Skoda Wins at Home

Skoda scored their a major rally win in the weekend when their Fabia Super 2000 cars led the Barum Czech Rally Zlin from start to finish, with 27 year old Jan Kopecky scoring the most important victory of his career in front of his countrymen. Skodas finished first and third with Kris Meeke’s Peugeot UK team 207 Super 2000 coming second and continuing to lead the IRC series.

Widely acclaimed as the most popular event in European rallying, spectators thronged to southern Czech Republic town of Zlin with two thoughts in mind, the possibility of a Skoda victory and a four-way battle for victory between Czech drivers Kopecky, Roman Kresta, the new Junior world champion Martin Prokop and Pavel Valousek. The Skoda threat certainly put pressure on the top regular IRC competitors, notably the Kronos Peugeot and Fiat teams. More Super 2000 cars were seen together in one rally than ever before, this time 24 started the event. Entries also from two Protons and Opel, but Skodas took off like this was going to be their big event. In the nighttime opening downtown superspecial, Hanninen and Kopecky headed the field, then Kopecky took over the lead on the first full day and led all the way to the finish.

Dramas came quickly. Both Protons (Bouffier and Wilks) immediately had engine trouble, thought to have been caused by electronic problems and the Opel of Mikkelsen was misfiring and later punctured. The Kronos cars gave chase with Vouilloz holding second place when an engine mounting broke which cut a fuel line and the engine compartment was consumed by fire. Teammate Loix then took over and maintained station about 20 seconds the leader for most of the day. Kris Meeke started unhappily with a bad head cold and a puncture on the opening stage, but he gradually caught up and by the end of the day was third. BF Goodrich celebrity driver Martin Prokop on his first event with a S2000 started badly with a spin but gradually improved but was soon chasing fellow Czech driver Kresta for fifth place. Prokop was ahead of Evgeny Novikov who was making his debut in a Skoda and with a new codriver, Stephane Prevot. Out were Kuzaj with alternator trouble and Tarabus, whose car would not restart in service

Towards the end of the first full day the rains came and tyre choices were the challenge. Giandomenico Basso was lying third, splitting the two regular Kronos drivers but then crashed, a personal disaster as this dented his European championship chances and for Fiat, as teammate Rossetti was struggling after a spin . Czech spectators were happy, their man Kopecky was leading in his Skoda. The weather cleared up for the second day and the first major shock was the exit for Freddy Loix who sustained damage after he punctured a tyre, then Novikov went off the road and retired. Three stages from the finish Hanninen went off the road and was delayed long enough for Kresta momentarily to take third place but Hanninen took this back. Rossetti was lying sixth but fell back with a puncture and eventually finished tenth.

In the end the winners were everywhere, Skoda scored their second major rally win on the same weekend, Kopecky won his first major win of his career, Kris Meeke seems to be going on and on in his IRC quest, impressing once again on an event which was new to him, and as for the spectators, four Czechs finished in the top six places.

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