Skoda to focus on IRC bid

Skoda Motorsport will focus its efforts on its Intercontinental Rally Challenge bid for the next few months following Jan Kopecky’s victory on the Czech championship-counting Wallachia Rally last
weekend.

Kopecky and co-driver Petr Stary won the 30th running of the rally in a Fabia Super 2000, which carried a livery reminiscent of the design used by the manufacturer in the 1970s. Skoda is celebrating 110 years of motorsport participation this year.

Michal Hrabanek, the Skoda Motorsport boss, said: “We were one of the biggest favourites at the Wallachia Rally and we wanted to meet those expectations. We are also pleased that the other Fabias, the private ones, have succeeded. We are going to make a break now in the
home championship and focus on [the] IRC, the top of our agenda this
season. In all probability, the next home event we will take part in
will be the Hustopece Rally in June.”