Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Jan Kopecký dominated the Qualifying stage

28. 8. 2015 - Jakub Hofbauer

The Qualifying stage once again opened Barum Czech Rally Zlín. However, it was a premiere drive for all the crews with FIA and ERC priority. Among the forty drivers, vehicles of the R5 category played the first fiddle. The fastest one was a Škoda Motorsport factory driver Jan Kopecký and eleven hundredth of a second behind was Alexey Lukyanuk. R5 hegemony was broken by the defending champion Václav Pech with his car Mini John Cooper Works S2000.

The Qualifying stage took place on the very well-known road from Komárov to Pohořelice and its length was 4.71 km. Even though the shining sun secured a dry road this stage is still very difficult no matter the weather.

But for Jan Kopecký and his Škoda Fabia R5 it still seemed to be a piece of cake. "On the first run we tested car's functionality and setting, on the second one we were trying to spare tyres and marked the turns with pulled out mud," said the front runner of this year's Barum Rally.

Alexey Lukyanuk: "It is interesting. We are not tarmac specialist so we figured we would lose more seconds. So far it is great, but the rally is very long"

Václav Pech: "Everything is OK but it was a bit slippery."

Based on the results of the Qualifying stage the best fifteen drivers in the afternoon before the Ceremonial Start will pick their starting number for Leg 1. Other participated crews will start off according to their final time at the qualifying stage and their categories ERC1, ERC2, ERC3.

Results of the Qualifying stage
1. Kopecký – Dresler (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) 2:51.712 min
2. Lukyanuk – Arnautov (BLR, Ford Fiesta R5) +0.110
3. Pech – Uhel (CZE, Mini John Cooper Works S2000) +0.609
4. Kajetanowicz – Baran (POL, Ford Fiesta R5) +0.820
5. Consani - Manzo (FRA, Citroën DS3 R5) +1.539
6. Breen – Martin (IRL, Peugeot 208 T16) +1.877
7. Kostka T. – Kostka L. (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) +2.414
8. Tarabus – Trunkát (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) +2.863
9. Valoušek – Havelková (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000) +3.810
10. Kobus – De Wild (NLD, Škoda Fabia R5) +4.143
11. Odložilík – Tureček (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5) +4.406
12. Neubauer – Ettel (AUT, Ford Fiesta S2000) +4.773
13. Tlusťák – Kučera (CZE, Škoda Fabia S2000) +4.814
14. Martin – Salva (FRA, Peugeot 208 T16) +4.865
15. Jeets – Toom (EST, Ford Fiesta R5) +5.033
16. Jakeš – Novák (CZE, Citroën DS3 R5) +5.041