Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Barum rally offers 202 tough kilometres, Bunč returns

18. 6. 2024 - Roman Ordelt

The organizers of the Auto Club Barum Zlín within Autoclub of the Czech Republic have revealed the list of special stages and the time schedule of the 53rd BARUM CZECH RALLY ZLÍN 2024. It will take place in mid-August, 16-18th, as a part of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and the Czech Republic Rally Championship 2024 (MCR). A total of 202 km of special stages have been prepared, with the Bunč section in the Chřiby Highlands returning to the itinerary after a one-year break.

The competing crews will start to arrive in the regional city of Zlín at the beginning of the rally week. On Wednesday 14th August there will be a distribution of itineraries, GPS units for familiarisation runs and an optional administrative check-in. At noon, the familiarisation runs on the stages will start and will last until Thursday 15 August. The start of the competition will be preceded by an administrative acceptance at the headquarters located at the Regional Office - building 21 in Zlín and then a technical acceptance held in the afternoon in Otrokovice near the service zone of Continental Barum s.r.o.

On Friday 16 August, qualifying for ERC1 registered drivers will take place in the morning near the service zone, followed by a shakedown (test SS) in Oldřichovice. The ceremonial start will begin at 4 pm on the square in front of the Zlín City Hall, and the rally itself will start with an evening Super SS in the streets of Zlín, followed by two legs. The entire rally is 883.49 km long and includes 15 stages on 8 sections with a total length of 201.79 km. The longest stage in the itinerary of this year's Barum rally is in the first leg and is called Bunč. It is 18.04 km long!

The Zlín Rally will traditionally kick off into a fast pace on Friday evening with a circuit super special stage in the streets of the regional town. The first car will appear on the track as early as 9:15 p.m., after which the crews will hand over the competition cars to the closed parking lot under the Zlín department store Obchodní Dům. The first stage starts under the Zlín Grand Cinema on Saturday 17 August at 7:30 a.m. After a fifteen-minute morning service, the starting field will be facing a portion of four special stages in the order of Březová (12.73 km long), Kateřinice (7.49 km), Rajnochovice (13.19 km) and Bunč (18.04 km), which they will complete twice and will be divided by a half-hour afternoon service. Saturday's day will be closed with a 45-minute evening service and then the cars will spend the night in a closed car park in Zlín.

The second leg will take place on Sunday 18 August and will start under the Zlín Grand Cinema at 6:40 am. The crews will head to Otrokovice for the morning service and then the itinerary will consist of the stages Semetín (11.51 km), Pindula (16.57 km) and Halenkovice, which will also be the Power Stage (16.58 km). Another portion of six timed sections will be separated by a 30-minute lunchtime service. The first car will appear at the finish line in front of the Zlín City Hall at 5:50 p.m., and the announcement and prize giving will take place at the same place.

More information available at www.czechrally.com and don't forget to follow the Barum rally on the official Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and the other press information.

Zlín, 18th June 2024

Roman ORDELT
Press Relations Officer
Barum Czech Rally Zlín