SS3: Mikkelsen fastest, Hanninen on top

Andreas Mikkelsen has narrowed Juho Hänninen’s overall lead on Barum Czech Rally Zlín to 13.3s by winning the third stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge event, the 18.43-kilometre Pindula test.

Mikkelsen was 1.3s faster than his fellow ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000 driver despite fearing his decision to select intermediate tyres for the morning loop of stages would slow him down due to the drying nature of the stage surface.

“The stage was a little more damp in the forest section but the slick was still the way to go,” said Mikkelsen. “I tried to push as much as I can.”

Hänninen, who was running a slick tyre with cuts for additional grip, said: “We had a lot of cuts but I think the others had even more cuts. It was difficult and the tyres were overheating but we are here. Now we have to flip the coin in service and make the tyre choice the other way.”

Jan Kopecký continues to lose time with his choice of rain tyres and was fourth fastest behind ŠKODA privateer Roman Kresta. Although the Czech is now 30.1s behind team-mate Hänninen, he said his priority remained scoring as many points as possible in the Czech championship, which is running in tandem with the main IRC event.

Several drivers reported a coating of mud in the forest section of the stage, with overnight leader Tomáš Kostka dropping to third behind Mikkelsen in the overall standings. Kostka and Swede Patrik Flodin were joint fifth quickest.

Robert Barrable has slipped from third to sixth after admitting to being too cautious in the forest section. “I backed off under the trees because it was very slippery,” he said. “I hit a rock inside on a long left-hander. I didn’t want to take too many chances.”

A 30-minute service halt in Otrokovice awaits the crews with the second running of Slušovice due to get underway at 13:10hrs local time. The stage will be broadcast live on Eurosport and free-to-air Czech TV.

Penalty-hit Nikara flies in IRC Production Cup

Jarkko Nikara has set the pace in the IRC Production Cup, going fastest in the category on Saturday’s opening two stages in his Yokohama-shod Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

However, despite his speed, the addition of a 50-second penalty to this total time means he languishes in sixth place in the showroom category.

Nikara experienced a minor gearbox issue during the superspecial stage in Zlín on Friday night, which his Tommi Mäkinen Racing team decided to replace in first service in Otrokovice this morning.

Working in conjunction with mechanics from the Italian Motoring Club team, the Finnish crew was able to complete the change in 18 minutes, despite never having practiced changing a gearbox together before.

“Now we have a new gearbox and hopefully new luck,” said Nikara, who was ninth fastest overall on stage three. “It’s been very difficult, muddy and wet.”

Local hero Jaroslav Orsák, the IRC Production Cup winner on Barum Czech Rally Zlín in 2011, leads the category by five seconds from Andreas Aigner, who heads the drivers’ standings in his Stohl Racing Subaru. Japanese Subaru driver Toshi Arai, the defending IRC champion, is fifth overall