Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Jarek Baran – the FIA ERC leaders – do not rest on hot summer days and use the roads of Cieszyn Silesia for intensive testing before upcoming challenge. The Polish crew will face it on the last weekend of summer holidays (28-30 August), on very specific, extremely bumpy asphalt roads of southern Moravia. 45th edition of Barum Czech Rally Zlín will take place in this region, 90 kilometres from the Polish border. The history of this event, the closest FIA ERC round for the Polish fans, began in 1971. For over 30 years the rally counts towards European Championship classification and since last year it is also a round of FIA ERC Asphalt Masters, in which Kajetanowicz currently holds second place.

LOTOS Rally Team crew will use their Ford Fiesta R5, prepared by Polish division of M-Sport, to fight on 15 special stages of Barum Czech Rally Zlín, with total length of 230 kilometres. Narrow and very bumpy roads around Zlín are characterised by extremely changeable grip and variable pace. The importance of vast experience in these conditions is underlined by the fact that in past 10 editions of this rally Czech drivers won it no less than six times. It is enough to say that last year’s winner of the most important motorsport event in Czech Republic has 17 outings in popular "Barumka" to his name.

Last year the Czech rally had the strongest line-up in FIA ERC season and the entry list for this edition also looks extremely impressive. We can expect not only the FIA European Rally Championship frontrunners but also the whole army of local drivers. Among the special stages, surrounded by almost 200 thousand of passionate fans who create an excellent atmosphere, there are famous Pindula, Majak and Trojak tests. However, before the action moves to these legendary stages, on Friday evening the crews will warm up the spectators in Zlín city centre, competing on a spectacular night superspecial which will open the rivalry in round seven of FIA European Rally Championship.