Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Kopecký, Lukyanuk and Mikkelsen are the favourites

18. 8. 2021 - Roman Ordelt

A total of 146 crews from 24 countries have entered the jubilee 50th Barum Czech Rally Zlín. The five best riders from the current European Championship standings will arrive in Zlín. They will compete with the almost complete top of the Czech championship. The number of 36 cars in the Rally2 (R5) category on the list of entrants, arouses a great spectacle along the special stages for rally sport fans, and the category of two-wheelers with a number of foreign crews will also be very tight. Within the European classification, a total of 85 competitors will ride, including sixty-one registered, and then 61 crews in the national category.

The biggest favorites are the eight-time winner of the Zlín rally, the seven-time Czech champion Jan Kopecký (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) from the private Agrotec Škoda Rally Team or the current ERC leader and reigning European champion Alexej Lukyanuk from Russia (Citroën C3 Rally2). Andreas Mikkelsen from Norway, Efrén Llarena from Spain, Mikolaj Marczyk from Poland (all Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) or the reigning WRC 3 World Champion Jari Huttunen from Finland (Hyundai i20 R5) are thinking of the highest levels. Norbert Herczig from Hungary, Simon Wagner from Austria (Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), Yoann Bonato from France (Citroën C3 Rally2), Italian Umberto Scandola (Hyundai i20 R5) or Irish driver Callum Devine (Ford Fiesta R5 MkII) will definitely shuffle the cards in the top places.

In addition to Kopecký, also Erik Cais (Ford Fiesta R5 MkII), Filip Mareš, Tomáš Kostka, Petr Semerád (all Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), Dominik Stříteský, Miroslav Jakeš, Adam Březík, Věroslav Cvrček (all Škoda Fabia R5) will represent the Czech elite. The reigning Czech champion Václav Pech with Ford Focus WRC will appear in the national category after the European one, with the start number 87. Other local drivers thinking of high placing are Roman Odložilík, Antonín Tlusťák (both Škoda Fabia Rally2), Martin Vlček, Ondřej Bisaha (both Hyundai i20 R5) or Václav Kopáček (Ford Fiesta R5).

In the ERC 2 evaluation, the leading driver of this category will arrive, a Russian driving with a Latvian license Dmitry Feofanov (Suzuki Swift R4). Tibor Érdi jr. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X) and the Poles Dariusz Polonski (Fiat 124 Abarth RGT) and Michal Pryczek will also appear in Zlín. (Subaru Impreza STi). In the premiere of the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Kit (R4) at the European Championship, Teemu Asunmaa from Finland and Serhii Potiiko from Ukraine with a Lithuanian license in the colors of the Proracing Rally Team will appear behind the wheel. In the ERC Junior category, Ken Torn from Estonia and Oscar Solberg from Norway, a cousin of the more famous Oliver, will perform on Ford Fiesta Rally3 ATVs.

ERC3 leader Josep Bassas from Spain (Peugeot 208 Rally4) and junior Finnish driver Sami Pajari (Ford Fiesta Rally4), Jean-Baptiste Franceschi from France (Renault Clio Rally4) are among the favorites in the evaluation of FWD category. Nick Loof from Germany (Ford Fiesta Rally4), Lukasz Lewandowski from Poland, Marijan Griebel from Germany (both Opel Corsa Rally4) and Romanian Norbert Maior (Peugeot 208 Rally4) will also be fast. Among the Czech drivers, René Dohnal, Jaromír Tarabus (both Peugeot 208 Rally4), European Daniel Polášek (Ford Fiesta Rally4), Egon Smékal (Citroën DS3 R3T), Dominik Brož (Peugeot 208 R2) will compete. Jan Dohnal (Renault Clio S1600) and Václav Stejskal jr. (Renault Clio R3T) will participate the national category.

The 50th Barumka measures a total of 786 km and contains 15 special stages on eight sections with a total length of 211 km. The competition starts on Friday 27th August at 5 pm on Zlín Square in front of the town hall, where two days later, on Sunday 29th August, will appear the most successful crews at the finish line. Rally sport fans can look forward to quality fights on the special stages. You can find more information at www.czechrally.com and don't forget to follow Barumka on the official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.