Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

A comeback to the sections after almost thirty years!

26. 6. 2023 - Vojtěch JURÁK

In less than two months, the 52nd edition of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín will be topped off with Sunday's second leg and a ceremonial finish. The motorsport public still has to wait for the winner who will do the best over the two hundred measured kilometres, but the organisers have already revealed the first details of the stages.

The basic competition timetable remains the same as last year - the popular and traditional evening SS in the streets of Zlín will be followed by twelve more special stages on six sections during the weekend. "Previously, there were fifteen stages, i.e. two more. From the point of view of the organisation, however, nothing much has changed. The kilometres are the same and the stages require the same care, so the number of organisers is increasing a bit," explains Ing. Jan Regner, Clerk of the Course of Barum Czech Rally Zlín. "The last stage of the rally and so the Power Stage will be Halenkovice. The award ceremony will take place in Žlutava right in front of the church, so it will have an atmosphere, it will be wonderful," Regner is looking forward to it.

The organizers have not yet published the exact route of the entire competition weekend, but compared to the last year there will be changes on almost two thirds of the route. In addition, Barum rally fans can look forward to an interesting return to the past. "We will be refreshing parts of two iconic stages that were last run in 1994. There probably won't be too many veterans at the start," smiles Miloslav Regner, Director of Organising Comitte.

Traditionally, the city of Zlín is an important partner of the Barum Rally. "I am glad that we have the Barum Rally here again this year. It is beneficial not only for our city, but also for the whole country. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in its organisation in any way. They do it with their hearts," said the Mayor Ing. Jiří Korec, adding that the city has increased its financial support since this year's edition. "The Barum Rally is an international competition that attracts many foreign tourists and fans. It is therefore also important for us in terms of tourism and the promotion of the city as such," adds the mayor.

Tens of thousands of fans cheer right at the track every year, while other spectators watch the competition via live streaming. This allows the city and the region to become known to a huge number of people - nothing will change in this respect this year. The live broadcast of the rally is an important element that speaks significantly to the organisation of the whole event. The number of stages is also affected by the timetable, which has to be adapted, among other things, to crews movements. "Yes, everything turns around the broadcast. Even the pressure for fewer stages during the rally comes from the promoter in order to broadcast everything," says Miloslav Regner.

So how will it be possible to watch Barum rally remotely? The first option will be the WRC+ Live premium platform, which will offer a complete competition with a focus on the top drivers. Furthermore, the organisers, in cooperation with the promoter, are seeking to include several stages in the domestic TV broadcast; according to the initial information, there could be a total of five stages, including the Friday evening one in the streets of Zlín.