IRC Barum Czech Rally Zlin preview

The thrilling race for the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge title will step up a gear in Czech Republic this week when three of the all-action series’ best drivers go head-to-head for glory in front of live television cameras on the testing high-speed stages around the industrial city of Zlín.

Defending IRC champion Andreas Mikkelsen, three-time runner-up Jan Kopecký and 2010 winner Juho Hänninen, who also holds the record for the most IRC victories, will all be in action on the Tarmac spectacular, which is set to attract more than 200,000 fans to savour the electrifying atmosphere.

Kicking off with a superspecial stage through the heart of host city Zlín in south-east Czech Republic on Friday 31 August, Barum Czech Rally Zlín, a mainstay of the IRC since it began in 2007, will feature 15 stages, including four produced by Eurosport Events for live coverage on Eurosport and Czech TV.

The bulk of the competition will take place on Saturday 2 September with four repeated stages, including the live Slušovice ‘circuit’ stage, which returns to the itinerary after a five-year absence, and is set to attract huge numbers of spectators.

Sunday’s route consists of three stages run twice. Each loop concludes with the Maják stage, which will also be televised live. Maják, which at 23.38 kilometres is the longest of the event, returned to the schedule for the first time in 20 years in 2011 although it will run in a reverse direction this season.

Once again Otrokovice, a short distance from Zlín, will host the permanent service park and is a must for fans wanting to get close up to the cars and drivers.

KEY FEATURES

Barum Czech Rally Zlín is famed for its high-speed stages on bumpy and sometimes broken Tarmac through a mixture of urban areas and narrow woodland stretches where experience and commitment behind the wheel are essential.

Although the stages on Saturday and Sunday will ultimately decide the outcome of the rally, Friday night’s superspecial in Zlín can’t be taken for granted. Run under the cover of darkness, the stage comprises three laps of Zlin’s central area and crosses over a railway line at one point. With part of the stage on cobbled streets, grip is at a premium, particularly in the event of rain. Competitors tackle the stage in reverse order from 21:15hrs local time and crews are released from the start in regular intervals, which means there will be as many as seven cars on the concrete wall-lined course at any one time.

While the weather in central Europe in late August is characterised by sun and warm temperatures, rain is a frequent hazard on the event. With chunks of the route running under tree cover, grip levels can be unpredictable and drivers running further up the order often benefit from a cleaner stage surface due to the practice of corner ‘cutting’ dragging mud and debris onto the optimal line. Tyre compound choice is also a factor with crews often leaving their selection until the last possible moment to try to ensure they are using tyres best suited to the conditions.

FIVE FACTS

— Zlín might never have prospered had it not been for one Tomáš Bat’a, who founded a shoe factory there in 1894 and watched the town flourish into a university city.
— Such is the appeal of Barum Czech Rally Zlín internationally that 23 nations will be represented on this year’s event.
— The IRC first came to town in its inaugural season in 2007. Along with Rallye Sanremo and the Geko Ypres Rally, Barum Czech Rally Zlín is the only other ever-present event on the IRC schedule.
— Six manufacturers – Honda, M-Sport (Ford), Peugeot, Renault, ŠKODA and Subaru – currently contest the IRC and all will be in action in Zlín.
— A generous helping of roast pork with dumpling and sauerkraut is a popular Czech dish, as are soups.

THE BATTLE FOR VICTORY

After 1.2s separated Jan Kopecký and Freddy Loix at the finish of last year’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín, a similarly dramatic climax is expected to round nine of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge next week.

While Loix, the 2010 winner, won’t be in action this season, Kopecký will still face strong opposition from fellow ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 drivers Juho Hänninen and Andreas Mikkelsen. Neither driver has won the event before while Mikkelsen, who drives for ŠKODA’s UK importer, has yet to win an IRC round on asphalt. Kopecký, meanwhile, can claim his second Czech title with a strong result. The national championship is running on the back of the main IRC and European championship events.

Sepp Wiegand is a Zlín novice but will be a contender for more IRC points in his ŠKODA Auto Deutschland entry following his late retirement from a potential podium on the previous round in Romania. Roman Kresta, a three-time Zlín winner, will also be armed with a Fabia S2000 as will ŠKODA Ireland’s Robert Barrable, Estonian youngster Karl Kruuda and Czech veteran Emil Triner, a former factory driver for the Czech make.

Pavel Valoušek heads the Peugeot challenge in his 207 Super 2000 and the rapid Czech driver will be anxious to make amends for the huge accident that forced his retirement from the rally last season. Florian Gonon and Michał Sołowow will also be driving the French machines, while Swede Patrik Flodin will be capable of success in his Petter Solberg Engineering M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 on the back of his maiden IRC podium on last month’s Sibiu Rally.

IRC Production Cup

Subaru is sending its three big guns – Andreas Aigner, Toshi Arai and Jarkko Nikara – to Zlín where they will come up against a host of local drivers in their Impreza R4 STIs. Zlín resident Jan Jelínek, Jaroslav Orsák and Vojtěch Štajf are all expected to run at the front in the IRC Production Cup, while Marco Cavigioli returns to the series after coming close to claiming the title in 2011. After a switch to a Renault Clio R3 for the recent brace of gravel events ruled him out of contention for IRC Production Cup points, Frenchman Robert Consani is back in his Mégane RS bidding to narrow Aigner’s title lead.

IRC 2WD Cup

With IRC 2WD Cup leader Harry Hunt not including the trip to Czech Republic on his schedule for 2012, Renault’s Robert Consani and Honda’s Martin Kangur will be aiming to take full advantage as they target the coveted crown for the first time. However, Jan Černý is one of several leading Czech pilots capable of causing an upset following a spate of class wins in his domestic championship this year. Josef Peták could also spring a surprise on his return to two-wheel-drive competition while Italian Davide Medici won the IRC 2WD Cup on Rallye Sanremo last season and will be rapid in his Clio, as will fellow Renault drivers Petr Brynda and Lubomír Minařík.