Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Confirmed! Barum rally to stay in the ERC

13. 11. 2014 - Roman Ordelt, press relations officer BCRZ

Barum Czech Rally Zlín as the most significant motorsport event in the Czech Republic will again take part in the prestigious FIA ERC series. Championship's promoter, Eurosport Events Ltd, has revealed a list of 2015 events and the Czech round is not missing. Popular Czech competition will run its 45th edition in traditional date at the end of summer holidays. However the final shape of the calendar is pending till the World Motorsport Council meeting scheduled on beginning of December and placed to Doha, Qatar.

Although the Barum Czech Rally Zlín is in relation with the FIA European rally Championship already since 1984 and for many years belonged to the keystones of this series, it was threatened with dropping out from the calendar for 2015. "We are happy that we handled this difficult situation. It was known the promoter was about to reduce the events number from current twelve to ten. Despite the fact that we are in country where rallysport is very popular, a car manufacturer Škoda was born here, many Czech rally crews take part in the ERC series and many foreign teams like our rally, our staying in the ERC was endangered," said Miloslav Regner, the Clerk of the Course Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

Before this year's Barum rally a wide publicity was given to the situation around the Zlín-based event and its possible falling out of the international championship. The long-term contract with Eurosport was at its end and by the summer 2014 there kicked off new negotiations about the future. "We were nicely surprised with wide support which was a clear impulse saying that there is a will to have such important sporting event in our country. We need to thank a lot to authorities of Zlín city and Zlín Region who immediately expressed their support to the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. We also like to thank to our long-term general partner Continental Barum s.r.o., to the Autoclub of the Czech Republic and CzechTourism agency as well as many other partners and sponsors who help us every year with the backing. Thanks to all of them we can organize the rally on such level also in the future," added Regner.

The Zlín rally has been every year attended by huge crowds of spectators from many countries and the thrilling atmosphere at the stages is legendary. "I'd like to thank to all rally fans for making the Barum rally such unique event. And I'd like to invite them to another edition, which will take place in Zlín from 28 to 30 August 2015. It will be again run as a round of the FIA ERC, it will be also the final round of the ERC Junior championship for young talented drivers and will of course belong also to the Czech Rally Championship. Thank you all for the support!" enclosed Regner Miloslav Regner.

The provisional FIA European Rally Championship calendar for 2015 is as follows:
Round 1: Jännerrallye (Austria, asphalt/ice/snow): 4-6 January 2015
Round 2: Rally Liepāja (Latvia, gravel/ice/snow): 6-8 February 2015 (J)
Round 3: Circuit of Ireland Rally (Northern Ireland, asphalt): 2-4 April 2015 (J)
Round 4: SATA Rallye Açores (Portugal, gravel): 4-6 June 2015 (J)
Round 5: Geko Ypres Rally (Belgium, asphalt): 25-27 June 2015 (J)
Round 6: auto24 Rally Estonia (gravel): 17-19 July 2015 (J)*
Round 7: Barum Czech Rally Zlín (Czech Republic, asphalt): 28-30 August 2015 (J)
Round 8: Cyprus Rally (gravel): 25-27 September 2015
Round 9: Rally of Greece (gravel): 9-11 October 2015*
Round 10: Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse (France, asphalt): 5-7 November 2015

(J) Indicates FIA ERC Junior Championship round
*Subject to signing of ERC Promoter agreement