SS5: Czech star Kopecky makes his mark

Jan Kopecký has fought back into contention for victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlín by winning the fifth stage of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier, the rain-hit Pindula test.

The local hero, chasing a third victory on the all-asphalt event, is now 10.4s behind overall leader Andreas Mikkelsen, in a similar ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000, after he went 9.2s faster than the Norwegian. “It’s raining and we’re on slicks but still it’s quite okay so something strange is happening,” said Kopecký after completing the 18.43-kilometre run. “It was very muddy in a few places.”

Mikkelsen started the stage leading by 5.7s but his advantage ahead of Juho Hänninen has now been trimmed to 1.4s after he was 4.3s slower than the Finn through the test. “There was no problem, it was just a very tricky stage inside the woods,” said the 2011 IRC champion. “We played it safe but maybe a little too safe. We need to be smart.”

Hänninen, who took 4.9s longer than Kopecký to complete the run, said: “I was driving on the limit and a few times there was some last-minute braking.”

The engine misfire that dogged Patrik Flodin in stage four continues to hamper the Swede who confirmed that he had been unable to rectify the fault on the preceding road section. He was 41.5s slower than Kopecký in his PS Engineering-run M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.

Czech touring car racer and rallysprint ace Tomáš Kostka, the fastest IRC runner through Friday’s superspecial in Zlín, maintains fourth overall after impressing again with the second fastest time in his privateer Fabia, 2.9s down on Kopecký. IRC Production Cup driver Jarkko Nikara was a sensational third quickest in his Subaru Impreza R4 STI.

Aigner takes IRC Production Cup lead as Nikara flies

Andreas Aigner has moved into the lead of the IRC Production Cup in his Subaru Impreza STI after five stages of Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

However, it was his fellow Subaru driver Jarkko Nikara who was the real hero by going a sensational third fastest through the 18.43-kilomete Pindula test, 4.7s adrift of stage winner Jan Kopecký in a ŠKODA Fabia Super 2000.

Aigner’s advantage over Jaroslav Orsák is now 4.1s after the Czech reported taking a cautious approach through Pindula. Nikara is up to third in the category, despite being saddled with a 60-second time penalty for leaving first service behind schedule while his mechanics rushed to complete a gearbox change.

In the IRC 2WD Cup, Martin Kangur is out after he collided with a wall on stage four in his Honda Civic Type R.