• Fourth place for Kajetanowicz and Baran – FIA European Rally Championship leaders – on the Qualifying Stage for Barum Czech Rally Zlín;
• Fierce and exciting fight on 4.71-kms Pohořelice test opens the competition in 45th edition of Barum Czech Rally Zlín;
• Excellent pace of LOTOS Rally Team crew: just 0.8 second behind the Qualifying winners and record holders of the rally;
• The Czech event, with extremely strong line-up, is the 3rd of four rounds counting towards FIA ERC Asphalt Masters classification.
The biggest show in Czech motorsport – 45th edition of Barum Czech Rally Zlín – begins today in Zlín, the capital city of Czech rally world. The best drivers of FIA European Rally Championship and leading local competitors – 129 crews from 24 countries – have decided to take part in one of the most difficult asphalt rallies in Europe. They will tackle fifteen bumpy, rough and sometimes dirty special stages with changeable grip, in total 230 kilometres of fierce fight for fractions of seconds on narrow roads in Moravia.
The Qualifying Stage, run this morning, was an exciting appetiser before hard-fought rivalry for top positions in round 7 of FIA ERC. On 4.71-kms test the drivers competed for the best time which gives the right to choose road position for the first day of the rally. LOTOS Rally Team crew started "Barumka" in promising way, recording fourth quickest time in Qualifying. They lost just 0.8 seconds to the fastest driver, four-times Barum Czech Rally Zlín and Skoda factory driver Jan Kopecký. The difference between Kajetanowicz and Václav Pech Junior – Czech rally champion and last year’s "Barumka" winner – was even smaller: 0.2 seconds.
The real competition starts this evening, with the first test counting towards overall standings. 9.5-kms superspecial on the streets of Zlín will begin in darkness, at 9:15 pm. The crews will tackle it in reverse order, with the leaders at the end. Saturday leg of Barum Czech Rally Zlín consists of eight special stages with total length of 132.34 kms. The first one (Slušovice, 16.05 kms) starts at 9:46.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz: – The Qualifying Stage was quite long and still the gaps were minimal. It shows that this rally is more like a race – we fight for fractions of seconds so if you want to be in front, you have to risk and push a lot. However, unlike in racing, the asphalt is not ideally smooth, with predictable grip levels. In Barum Czech Rally Zlín the road conditions change very quickly, with every corner and braking zone. There are many places with very aggressive and grippy tarmac but there are also sections where the surface is so slippery that it shines in the sun. We have also smooth parts and rough ones, where the car shakes a lot. It is difficult to read these conditions and find the best set-up for these mixed special stages. It is a unique rally when it comes to the line-up and risk which you have to take in order to fight with the drivers who have competed here fifteen or more times. We are not afraid of this challenge and we will do our best. Of course I have to remember that the calendar consists not only of Barum Czech Rally Zlín. I cannot forget about the Championship. I would like to push hard and fight here but we compete in many rallies in FIA ERC. We fight in one big war, not only in one battle, although this rally is undoubtedly a great battle :-).
Jarek Baran: - Barum Czech Rally Zlin is a European classic. It is difficult to find to find a part of the road around Zlin which has never been used as a special stage. The direction and configuration of Trojak, Pindula or Kudlovice tests do not matter for the local drivers because they know it by heart from previous seasons. At this pace the notes will be very important and I do not mean just the pace notes which enable us to drive as quickly as usual, but the small details which allow really fast driving. We know more about this roads than last year but at the same time we realise that next season we will know even more.
• Fierce and exciting fight on 4.71-kms Pohořelice test opens the competition in 45th edition of Barum Czech Rally Zlín;
• Excellent pace of LOTOS Rally Team crew: just 0.8 second behind the Qualifying winners and record holders of the rally;
• The Czech event, with extremely strong line-up, is the 3rd of four rounds counting towards FIA ERC Asphalt Masters classification.
The biggest show in Czech motorsport – 45th edition of Barum Czech Rally Zlín – begins today in Zlín, the capital city of Czech rally world. The best drivers of FIA European Rally Championship and leading local competitors – 129 crews from 24 countries – have decided to take part in one of the most difficult asphalt rallies in Europe. They will tackle fifteen bumpy, rough and sometimes dirty special stages with changeable grip, in total 230 kilometres of fierce fight for fractions of seconds on narrow roads in Moravia.
The Qualifying Stage, run this morning, was an exciting appetiser before hard-fought rivalry for top positions in round 7 of FIA ERC. On 4.71-kms test the drivers competed for the best time which gives the right to choose road position for the first day of the rally. LOTOS Rally Team crew started "Barumka" in promising way, recording fourth quickest time in Qualifying. They lost just 0.8 seconds to the fastest driver, four-times Barum Czech Rally Zlín and Skoda factory driver Jan Kopecký. The difference between Kajetanowicz and Václav Pech Junior – Czech rally champion and last year’s "Barumka" winner – was even smaller: 0.2 seconds.
The real competition starts this evening, with the first test counting towards overall standings. 9.5-kms superspecial on the streets of Zlín will begin in darkness, at 9:15 pm. The crews will tackle it in reverse order, with the leaders at the end. Saturday leg of Barum Czech Rally Zlín consists of eight special stages with total length of 132.34 kms. The first one (Slušovice, 16.05 kms) starts at 9:46.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz: – The Qualifying Stage was quite long and still the gaps were minimal. It shows that this rally is more like a race – we fight for fractions of seconds so if you want to be in front, you have to risk and push a lot. However, unlike in racing, the asphalt is not ideally smooth, with predictable grip levels. In Barum Czech Rally Zlín the road conditions change very quickly, with every corner and braking zone. There are many places with very aggressive and grippy tarmac but there are also sections where the surface is so slippery that it shines in the sun. We have also smooth parts and rough ones, where the car shakes a lot. It is difficult to read these conditions and find the best set-up for these mixed special stages. It is a unique rally when it comes to the line-up and risk which you have to take in order to fight with the drivers who have competed here fifteen or more times. We are not afraid of this challenge and we will do our best. Of course I have to remember that the calendar consists not only of Barum Czech Rally Zlín. I cannot forget about the Championship. I would like to push hard and fight here but we compete in many rallies in FIA ERC. We fight in one big war, not only in one battle, although this rally is undoubtedly a great battle :-).
Jarek Baran: - Barum Czech Rally Zlin is a European classic. It is difficult to find to find a part of the road around Zlin which has never been used as a special stage. The direction and configuration of Trojak, Pindula or Kudlovice tests do not matter for the local drivers because they know it by heart from previous seasons. At this pace the notes will be very important and I do not mean just the pace notes which enable us to drive as quickly as usual, but the small details which allow really fast driving. We know more about this roads than last year but at the same time we realise that next season we will know even more.
The results of Qualifying Stage for Barum Rally:
1. Jan Kopecky 2:51,7 s.
2. Aleksiej Łukjaniuk + 0,1 s.
3. Wacław Pech jr. + 0,6 s.
4. Kajetan Kajetanowicz + 0,8 s.
5. Robert Consani + 1,5 s.
6. Craig Breen + 1,8 s.
7. Tomas Kostka + 2,4 s.
8. Jaromir Tarabus + 2,8 s.
9. Paweł Valousek + 3,8 s.
10. Hermen Kobus + 4,1 s.
FIA ERC standings after Rallye Estonia:
1. Kajetan Kajetanowicz 133 pkt.
2. Craig Breen 128 pkt.
3. Aleksiej Łukjaniuk 82 pkt.
4. Robert Consani 55 pkt.
5. Siim Plangi 43 pkt.
6. Bruno Magalhaes 38 pkt.
7. Freddy Loix 35 pkt.
8. Jaromir Tarabus 34 pkt.
9. Dominykas Butvilas 33 pkt.
10. Bryan Bouffier 28 pkt.
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