Kopecký is in lead after SS4

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26. 8. 2017 - Petr Říha

The defending Czech champion and a five-time winner of Barum rally Jan Kopecký (Škoda Fabia R5) proves he's the biggest favourite of the 47th Barum Czech Rally Zlín. Russian Alexey Lukyanuk (Ford Fiesta R5) is just 2 seconds behind the Škoda Motorsport driver. Václav Pech (Ford Fiesta R5) holds the third place. Five Czech drivers are in the top ten.

Kopecký confidently started out to reach the sixth victory in Barum Czech Rally Zlín. After winning city special stage on Friday, he won two more stages on Saturday morning. His biggest rival Lukyanuk dominated SS Semetín and was in the lead for a while but Kopecký took it back on SS Troják. The gap between Lukyanuk and Pech is 25.9 seconds.

French Bryan Bouffier, Ford Fiesta R5, representing the local Gemini Clinic Team, was slowly getting higher up to the fourth place. The other Czech drivers are also doing quite well. Tomáš Kostka is fifth and Jan Černý eighth, both driving Škoda Fabia R5).

Roman Kresta came back after three years and he's doing great, his only regret is a 10 second penalty for being late in time check. If it wasn't for the penalty, he'd occupy the fifth place.

Category ERC2 is led by Hungarian Tibor Érdi (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X), first place in ERC3 holds Aleks Zawada from Poland (Opel Adam R2), Czech talent Filip Mareš is 3.6 seconds behind (Peugeot 208 R2). Jari Huttunen from Finland (Opel Adam R2) was second until an accident on SS Troják and there was oil leak from his car and other drivers received notional time.

There are five stages scheduled for Saturday. And on Sunday six more. The winner will arrive on a finishing ramp on Sunday 27th August at 4:16 p.m. on the same place.

The 47th Barum Czech Rally Zlín is a sixth event of FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) series and likewise a sixth event of TrueCam Czech Rally Championship 2017 (MČR).

Results after SS4:
1. Jan Kopecký, Pavel Dresler (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) 30:41.1 min
2. Alexey Lukyanuk, Alexey Arnautov (RUS, Ford Fiesta R5) + 1.9 s
3. Václav Pech, Petr Uhel (CZE, Ford Fiesta R5) + 25.9 s
4. Bryan Bouffier, Xavier Panseri (FRA, Ford Fiesta R5) + 28.7 s
5. Tomáš Kostka, Ladislav Kučera (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 33.7 s
6. Marian Griebel, Stefan Kopczyk (DE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 35.3 s
7. Kajetan Kajetanowicz, Jaroslaw Baran (POL, Ford Fiesta R5) + 37.6 s
8. Jan Černý, Petr Černohorský (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 40.8 s
9. Roman Kresta, Petr Starý (CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 42.3 s
10. Martin Koči, Filip Schovánek (SVK/CZE, Škoda Fabia R5) + 50.4 s

27. Aleks Zawada, Grzegorz Dachowski (POL, Opel Adam R2) + 3:04.2 min
31. Tibor Érdi, György Papp (HUN, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X) + 4:37.4 min

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