Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Record at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín: seven ladies at the wheel!

26. 8. 2014 - Petr Linhart, Barum Czech Rally Zlín

The ERC Ladies' cup is running its second season. But the upcoming Barum Czech Rally Zlín is going to bring one very pleasant record – there will appear up to seven ladies drivbing their rally cars, which is a new record in the whole series history. It's even more than how many women entered all previous 2014 events together.

The reigning champion Molly Taylor hasn't defended her title as she switched for the JWRC series so the throne is free for other aspirants. So far the most successful is Bulgarian Ekaterina Stratieva, a regular guest at the Barum Rally who also this year competes with a Citroën C2R2 Max. But the actual standings leader isn't in an easy situation – right after her there will start Martina Daňhelová, for several years the fastest female-driver on the Czech rally scene. She uses a strong and fast Renault Clio R3 which she intends to bring also to European rallies in future.

Ukrainian Inessa Tushkanova, starting under Finnish licence, has already passed several ERC events and she has shined everywhere she appeared. No wonder - she's not only a brave rally driver, but a delightful model as well. Similar characteristics can be used also at another celebrity, who became addicted with rallying – Czech actress and singer Olga Lounová. She found her way to rallysport through her cooperation with Daniel Landa on their movie Tacho. The environment of fast cars and burned gas has charmed so she competes in rallies already three years. And same like Tushkanova, also Lounová will use a production Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX at the Barum Rally.

Other three lady drivers will appear with smaller cars. Barbora Holická is a Czech rally championship regular and she uses modern Citroën DS3 R1. Hana Baďorvá so far preferred only local and small competitions around Zlín, but the biggest event in the region was missing in her portfolio up to now. Also Pavlína Tydlačková was waiting to her chance, mainly because of financial demands of the ERC rally. But she secured the budget for 2014 so she can, accompanied by co-driver Martina Picková, to open the Barum Rally as the first car on the route of Friday's Super special stage in streets of Zlín.