IRC 2WD Cup joy for Zlín rookie Albertini

Stefano Albertini has claimed his maiden victory in the IRC 2WD Cup following a shrewd performance on Barum Czech Rally Zlín, round seven of the 11-event Intercontinental Rally Challenge season.

With zero knowledge of the demanding asphalt stages prior to the pre-event reconnaissance Italian Albertini and co-driver Simone Scattolin formulated an inspired plan, as Scattolin explained: “We used the first pass of the stages to check the roads and check our notes. Then on the second pass we pushed a lot and it worked. It was a great drive by Stefano because he really used his head and only pushed when it was necessary.”

Václav Dunovský finished second although the 27-year-old Czech felt he could have pressured Albertini for victory had it not been for a set-up glitch. “We were struggling with the rear dampers a lot,” said Dunovský. “We said before the start the Czech championship was the most important thing and everything else was a bonus. This is what happened.”

Frenchman Jean-Michel Raoux extended his IRC 2WD Cup title lead to 24 points over Albertini with an impressive third place on his second visit to Zlín, 1.9s behind Dunovský. He said: “It’s not so bad for the championship. Obviously you hope for better but the level was very high with a lot of 2WD competition. We had some problems with the exhaust but apart from that it was a good result and good for an old car.”

Overnight leader Petr Zedník dropped back on day two when his M-Sport Ford Fiesta’s intercom faltered before its engine began to lose vital power. He finished fourth.

Eric Mauffrey took fifth with Martin Kangur battling back to sixth after encountering mechanical problems on day one. The Honda Civic driver underlined his potential for five stage wins. Honda moves ahead of Peugeot in the IRC 2WD Cup manufacturers’ battle.