Alari Kivisaar tries out the role of a rally driver at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds

The idea to invite Alari Kivisaar to the track in a crosskart was initiated by competitor Tanel Samm, who was aware of Kivisaar’s strong interest in rally sport. Kivisaar has attended rallies for years and is also known as a passionate photographer – now he has the opportunity to get behind the wheel himself.

“I’ve been interested in rallying since childhood – both my mother and father enjoyed the sound of engines, and I spent a lot of time at rallies growing up. I was already familiar with crosskart, and when this opportunity came up, I thought – why not. After all, Grete Paia drove last season too,” said Kivisaar.

Although the world of rallying is not new to him, he has not yet driven a crosskart on track. “I’ve already managed to sit in the car, but I haven’t driven it yet. Hopefully I’ll get my first training session done this week,” he added.

At his debut event, Kivisaar will not compete for championship points and sees the challenge more as an experience. “I certainly don’t want to embarrass myself by beating Martin Järveoja,” he joked. “The goal is to try something completely new and gain the experience.”

Kivisaar admits that excitement is high before the first training session, along with a bit of nervousness. “There’s also that feeling of not quite knowing what I’ve signed up for, but the excitement is even greater,” he said. “I definitely won’t become a professional athlete – I’ll leave that to the younger generation – but you never know. Usually it starts small and then grows into something bigger.”

The second stage of the FenixBet Crosskart Rally Sprint will take place on May 1 at the Tallinna Lauluväljak, as part of the American car season opening event, bringing together speed, adrenaline, and a large audience.

The Estonian Crosskart Rally Sprint Championship, known as FenixBet Crosskart Rally Sprint, kicked off its 2026 season on April 4 with the opening round at Bikernieki circuit, where a surprise driver also took part – Latvian rally driver Mārtiņš Sesks, who competes part-time in the WRC with the M-Sport factory team. The first stage was won by reigning Estonian champion Lucas Orav. 2019 World Rally Championship co-driver champion Martin Järveoja finished fourth, while Sesks placed tenth.

The Estonian Crosskart Rally Sprint Championship was launched in 2023 under the leadership of LightGrey Team, with the first two rounds held at Kehala Ring. Sprint competitions follow the rally discipline, where a new car is sent onto the track every minute. In 2025, Lucas Orav became Estonian champion, with silver going to Martin Järveoja and bronze to Oskar Männamets.

FenixBet Estonian Crosskart Rally Sprint Championship 2026 calendar:

04.04.2026 – Round 1 – Bikernieki (Riga)
01.05.2026 – Round 2 – Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
06.06.2026 – Round 3 – Kehala
17.07.2026 – Round 4 – Raadi (as part of WRC Rally Estonia)
22.08.2026 – Round 5 – Paide (as part of Humus Paide Rally city stage)
19.09.2026 – Round 6 – Hiiumaa

Photo: Raul Mee