (of five) starts, after lunch. Two of the stages take place on the streets of Utena that evening.

Saturday promises an even more intense day for competitors, with eight stages covering more than 80 kilometers. The stages are set in the Utena, Anykščiai, and Zarasai regions of northeastern Lithuania.

Podium presentations take place on Saturday from 8.30 p.m.

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