Estonian Siim Hääl wins the drift season grand finale as Baumanis becomes Latvian PRO champion

October 10, 2026 at 9:42 pm

Last weekend, the spectacular “NEZ Drift Grand Final 2026 – Final Fight” at Biķernieki Circuit brought the Northern European, Baltic and Livonian drift seasons to a close. A total of 126 drivers from seven countries took part, with impressive line-ups across all three classes. Young Estonian Siim Oskar Hääl won the PRO class, rounding off his season with the Baltic, Livonian and Estonian championship titles. Henriks Dulbinskis took victory in PRO2, having also become Latvian and Baltic champion this season. The event was held with the support of Riga City Council.

The event began on Friday with private practice sessions for the drivers, followed by official practice and qualifying runs on Saturday. In PRO qualifying, no fewer than four drivers scored 88 points on their second attempts, meaning that their first-run scores determined the order of the top four. Experienced Lithuanian Andrius Vasiļiauskas took first place, ahead of his fellow countryman and junior driver Gusts Valainis, Norway’s Oliver Hoitomt and Latvia’s Daniels Baumanis. That qualifying result was enough for Baumanis to secure this year’s Latvian PRO championship title before the battles even began.

Those four drivers, along with Estonian Graig Merillo and Latvian Mārtiņš Immermanis, who qualified fifth and sixth respectively, advanced directly to the Top 16. In an event packed with action and crashes, five of the top six qualifiers made it through to the Top 8. Vasiļiauskas made uncharacteristic mistakes in the Top 16 and was defeated by Estonia’s Frederik Märtin. The Top 8 featured several battles worthy of a final, especially the contest between Baumanis and Merillo. Their first two runs were so strong and evenly matched that a “One More Time” rerun was needed to decide the winner, with the Latvian driver coming out on top. Estonians Ruudi Lumiste and Siim Oskar Hääl, along with Mārtiņš Immermanis, also won their Top 8 battles to reach the Top 4.

In the first semi-final, Baumanis convincingly defeated Lumiste, while Hääl beat Immermanis in the second. Immermanis then bounced back against another Estonian opponent, defeating Lumiste in the battle for third place. In the first run of the final, a tyre came off the bead on Baumanis’s car, preventing him from continuing and handing victory to the newly crowned Baltic, Livonian and Estonian champion, Siim Oskar Hääl.

In PRO2 qualifying, championship leader Henriks Dulbinskis posted the highest score, ahead of Estonia’s Timo Pino and Harijs Labarēvičs, who was second in the overall standings. Interestingly, the top seven qualifiers, along with the ninth-placed qualifier, all reached the Top 8, showing how a strong qualifying performance often translates into successful battles.

Armands Šteinbergs, who was third in the championship standings, lost to Edgars Jenčs, while young Markus Lätt defeated Timo Pino in an all-Estonian battle. In another contest between teammates, Harijs Labarēvičs beat Emīls Tīsiņš. In the Top 4, Dulbinskis defeated Jenčs, while Labarēvičs took victory over Lätt. The two title contenders therefore met in the final, although Dulbinskis had already secured the championship titles before the deciding battle. Dulbinskis continued his flawless performance in the final, while Labarēvičs’s car suffered a mechanical failure, giving the newly crowned champion victory in the round as well. In the battle for third place, young Estonian Lätt defeated the experienced Jenčs.

Alongside the main NEZ Drift Grand Final, the event programme also included the Street competition in the stadium and “First Steps in Racing” on Saturday in the large BKSB car park. A total of 74 children lined up in electric cars! Participation in the project is free, and every child receives a prize. At least three meet-ups are held during the season, giving children the chance to take part in small races and learn about motorsport. The number of participants grows with every event!

A huge thank you to all the supporters who provide prizes for the children and help Latvia Drift make this project possible!

The season is over. It was fantastic, challenging, exciting and, once again, better than all those before it!

Thank you to our supporters, drivers, their families and teams. And, of course, thank you to our spectators! None of this would be possible without you.

See you at the track — together, always! And we will definitely see you during the off-season too. Who knows, perhaps at the awards ceremony? See you there!

Winners

Biķernieki Circuit 60th anniversary special award – Mārtiņš Immermanis

Driver of the Day – Gustavs Kaktiņš

PRO2 TOP 3

HENRIKS DULBINSKIS

HARIJS LABARĒVIČS

MARKUS LATT

PRO TOP 3

SIIM OSKAR HAAL

DANIELS BAUMANIS

MĀRTIŅŠ IMMERMANIS

PRO and PRO2 teams

KLIKK RACING

SMOKE DRIFT TEAM

VIKOTRANS RACING