IRC - Early-season form pleases ŠKODA chief

ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek will be hoping his factory drivers Juho Hänninen and Jan Kopecký can build on their successful starts to 2012 during Intercontinental Rally Challenge season six, which gets underway on Sata Rallye Açores from 23-25 February.

Kopecký beat Hänninen in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 one-two on the Jänner Rallye – a combined round of the Austrian, Czech and European championships – at the start of January. While the Czech manufacturer has yet to confirm its line-up for the IRC opener, Hrabánek hopes the result in Austria will be a springboard to further glory during the year ahead.

“This was our first appearance at the Jänner Rallye and it was a really a difficult and unpredictable winter event,” said Hrabánek. “We have made a good start to this season by winning the first two places.”

ŠKODA is planning to contest further Czech and European events in 2012 alongside the defence of its IRC drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles.