Italian rally stars dominate the top positions at the end of the opening day of the Rallye Sanremo, round 10 of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The classic Italian event, taking place on the mountainous roads around the Riviera town of Sanremo, has become a two-way battle between the privately-entered Peugeot 207 S2000 of Paolo Andreucci and the works Abarth Grande Punto S2000 of Luca Rossetti – separated by just 1.7 seconds at the overnight halt.
“I’m very happy, everything was fine. I didn’t expect to be ahead of everybody before the long stage,” said Andreucci at the overnight halt.
“I’m not so happy with the setup of my car, but it was impossible to change anything and be confident, so we had to leave it,” said Rossetti. “Hopefully tomorrow we can make a good fight with Paolo.”
The first stage was won by Czech hero Jan Kopecky, title challenger in the works Skoda Fabia S2000 and looking for his third consecutive victory in this year’s series. Disaster struck halfway through SS2 however, when he broke a wheel and was eliminated from the event. This passed the initiative to Peugeot UK’s championship leader Kris Meeke, but the British ace has been unable to capitalise so far and trails in fourth place behind the Italian pacesetters and Peugeot Benelux’s defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz.
“I learned that Kopeky retired just before the start of SS3 and I lost my concentration and I couldn’t find the right rhythm,” Meeke admitted. “Then I had some brake problems both on SS3 and the long final stage, which is sort of my fault as I settle the car by left-foot braking and over 40km the heat builds up. I have to try to get as many points as possible here, they are going to be very important.”
The second Benelux Peugeot of Belgian veteran Freddy Loix lies fifth and has closed up fast on the points leader during the course of tonight’s fourth stage – the daunting 40km SS4 called Cuori. The rest of the regular contenders have found themselves locked out of the points positions by an armada of Italian talent, with Renato Travaglia (Peugeot), Piero Longhi (Skoda) and Umberto Scandola (Abarth) keeping well ahead of works Skoda driver Juho Hanninen in 11th, the lone Proton of Guy Wilks in 15th and the Ralliart of Franz Wittmann in 25th.
In the IRC 2WD Cup category, Honda teams blasted back into action with a vengeance. Having been left unrepresented in the previous round, the Rally Principe de Asturias in Oviedo, Spain, the rapid Honda Civic Type R machines have shone in the class on the twisting asphalt. Another promising Italian, Sandro Sottile, leads from championship leader, Frenchman Denis Millet, in his turbocharged Peugeot 207.
Overall Positions after 4 out of 9 stages
1 Paolo Andreucci (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – 58m 13.9s
2 Luca Rossetti (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +1.7s
3 Nicolas Vouilloz (F) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +12.3s
4 Kris Meeke (GB) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +22.5s
5 Freddy Loix (B) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +23.8s
6 Renato Travaglia (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +31.9s
7 Piero Longhi (I) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +38.7s
8 Umberto Scandola (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +59.3s
2WD Cup after 4 out of 9 stages
1 Sandro Sottile (I) – Honda Civic R3C – 1hr 2m 34.0s
2 Denis Millet (F) – Peugeot 207 R3T – +3m 44.4s
3 Laszlo Vizin (H) – Honda Civic R3C – +5m 18.2s
Fastest stage times
SS1: Kopecky, SS2-3: Andreucci. SS4: Rossetti
Leading retirements
Jan Kopecky (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – SS2, accident damage
For further information please visit www.rally-irc.com or www.cronoimperia.it/sanremo09

Andreucci’s team work on the leading car in Sanremo before the overnight halt

Skoda Motorsport’s Czech star Jan Kopecky took victory with a measured performance on the Rally Principe de Asturias, his second consecutive win on the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge trail. In a fast and furious two days on the roads around host city Oviedo, Kopecky maintained a consistent pace while other leading contenders endured drama upon drama to claim a hugely popular win and close to within one point of championship leader Kris Meeke.
Peugeot UK ace Meeke suffered a puncture on the first day which, in a hugely competitive field, plunged him down to 16th place overall. Despite fighting back into the points positions, it took similar misfortunes to befall several rivals to get him back into contention. Finally, Peugeot Benelux driver and defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz incurred a time penalty after the final stage – allowing Meeke through to claim second place and thereby retain his series lead by a single point.
Vouilloz, one of the star performers of the rally, won six of the 15 stages across the two days of the event, but was another driver whose push for victory was blunted by a puncture. Similarly afflicted was the home town hero Alberto Hevia, returning to top-flight competition after an enforced break through lack of funds, who led the opening stages of the event at the wheel of his privately-entered Skoda Fabia.
There was disappointment for Abarth on the IRC’s Spanish outing. Local man Miguel Fuster, drafted in to the squad for this event, crashed out on SS4 while the first day’s action the field was led by the Grande Punto of team leader Giandomenico Basso.
Basso, who won the event in 2008, held a commanding lead until SS12 when he spun off the road and his reverse gear failed. With no spectators in that section of the stage to help him, the Italian dropped out of contention and surrendered any mathematical chance of a shot at the IRC title.
Thus the championship battle rests between Meeke and Kopecky, who head towards the final two events separated by just one point. On the basis of their performances this weekend it would in fact be Kopecky leading the way towards the Rally Sanremo later this month, as Meeke finished the final stage in Asturias in third place on the road.
Nevertheless when second-place driver Vouilloz was hit with a time penalty for leaving the final service after his allotted time, Meeke was elevated to the runner-up position, claiming two extra points with the result that he keeps his place at the top of the points table.
“At the start of Day 2 we were in seventh and, with everyone running at the same pace, it looked like that would be the maximum we could score,” Meeke said. “But today’s been incredible – so many of the guys have had the same sort of problem that we had and in the end we’ve come through.”
Rally winner Kopecky clearly took all the goings-on in his stride, and counted his blessings not to have suffered any of the incidents that befell so many of his rivals. “Winning last time on the Barum Czech Rally Zlin was important because it was my home event, but winning here on my first visit is just as special,” he said.
“I always planned to take it steady on this event, to get to the finish without a problem, because it’s really hard to make the time back if you get a puncture or anything. We didn’t make any mistakes and that’s got a lot to do with the quality of the pacenotes.”

Jan Kopecky delivers victory for Skoda in Asturias

Peugeot claims third sucessive IRC manufacturers‘ title

Peugeot has completed its 100 per cent record of manufacturers´ championship wins on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Its total of 109 points after the Rally Principe Asturias puts the French giant out of reach of its rivals with two rounds remaining.
Peugeot has claimed both the drivers‘ and the manufacturers‘ titles every year since 2007. Despite increased competition from new cars such as the Skoda Fabia S2000 and Proton Satria Neo S2000 – as well as the pace of longtime rivals Abarth and Ralliart – the 207 S2000 cars have triumphed once again.
“It’s fantastic for Peugeot Sport to be rewarded again for its commitment,” said IRC drivers‘ championship leader, Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke. “It’s doubly important from my perspective because with the manufacturers’ championship in the bag we can focus everything on winning the drivers’ title.”

Peugeot has triumphed again in the IRC manufacturers‘ standings

Millet wins round 9 of IRC 2WD Cup

While there were no challengers from Honda, Skoda or Volkswagen in Asturias, the battle for honours in the 2WD Cup proved tense and extremely competitive between the two men at the top of the points table.
Ultimately Frenchman Denis Millet prevailed at the helm of his unique turbocharged Peugeot 207 RC, increasing his lead over Abarth-mounted Italian Manuel Villa. Villa, with two victories to his credit this season, pushed hard to regain ground lost to Millet in recent rounds. In the opening stages the lead passed between the pair like a pendulum but Millet built a 30-second cushion to end the opening day.
At the start of Day 2, Villa pressed hard to eat into that advantage, but then lost time with an incident with two stages left to run, allowing Millet to take his second win of the season.

Denis Millet surges to his second win of the season in Oviedo

Rally Principe de Asturias – facts and figures

Overall Positions
1 Jan Kopecky (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – 2hrs 41m 51.3s
2 Kris Meeke (UK) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 46.9s
3 Nicolas Vouilloz (F) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 49.5s*
4 Freddy Loix (B) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 58.9s
5 Corrado Fontana (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +3m 45.0s
6 Alberto Hevia (E) – Skoda Fabia S2000 –+4m 27.2s
7 Michal Solowow (PL) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +5m 58.0s
8 Giandomenico Basso (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +7m 3.8s
*40s penalty incurred
2WD Cup
1 Millet (F) – Peugeot 207 RC – +2m 42.0s
2 Villa (I) – Abarth Punto S1600 –
Stage Winners:
SS1: Hevia, SS2: Vouilloz, SS3: Kopecky, SS4: Vouilloz, SS5: Hevia, SS6-7: Basso, SS8: Cancelled, SS9: Kopecky, SS10: Meeke, SS11: Vouilloz, SS12-14: Vouilloz, SS15: Basso
Leading Retirements:
Fuster (E) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – SS4, accident
IRC Drivers’ standings after 9 of 11 rounds
1 Meeke 50 points
2 Kopecky 49
3 Loix 32
4 Basso 28
5 Vouilloz 25
6 Hanninen 20
etc…
IRC Manufacturers’ standings after 9 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot 109 points *
2 Skoda 72
3 Ralliart 42
4 Abarth 34
5 Proton 5
6 Honda 1
*Peugeot is the 2009 manufacturers’ champion
IRC 2WD Cup Drivers‘ standings after 9 of 11 rounds
1 Millet 41 points
2 Villa 36
3 Tulio 10
= Piepers 10
= Koitla 10
etc…
IRC 2WD Cup Manufacturers‘ standings after 9 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot 79 points
2 Abarth 54
3 Honda 40
4 Volkswagen 16
Remaining Events:
Rally Sanremo (Italy) September 24-26
RAC MSA Rally of Scotland (UK) November 19-21
For further information please visit: www.rally-irc.com

The Intercontinental Rally Challenge is counting down to its ninth round of the season, the Rally Principe de Asturias, this weekend (10-12 September). The Spanish asphalt event, based in the city of Oviedo, promises mouthwatering action in the title race between the four drivers jostling for overall honours and another hard-fought encounter in the 2WD Cup.
Britain’s Kris Meeke currently leads the 2009 IRC drivers’ standings after a hat-trick of victories in Brazil, the Azores and Ypres earlier on in the year. Nevertheless the Peugeot UK driver’s margin has been whittled down by two victories for works Skoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecky in Russia and his home event, the Barum Czech Rally Zlin, and now only three points separate the two aces.
Behind them in the title race lie the hugely experienced and extremely consistent Freddy Loix with his Benelux-entered Peugeot and the works Abarth team leader Giandomenico Basso – who are tied in third place some 15 points off Meeke’s lead. For all the contenders, a classic IRC season is set to continue when the starting flag drops in Oviedo.
“It was fantastic for me, for my co-driver Petr Stary and the whole team to win on home ground in the Czech Republic,” said Kopecky. “If I have the chance to win the IRC drivers’ title it would be unbelievable, although Kris is still going to be strong everywhere. If I get the chance to take the battle to the end then I will, this year has been fantastic for us so far.”
The capital of the Principality of Asturias, and well-known as the hometown of double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso, Oviedo also plays host to what remains the longest-standing motor sport passion of Spanish fans: flat-out asphalt rallying. This evening the ceremonial start will take place in the city centre where only last week Alonso performed a Formula One demonstration for his fans.
The 46th Rally Principe de Asturias will run in two legs across two-days with 15 special stages totalling a competitive distance of 254km. Starting early on the morning of Friday 11 September, there will be nine stages in the opening leg, with a further 6 stages taking the event to a finish on Saturday afternoon.
As well as the main contenders for the championship there is huge strength and depth throughout the field. Guy Wilks returns with the Proton Satria Neo that starred on its Ypres debut and scored points in its second appearance in Russia, while Ralliart is represented not only by regular IRC star Franz Wittmann but also a team of four new Evo X machines from the RMC Motorsport outfit. Frenchman Julien Maurin returns to the fray in his Skoda Fabia S2000 and a similar car is entered for local hero Alberto Hevia, a previous winner of the event and a serious challenger for victory.

The IRC trail reaches Oviedo this weekend

Millet leads Villa in 2WD Cup

In the 2WD Cup the two main protagonists of the year line up in Oviedo ready to continue a hugely entertaining duel. Frenchman Denis Millet’s turbocharged Peugeot has taken the series lead from the Abarth of Italy’s Manuel Villa, after the latter missed the last round in the Czech Republic. Villa will be anxious to try and take back his points lead in the Rally Principe de Asturias, adding further drama and spectacle to the event.

Millet leads the 2WD Cup standings before the Rally Principe de Asturias

Notes for editors

For news and information please visit www.rallyprincipe.com and www.rally-irc.com, and full TV coverage will be available on Eurosport on the following schedule:
11/09/2009 Highlights 1st Day    24:00-24:30
12/09/2009 Highlights 2nd Day    17:45-18:00
13/09/2009 Highlights 2nd Day (Repeat) 11:30-11:45
15/09/2009 REVIEW     23:15-23:45
All times CET. These broadcasts will be complemented by multiple supporting broadcasts on Eurosport 2 and Eurosport Asia-Pacific, please check TV listings for details.
IRC Drivers’ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Meeke 42 points
2 Kopecky 39
3 Basso 27
= Loix 27
5 Hanninen 20
6 Vouilloz 19
IRC Manufacturers’ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot 95 points
2 Skoda 59
3 Ralliart 42
4 Abarth 34
5 Proton 5
6 Honda 1
IRC 2WD Cup Drivers‘ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Millet 31 points
2 Villa 28
3 Tulio 10
= Piepers 10
= Koitla 10
IRC 2WD Cup Manufacturers‘ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot 69 points
2 Abarth 46
3 Honda 40
4 Volkswagen 16
Remaining Events:
Rally Principe de Asturias (Spain) September 10-12
Rally Sanremo (Italy) September 24-26
RAC MSA Rally of Scotland (UK) November 19-21

www.rally-irc.com

Jan Kopecky strode to a dominant victory on the 2009 Barum Czech Rally Zlin today, round 8 of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. In so doing the 27-year-old became the first Czech driver in a Czech car to win the biggest motor sport event in the Czech Republic for eight years, enveloping the enormous crowds that lined the stages in celebration.
At the wheel of a works Skoda Fabia S2000, Kopecky took the lead from his team mate Juho Hanninen on SS2 and never looked back – his winning margin at the finish being almost exactly one minute after 15 fast and gruelling stages over two legs.
“This has been the perfect event for me and everyone involved,” he enthused amid an emotional reception in host city Zlin. “The car never missed a beat and I was able to concentrate the whole time on keeping an advantage. The atmosphere has been fantastic all week, the fans have given such amazing support I am so proud for them and for Skoda to bring home the win.”
Second place fell to championship leader Kris Meeke after a remarkable comeback drive from 33rd position on Friday night. The Peugeot UK driver started the rally with a five point advantage over Kopecky and worked hard all weekend in order to keep his seat at the top of the points table. His championship hopes were aided when two of the other main contenders hit trouble – Abarth team leader Giandomenico Basso crashing out on SS8 during torrential rain and Benelux Peugeot ace Freddy Loix suffering a puncture that put his car out of commission on SS10.
“There is so much to like about this rally, from the atmosphere to the stages themselves, which really ask some big questions of you as a driver,” said Meeke. “We were unlucky to pick up the puncture on the first stage that dropped us back, but I have to admit to making a few mistakes along the way that fortunately didn’t cost us anything except a chance to really pressure Jan for the lead.”
The podium was completed by the second Skoda Motorsport Fabia of Juho Hanninen, the Finnish gravel expert finding himself gaining confidence on the bumpy and fast asphalt around Zlin as the rally progressed. “I wasn’t too optimistic that we could finish this high before the start,” he said.
“But then we won the first stage! After that things were a bit more normal for me, the pace was incredible over the first day and so I decided not to take risks and build up my pace, which worked well in the end. I had a spin today and dropped to fourth but we were lucky and got it back.”
Hanninen’s result elevates him to fifth in the IRC points table, passing defending champion Nicolas Vouilloz. The Frenchman – Loix’s team-mate in the Benelux Peugeot team – started the rally strongly but was forced out of second place on SS4 when his 207 S2000 caught fire. Another conflagration befell Russian teenager Evgeny Novikov’s privately-entered Skoda Fabia at the end of SS12, the Citroen WRC driver being the third member of his team to have taken up the challenge of the IRC this season.
Another visitor from the world championship had a far more successful weekend – newly-crowned Junior WRC champion Martin Prokop – who finished fifth. As the Czech Republic’s first World Champion, the award of driving the BF Goodrich Drivers Team Peugeot 207 provided Prokop with a unique opportunity to perform in front of his fans.
“It’s been a great event – one I always enjoy but all the more so meeting everyone here as a world champion,” Prokop said. “The Peugeot took a lot of getting used to for me, but it’s a fantastic car and I’m glad that we found a way to go quickly in the end – and keep the car in one piece! It’s been a great drive, and I really enjoyed all the jumps!”
Prokop finished behind one of the Czech Republic’s most established rally drivers, Roman Kresta, in his privately-entered Peugeot. With three victories on the Barum Czech Rally Zlin to his credit, hopes had been high in his camp of taking a record-breaking fourth win – but ultimately the pace of the top trio proved too much. “I didn’t have any big problems all weekend – except how fast the other guys were! To be honest I can’t help but feel disappointed not to have got closer to the record but we will be back again,” he said.
Sixth place fell to another young Czech talent, Pavel Valousek. The former BF Goodrich Drivers Team entry on last year’s event arrived with a privately-entered Skoda Fabia and after mechanical problems on the opening day battled back into the points. “That was disappointing to drop down on the opening leg, and I had to go like crazy to catch up,” he said. “I made a few mistakes, had a few spins, but we got to the finish and showed that we can do a good rally even under pressure.”
Hungarian Janos Toth finished seventh in another Peugeot 207 S2000 with another Czech, Vaclav Pech, eighth after a battle royal for the last of the points positions in which the Ralliart driver overcame considerable hardships. “Our car has a turbo but is heavier than the S2000s so it was always going to be tricky,” Pech said. “But the rain on Saturday afternoon was incredible! We were aquaplaning at 60km/h and had water streaming into the car – it’s been worth it though.”

Kopecky delivered the result Czech fans have been waiting for

Skoupil claims 2WD honours for Abarth

In the IRC 2WD Cup Abarth bucked the odds to take victory courtesy of Czech driver Jiri Skoupil in his little 1600cc Punto. Ranged against him was an armada of 2-litre Honda machinery, from the latest JAS Motorsport-built Civic Type R3s to the tried and tested Civic Vtis, but Skoupil took the advantage early on the final day and held resolutely to take the win.
“It’s fantastic to see ten points in the IRC against my name,” he said. “The car was great, we have worked hard on it in the Czech championship and the rally suited both the car and us.”
IRC regular Denis Millet ended the event fourth in the 2WD standings at the wheel of his Peugeot 207, currently the only 1.6 turbo rally car in international competition. The five points earned on the Barum Czech Rally Zlin promote him to the series lead over Italy’s Manuel Villa.
The rest of the points positions were monopolised by Honda drivers, with Hungary’s Laszlo Vizin taking second in the Civic Type R3 ahead of the older Type R of Egon Smekal, while Skoda was denied its first points of the 2WD Cup season on the penultimate stage after a brave performance from Vlastimil Hodan at the wheel of a Felicia 1600 Kit Car was not quite enough to fend off the Honda of Jan Brezik.

Barum Czech Rally Zlin – facts and figures

Overall Positions
1 Kopecky (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – 2hrs 24m 21.1s
2 Meeke (GB) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +1m 0.4s
3 Hanninen (FIN) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +2m 0.8s
3 Kresta (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 10.8s
5 Prokop (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 39.6s
6 Valousek (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +4m 50.5s
7 Toth (HUN) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +5m 19.7s
8 Pech (CZ) – Ralliart Evo IX – +5m 23.2s
2WD Cup
1 Skoupil (CZ) – Abarth Punto S1600 -2hrs 44m 29.6s
2 Vizin (H) – Honda Civic Type R3 – +1m 41.0s
3 Smekal (CZ) – Honda Civic Type R – +2m 32.0s
4 Millet (F) – Peugeot 207 RC – +2m 42.0s
5 Krizek (CZ) – Honda Civic Type R – +4m 5.0s
6 Blatak (CZ) – Honda Civic Vti – +5m 51.5s
7 Jakubec (CZ) – Honda Civic Vti – +8m 52.9s
8 Brezik (CZ) – Honda Civic Vti – +10m 2.9s
Stage Winners:
SS1: Hanninen, SS2-3: Kopecky, SS4: Meeke, SS5-6: Kopecky, SS7: Hanninen, SS8-9: Kopecky, SS10: Meeke, SS11: Kopecky, SS12-13: Meeke, SS14-15: Hanninen
Leading Retirements:
Grzyb (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS13, accident
Novikov – Skoda Fabia S2000 – SS12, fire
Loix (B) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS11, puncture/damage
Basso (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – SS8, accident
Odlozilik (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS7, gearbox
Lapdavsky (SK) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS7, accident
Tarabus (CZ) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – SS6, mechanical
Kuzaj (PL) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS5, mechanical
Vouilloz (F) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS4, fire
Fontana (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS3, wheel
Wilks (GB) – Proton Satria Neo S2000 – SS2, engine
Bouffier (F) – Proton Satria Neo S2000 – DNS, engine
IRC Drivers’ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Meeke     42 points
2 Kopecky    39
3 Basso    27
= Loix    27
5 Hanninen    20
6 Vouilloz    19
IRC Manufacturers’ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot    95 points
2 Skoda    59
3 Ralliart     42
4 Abarth     34
5 Proton     5
6 Honda     1
IRC 2WD Cup Drivers‘ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Millet    31 points
2 Villa    28
3 Tulio    10
= Piepers     10
= Koitla    10
IRC 2WD Cup Manufacturers‘ standings after 8 of 11 rounds
1 Peugeot    69 points
2 Abarth    46
3 Honda    40
4 Volkswagen 16
Remaining Events:
Rally Principe de Asturias (Spain) September 10-12
Rally Sanremo (Italy) September 24-26
RAC MSA Rally of Scotland (UK) November 19-21                  www.rally-irc.com

Torrential rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of Czech rally fans this evening, as the opening leg of the 2009 Barum Czech Rally Zlin, round 8 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, saw Skoda Motorsport ace Jan Kopecky claim a one minute advantage at the front of the field.
Kopecky is not only bidding to become the event’s first Czech winner in a Czech car for eight years, but also attempting to close the five-point margin between himself and Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke at the top of the 2009 IRC points standings. In a dominant drive today the 27-year-old from Opocno withstood the weight of expectation from an army of devoted fans, the furious pace of his rivals and a deluge over the final three stages.
Having started the day in second place after the opening night’s spectator stage in the city centre of Zlin, Kopecky claimed six stage wins in a towering performance. The extremely fast and often very rough stages were described by the Skoda Motorsport driver as ‘brutal’ with no quarter being given among the leading contenders. Nevertheless he was able to build his lead despite losing stage victories to championship leader Meeke and his team mate Juho Hanninen.
“It’s really fast, really tough and there is absolutely no way you can back off even a little,” Kopecky said. “But despite all that our rally has been perfect so far. Everyone has had a few scares – including us – but the car has stood up to the speed and severe bumps really well, and we’re in the best position possible for tomorrow’s final day.”
Second place at the overnight halt is held by Freddy Loix, the Belgian Peugeot driver having run consistently in the top group throughout the day. Having started in close company with his team-mate, defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz, Loix moved up the order when the Frenchman’s car burst into flames and retired on SS4, but has yet to take a stage win.
“It’s all going okay for us and the car is fine, but we’re still a little bit off the leading pace,” he said. “I’m trying everything that I can, but no matter what Mister Kopecky is always a little bit ahead!”
Not only is Loix left trying to close the gap to leader Kopecky, but also fighting a rearguard action against the Peugeot UK entry of championship leader Meeke. Having started the day in 33rd place after a puncture on the spectator stage, Meeke charged up into fourth place over the first three stages of the day.
On SS5 Meeke spun and caused some light damage to his car, but battled back through the remaining stages to end the day just 8.4s behind Loix. “We put ourselves under a lot of pressure after dropping time on last night’s stage, and perhaps pressed on a bit too hard as a result,” he said. “I certainly wasn’t happy to have made that mistake on SS5 but thankfully we’re still in the hunt and there is still a very long way to go.”
Fourth place is held by the second works Skoda Fabia of Juho Hanninen, who won last night’s city centre stage in Zlin and won again on SS6, but struggled to maintain his pace in between these two victories. He has nevertheless recovered and is now battling to hold off the Peugeot of three-time Barum Czech Rally Zlin winner Roman Kresta.
“It was really difficult this morning because the competition was so fast and I just wasn’t comfortable on the asphalt roads, which are so narrow and bumpy in the forests,” Hanninen said. “But as the day went on I got more comfortable with it all and we’re in a good position for tomorrow.”
A dramatic exit from the rally meanwhile befell Abarth team leader Giandomenico Basso, the winner of the previous IRC round in Madeira earlier this month. Despite an encouraging start to hold third place, Basso had said that rainfall would work against the handling of his car on the slippery Czech asphalt
When the downpour began on SS7 he came off but continued having dropped only a few seconds. As the rainfall became torrential on SS8, however, Basso and co-driver Mitia Dotta suffered an enormous impact from which they emerged unscathed – but which forced officials to cancel the stage.
Having initially struggled to acclimatise to his new Peugeot 207 S2000, BF Goodrich Drivers Team entry Martin Prokop duly got up to speed, climbing to sixth place at the overnight halt. The newly-crowned Junior World Rally Championship winner’s pace grew with his confidence in the guest car for this event, and he holds his position in front of Citroen’s teenage World Rally Championship driver, Russian star Evgeny Novikov, who has privately entered a Skoda.
The final points-winning position changed places several times before Luca Rossetti claimed it overnight in the surviving works Abarth, ahead of the leading Ralliart contender, local man Vaclav Pech. For the all-new Proton cars, however, there was little joy to be found in the Czech Republic as computer software problems in the engine management system eliminated both of the promising Satria Neo S2000 cars of Bryan Bouffier and Guy Wilks on the opening night.
In the IRC 2WD Cup local man Egon Smekal leads the way tomorow for Honda, after fellow Honda competitors – Dutchman Marcel Piepers and Norwegian Martin Knudsen – both crashed out. Smekal leads fellow Czech driver Jiri Skoupil by the narrowest of margins in his Abarth, with another Honda belonging to Hungary’s Laszlo Vizin lying third.
Tomorrow’s final day begins at 08:00 (CET) and runs through six special stages before the finish in central Zlin at 16:00.
Ends
For further information please contact media@ircseries.com or telephone +44 7833 470541
Overall Positions
1 Kopecky (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – 1hr 27m 22.1s
2 Loix (B) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +1m 1.6s
3 Meeke (UK) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +1m 10.0s
4 Hanninen (FIN) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +1m 29.3s
5 Kresta (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +1m 42.2s
6 Prokop (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +2m 20.5s
7 Novikov (RUS) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +2m 42.0s
8 Rossetti (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +2m 50.9s
2WD Cup
1 Smekal (CZ) – Honda – 1hr 39m 28.5s
2 Skoupil (CZ) – Abarth – +2.9s
3 Vizin (H) – Honda – +1m 17.1s
Stage Winners:
SS1: Hanninen, SS2-3: Kopecky, SS4: Meeke, SS5-6: Kopecky, SS7: Hanninen, SS8-9: Kopecky
Leading Retirements:
Basso (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – SS8, accident
Odlozilik (CZ) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS7, gearbox
Lapdavsky (SK) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS7, accident
Tarabus (CZ) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – SS6, mechanical
Kuzaj (PL) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS5, mechanical
Vouilloz (F) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS4, fire
Fontana (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – SS3, wheel
Wilks (GB) – Proton Satria Neo S2000 – SS2, engine
Bouffier (F) – Proton Satria Neo S2000 – DNS, engine

Jan Kopecky was dominant on the first day of the Barum Czech Rally Zlin

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Jan Kopecky has been tipped to win Barum Czech Rally Zlin, round eight of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, by the current leader in the IRC standings, Britain’s Kris Meeke.
Twenty-seven-year-old Kopecky will drive a Skoda Motorsport Fabia Super 2000 on his home event and Meeke believes that Kopecky’s pace will be hard to match.
“Jan showed in Ypres how quick he could be and I’m sure there will be no driver quicker than him,” said Meeke. “He knows the event well and he’ll be wanting to prove he’s the top Czech driver.”
Kopecky has yet to register his first IRC win but has finished on the podium on three occasions this season. His Skoda team-mate Juho Hanninen was victorious when the IRC visited Russia in July.
“I am certain this will be a fantastic rally for us and I am really looking forward to it,” said Kopecky. “I wish to invite all our fans to come to the rally.”

Kopecky has been flying on asphalt and wants a home victory

Wittmann leads huge entry for Ralliart

The Ralliart challenge on Barum Czech Rally Zlin has been boosted by the addition of several star crews.
Ralliart is currently third in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge manufacturers’ standings after seven events thanks largely to the efforts of Austrian Franz Wittman Jr.
The Interwetten Racing driver has had to shoulder the burden of the firm’s expectations for much of this season. However, the Ralliart line-up will also include Dutch driver Jasper van den Heuvel and Czech Vaclav Pech when the IRC resumes next week.
“There will be great competition, I can’t wait,” said Wittman Jr, whose father Franz Sr won the event twice in the past. “Our goal is to close the gap to the Super 2000 cars. It’s not easy because our car has less power and more weight but it’s good we have more cars to help.”

Franz Wittmann hopes to close the gap to S2000 cars

Prokop ready for BF Goodrich outing

Jacques Morelli, the man in charge of tyre firm BFGoodrich’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge campaign, has spoken of the high hopes he has for Martin Prokop on Barum Czech Rally Zlin.
Prokop was selected to drive the BFGoodrich Drivers’ Team entry on the Tarmac event. Although Prokop has scant experience of the Peugeot 207 Super 2000 he will use, Morelli said he was confident he would replicate the performances of Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville, who represented the team in Monte Carlo and Ypres respectively.
“It promises to be another exciting event,” said Morelli. “Martin is quick on all types of surfaces and he is very experienced too, which he showed by sewing up the Junior World Rally Championship in Finland recently.”
A jury of journalists and representatives of the Czech motorsport governing body, BFGoodrich and Kronos Racing, which runs the Peugeot 207, chose Prokop for the seat ahead of four other Czech drivers.

The BF Goodrich Drivers Team is a much-prized drive for local talent

Bouffier joins Proton for Barum Rally Zlin

The factory Proton effort will double in number for the first time this season when Bryan Bouffier joins Guy Wilks in the Malaysian manufacturer’s team.
Bouffier, who gave the Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 its competition debut last season, will contest Barum Czech Rally Zlin with the fledgling squad. The agreement is currently for the eighth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge only.
“It was always the plan to run a second car and Bryan is a great driver to have on board because of his experience,” said Chris Mellors, whose MEM operation is responsible for Proton’s IRC campaign.
Proton’s best result since joining the IRC on June’s Belgium Ypres Rally is the fourth place Wilks recorded on Rally Russia last month.
“We’ve got ideas of how we can go even faster,” said British driver Wilks. “It’s still a new car and the most important thing is to get to the finish of each event so we can build the experience.”

Bryan Bouffier joins Guy Wilks in a two-car Proton squad

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Juho Hanninen believes his Skoda Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecky will start Barum Czech Rally Zlin with the hopes of a nation on his shoulders.
Kopecky, who hails from Czech Republic, is currently second in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge standings and will be the favourite to land his first victory in the series on home soil later this month.
Finn Hanninen, who claimed Skoda’s maiden IRC win in Russia last month, said: “The pressure will be on Jan because he is a Czech driver in a Czech car and is very quick. It will be my first time there so I am not expecting anything too much. A top-five finish would be good for me.”

Jan Kopecky stands second in IRC driver points

Meeke says fifth was crucial in Madeira

Kris Meeke has described his fifth-place finish on Rali Vinho Madeira as being crucial in his bid to claim the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title, adding that his haul of four points was harder to achieve than the three maximum scores he has landed this season.
The 30-year-old Peugeot UK driver moved five points clear of Jan Kopecky at the top of the drivers’ standings.
“I probably worked harder for those four points than I did for the ten I got in Brazil, Azores and Ypres,” said Meeke. “It’s such a tough place to go for the first time. It’s such a specialised event and it’s very difficult to learn the roads. In Ypres you had maybe 100 corners per stage to learn but in Madeira it was more like 300.”

Kris Meeke holds a five-point lead in IRC points

Alen hails Basso victory in Madeira

Giandomenico Basso’s first win in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge is just the fillip the factory Abarth squad needs in its efforts to get its season back on track.
That’s the view of Basso’s team-mate Anton Alen, who will return to the Italian team for the Barum Czech Rally Zlin later this month. He said: “It’s a great result and of course it’s a big boost for the team,” said Alen. “He has always been quick there but to prove it again with the opposition he faced is very good.”
The Abarth team is due to undertake a test before it resumes its IRC campaign in Czech Republic.

Giandomenico Basso greets the victorious Abarth team in service

Llovera endorses IRC TV packaging

Albert Llovera has revealed he was attracted to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge by the amount of television coverage on pan-European network Eurosport.
Llovera finished 21st on the recent Rali Vinho Madeira, which marked his debut in the series. He was driving an Abarth Grande Punto Super 2000. “The IRC gives you more possibilities of getting sponsorship because the TV on Eurosport is very good,” he said.
The Andorran driver, 42, typically contests a couple of international rallies each season but hadn’t competed in the IRC until the recent visit to Madeira. He uses special hand controls after being paralysed from the waist down in an accident when he was competing in a Super G skiing event in Sarajevo in 1985.

Llovera believes IRC is attractive for sponsors

Portuguese celebrate classic Rali Vinho Madeira

Pedro Araujo, the clerk of the course of Rali Vinho Madeira, has described the recent Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier as one of the best ever.
Works Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso won the event, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Italian beat Portugal’s Bruno Magalhaes by 3.5 seconds in a scintillating finish, his third victory on the island. Alex Camacho, also from Portugal, finished third.
Araujo said: “For many years we hadn’t seen the rally finishing with such a difference between the first and second places. It was an excellent rally with many people on the roads watching. The competition among the drivers was very hot and hard and was incredibly competitive. We also had the pleasure of seeing two Portuguese drivers fighting for the podium places, which was remarkable. It was one of the all time best editions of the rally, at least for the competition we saw on the road.”

A close result, great stages and local stars in Madeira

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Giandomenico Basso has won his third Rali Vinho Madeira for Abarth after a thrilling duel with local hero Bruno Magalhaes, which ended with just 3.5s between them after 21 stages. Basso joins two other men – Americo da Silva Nunes and Pierro Liatti – in the record books of three-time winners, and puts himself into contention for the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge title.
"It was fast, nervous and exciting," said a clearly delighted Basso. "The team has been working hard and the car was strong. This event is very special to me, and to make my third win here after losing on the last stage last year is fantastic."
No less delighted to be runner-up against the IRC front-runners, Magalhaes was equally effusive. "It’s a great honour for me to be able to perform so strongly among such great drivers," he said. "It was a long rally, very tense at the finish but second place really feels like a win to me."
It was championship leader Kris Meeke who took first blood in Madeira with a storming drive through the streets of Funchal to claim Thursday evening’s superspecial by 0.9 seconds. Yet when the rally headed out into the green and mountainous roads around the island, Basso’s experience paid off and he delivered a string of eight fastest stage times to go clear by the end of Leg 1.
That advantage was much-needed however, because Portuguese driver Bruno Magalhaes was within striking distance throughout in second place. When Basso hit gearbox problems he was forced to go slow, fearing a spin would prove costly without reverse gear, it allowed both Magalhaes and Meeke to take stage victories from him.
At the start of Day 2 Basso had a fresh gearbox on board his Grande Punto but it was his teammate Luca Rossetti who set the pace, running in fifth position and taking two stage wins. Then on SS16 Rossetti’s run came to a dramatic halt as he crashed out, promoting Meeke to fifth.
Basso and Magalhaes then traded fastest stage times, although defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz won SS18 to close up on third-place runner Alex Camacho after Basso lost 10 seconds with a spin. Nevertheless the positions were static even though the speed advantage ebbed and flowed from driver to driver.
"We started a little slow, though we were trying to go fast," said Vouilloz. "I’m not really happy about the weekend but the car was good today and we were able to drive to the maximum."
Thanks to a huge number of privately-entered 207 S2000s, Peugeot managed to fill eight of the top 10 positions. A rally-long duel between Meeke and Freddy Loix was one of the most entertaining battles that raged throughout the event for fifth place – and may well prove pivotal for the championship.
Going in to Madeira, Meeke held a six point advantage over Loix. The single point at stake in such a hard-fought series spurred a fantastic competition for fifth place, which Meeke ultimately won. Now the Briton has 34 points, Jan Kopecky has 29 and both Loix and Basso have 27.
"This is a very, very special rally," Meeke said. "To come here for the first time and win would be impossible, the top four guys were incredible and to be just over a minute behind after three hours is amazing. The points you win on a bad weekend are the ones that count the most."
For Loix, however, there was clear disappointment: "We hadn’t made all our preparations before we came here so Day 1 was spent on the setup – and by the time we got that right everyone had gone!" he said. "We had to keep the pressure on Meeke but he did a great rally and that’s another point to him."
Behind them came three more Peugeots – Miguel Nunes, Corrado Fontana and Michal Solowow respectively. The all-new Proton Satria Neo of Guy Wilks finished the event in 10th place overall, the team electing to focus on developing the car once it became clear that a points scoring result was not achievable.
Skoda also failed to increase its score in Madeira, despite the presence of Maurin in a Skoda Italia-prepared Fabia S2000. His challenge was thwarted on the road section to SS13 when, having lost his brakes, Maurin was powerless to avoid an accident which forced major repairs to be made overnight and restarting under superrally regulations well outside the points.
In the 2WD Cup Manuel Villa scored his second win of the season for Abarth in his Punto S1600. The Spaniard was able to contain the threat from his biggest rival in the series, Denis Millet’s turbochared Peugeot 207, to take a resounding win.
Top Ten Finishers
1    Giandomenico Basso (I)    Abarth Grande Punto S2000     3hrs 9m 55.4s
2     Bruno Magalhaes (P)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +3.5s
3     Alex Camacho (P)     Peugeot 207 S2000    +41.7s
4     Nicolas Vouilloz (F)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +49.4s
5     Kris Meeke (GB)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m 21.9s
6     Freddy Loix (B)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m 28.4s
7     Miguel Nunes (P)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +4m 57.9s
8     Corrado Fontana (I)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +5m 50.6s
9    Michal Solowow (PL)    Peugeot 207 S2000    +7m 29.9s
10    Guy Wilks (GB)    Proton Satria Neo S2000    +10m 40.8s
IRC Drivers‘ positions after 7 of 11 Rounds
1    Kris Meeke (GB)    34 points
2    Jan Kopecky (CZ)    29
3    Giandomenico Basso (I)    27
=    Freddy Loix (B)    27
5    Nicolas Vouilloz (F)    19
6    Juho Hanninen (F)    14
7    Sebastien Ogier (F)    10
=    Carl Tundo (EAK)    10
9    Alistair Cavanagh (GB)    8
=    Bruno Magalhaes (P)    8
etc.
IRC Manufacturers‘ positions after 7 of 11 rounds
1    Peugeot    82 points
2    Skoda    43
3    Ralliart    41
4    Abarth    34
5    Proton    5
6    Honda    1
Rali Vinho Madeira Stage winners:
SS1    Meeke
SS2-7    Basso
SS8    Magalhaes
SS9-10    Basso
SS11    Magalhaes
SS12    Meeke
SS13    Magalhaes
SS14-15    Rossetti
SS16-17    Basso    
SS18    Vouilloz
SS19-21    Malaghaes
Next event: Barum Czech Rally Zlin, August 21-23
For further information please visit www.ircseries.com

Giandomenico Basso and co-driver Mitia Dotta celebrate in Madeira

The 50th Rali Vinho Madeira, Round 7 of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, restarts today for the second and final leg after an engrossing 13 special stages so far.
On Thursday night’s superspecial stage through the streets of host city Funchal, championship leader Kris Meeke stole a march on the rest of the field at the wheel of his Peugeot UK-entered 207 S2000. However, unlike his previous three appearances, the British driver wasn’t able to capitalize on that early advantage and throughout Friday’s action it was Giandomenico Basso in the works Abarth Grande Punto who held sway.
Basso claimed eight fastest stage times through the course of the day, and although he was forced to adopt a more conservative approach through the final four stages due to losing reverse gear and fearing the consequences of a spin, he maintained his advantage.
In pursuit were two more Peugeots, those of Bruno Magalhaes and Alex Camacho, who are contesting the Portuguese championship as well as making their bids for IRC glory. Magalhaes capitalized on Basso’s conservative run through the later stages, having himself grown accustomed to the latest compound of BF Goodrich tyres and gained confidence enough to push his car to three stage wins.
Defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz lies fourth for Peugeot, ahead of the second Abarth of Luca Rossetti. Meeke, meanwhile, holds sixth place in what has become a titanic battle with championship rival Freddy Loix. With just six points between them and four rounds remaining after Madeira, the importance of this result to the overall championship hopes of both men is vita – producing a thrilling competition that has seen both men at their best.
If he crosses the line first this evening, Basso will join an elite group of three-time winners on Madeira, alongside Americo da Silva Nunes and Pierro Liatti. Eight special stages will be run on today’s second and final leg, with the victory celebrations to take place in central Funchal.

Basso leads in the 50th Rali Vinho Madeira

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Romania’s biggest rally event, the Sibiu Rally, was today announced as the latest of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Supporter Events from 2010. The IRC Supporter Event scheme allows selected national events to benefit from the prestige of being associated with the IRC, from the strengths of the IRC brand, and to promote themselves internationally through on-demand video highlights available on the IRC website, www.ircseries.com.
"Today’s announcement marks a great opportunity for the Sibiu Rally to make its name in Europe the wider motor sport world. The partnership with IRC is also a big opportunity to promote the tourism in city of Sibiu," said Berti Panaiot, the Sibiu Rally PR and Marketing Manager. "It is a first step towards out goal of one day joining the IRC calendar, and to learn from and work alongside our colleagues from this fantastic global series."
The Sibiu Rally is a demanding gravel event in the Paltinis region of Romania, and also features a dramatic Superspecial stage on which competitors are able to compete side-by-side in a natural amphitheatre to huge crowds. Hosting the event is the vibrant city of Sibiu, which was European Capital of Culture in 2007. According to legend it was to Sibiu that the children led away by the Pied Piper of Hamelyn finally arrived, explaining the city’s large German population.
Sibiu not only plays host to the rally, but draws in enormous numbers of visitors each year for who visit its landmarks, museums and cultural events. As such it sits perfectly within the IRC’s innovative approach to the organisation and presentation of rallying as a sport.
"The Sibiu Rally is an impressive event, with dedicated and enthusiastic organisers, competitors and volunteers," said Xavier Gregory, IRC General Coordinator. "We believe there is a very close fit between our series and this event, and we welcome them to the IRC Supporter Event scheme."
The 2009 Sibiu Rally is the ninth running of this event, featuring a total of 45 crews from Romania, Finland and Hungary. Among the leading entries is last year’s IRC Rally China winner, Jarkko Miettinen, giving the local talent a run for its money and giving the Sibiu Rally an experience of IRC-winning talent.

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MEEKE EXPECTED SKODA TO DOMINATE IN RUSSIA … AND ALL THE OTHER NEWS FROM THE IRC

Kris Meeke has said he fully expected Skoda to dominate the sixth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in Russia earlier this month and insists he can’t afford to drop any more points as a result.
Despite not including the gravel event in his schedule, 30-year-old Meeke continues to lead the IRC drivers‘ standings by a single point from Jan Kopecky, who finished second to his Skdoa team-mate Juho Hanninen on the Vyborg-based rally.
"We saw on the opening event of the season just how strong the Skoda was," said Meeke. "We also saw on the Azores Rally how good the car was on gravel. Russia was also like a home rally for Hanninen and he showed the pace he could produce when he won in Russia last year."
Peugeot UK driver Meeke said Skoda’s victory was a boost to the IRC, which has been dominated by the French manufacturer so far this season. "From my point of view I’m delighted they won it. They’ve put a lot of effort in so it’s good they’ve been rewarded. Trying to beat them on the next rally they do will also give me another challenge to aim at."
With Skoda missing the next round of the IRC in Madeira, Meeke conceded that it was vital he took full advantage of the Czech firm’s absence. "Skoda winning just shows how close this championship is. There’s no way I can afford any more zero scores."

Kris Meeke (Peugeot UK) still leads the IRC despite missing Rally Russia

PROTON PLANS SECOND IRC ENTRY FOR BARUM RALLY ZLIN

Proton will expand its line-up to a two-car team in time for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge’s visit to Czech Republic from August 21-23, team principal Chris Mellors has confirmed.
The Malaysian manufacturer made its IRC debut on the Belgium Ypres Rally last month, fielding a single entry for the British driver Guy Wilks. On Rally Russia recently, the team took its first IRC points when Wilks finished an impressive fourth on the gravel event.
Now Mellors has revealed that the construction of a second Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 will be completed in time for next month’s Barum Rally Zlin, although he is keeping the details of his new signing under wraps.
"We will have a second car for the Barum Rally but I am not able to say who will be driving it," Mellors said.
Meanwhile, Mellors explained that preparations were already underway for the next round of the IRC, Rali Vinho Madeira, from July 30-August 1. "The car returned to the UK on Thursday (July 16) and we will leave with the car for Madeira on Tuesday (July 21). In that time we will carry out a full rebuild and convert the car to Tarmac specification. We plan to test when we get to Madeira."

Proton’s next appearance will be back on asphalt after a promising gravel debut

SKODA BOSS SAYS RUSSIAN IRC VICTORY JUSTIFIED DRIVER CHOICE

Skoda Motorsport boss Michal Hrabanek belives his decision to sign Juho Hanninen and Jan Kopecky to lead his team’s assault on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge has been vindicated after their one-two finish on Rally Russia recently.
The success marked the first triumph in the IRC for Skoda’s Fabia Super 2000 model, which only made its competition debut on the Monte Carlo Rally in January. Kopecky moved to within one point of Kris Meeke at the top of the drivers‘ standings while Skoda is now two points clear of Ralliart in the manufacturers‘ championship.
"I take my hat off to both our crews, selecting them for our team was a good decision," said Hrabanek. "We have known Jan Kopecky for a long time, he puts in stable performances and has improved a great deal. Juho Hanninen showed already in Monte Carlo this year that he could be pretty fast, too, and I am really glad that he’s shown now how good he really is. We have done a great job of promoting the Skoda brand, and I daresay that this has not been our last achievement."
Skoda is set to return to the IRC on Barum Rally Zlin, its home event, on August 21-23. "This victory is a great impulse for further work and we are not going to rest on our laurels," Hrabanek continued. "I believe that this milestone will boost the whole project and attract potential buyers of the Fabia Super 2000. The next event takes place in Zlin, where we will logically be under pressure but we will all look forward to it."
BASSO HOPES RUSSIAN PODIUM WILL LEAD TO MORE IRC SUCCESS
Factory Abarth driver Giandomenico Basso will be hoping to continue the good form he showed on Rally Russia earlier this month when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge resumes in Madeira on July 30.
Italian Basso finished third on the gravel rally, his second podium finish of the season, to climb to fourth in the drivers‘ standings. He now heads to Madeira, an event he has won on two occasions in the past at the wheel of a Grande Punto Super 2000.
"It’s always great to grab some points after such a difficult rally," said Basso, who experienced a few delays in Russia. "On the second day of the rally we had a water leak and that made us worry about the engine. The balance of the car was not good and we couldn’t fix that. Plus I had trouble with punctures and so we need to analyse the data, see what was missing, and use these points to boost our season."
Abarth is currently fourth in the manufacturers‘ standings. Its second driver, Anton Alen, was the fifth IRC-registered finisher home in Russia after he restarted under SupeRally regulations following a car-damaging crash on leg two of the event. He demonstrated his potential by claiming a stage victory.
WITTMANN PRAISES CO-DRIVER AND TEAM FOR RUSSIAN IRC RESULT
Franz Wittmann Jr has praised his co-driver Bernhard Ettel and his Stohl Racing team for helping him to equal his best result in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge so far at the wheel of his Interwetten Racing Mitsubishi Lancer E9.
The 25-year-old from Austria was the best non-Super 2000 finisher in sixth overall in the IRC standings on Rally Russia on July 9-11. The result puts him tenth in the drivers‘ championship.
"Foremost, I’d like to thank my co-driver Bernhard Ettel who didn’t make a single mistake during this fast rally and thereby highly contributed to our success," said Wittmann Jr. "My further thanks go to the team of Stohl Racing who provided me with a perfect and very stable car. We didn’t have the slightest problems despite the high demands of the rally. Throughout the event we only encountered three punctures that cost us some time.
"To me, it was important to learn and get to know the stages in order to raise my chances for next year with improved pacenotes."
Wittmann Jr won’t be competing on the next round of the IRC, Rali Vinho Madeira, but will return to the series on Barum Rally Zlin in Czech Republic on August 21-23.

Wittmann (Ralliart) took his best-ever IRC result in Russia

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The factory Abarth team is hoping the luck that has deserted it so far this year will return on Rally Russia, round six of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, later this month.
Abarth’s lead drivers Anton Alen and Giandomenico Basso are both experts on gravel and are looking forward to delivering a stronger showing in Russia.
They hope the gravel event, which is based in Vyborg from July 9-11, will bring about a change of fortune.
Nicola Gullino, the Abarth team principal, said: “We have had a bad start to the championship despite making lots of technical improvements to the car. We have been trying our best but we have not had the luck. Even in Ypres, when we were not in the top three, the final result did not reflect our performance.”
Abarth will be heartened by the fact Alen won the inaugural Rally Russia in 2007 at the wheel of one of the Italian firm’s Grande Punto Super 2000s.
“Anton is very quick in Russia but the road surface is a big factor there,” Gullino continued. “In 2007 the road was very smooth, almost like Finland, but the restoration of the roads last year following a tough winter was not so good and that made the road conditions quite bad in some places.”

Anton Alen and Giandomenico Basso aim for more points in Russia

HANNINEN HOPES RUSSIAN GRAVEL WILL GIVE SKODA ITS FIRST WIN

Juho Hanninen believes he can secure Skoda’s first win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge when the series resumes on Rally Russia. Finn Hanninen, who won the event last season driving a Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 Super 2000, believes he will be able to make the most of his reputation as a gravel specialist by claiming overall honours.
“I am looking forward to Russia because I certainly prefer gravel to Tarmac,” said Hanninen following the recent Belgium Ypres Rally. “It is a surface I have performed well on in the past and I am sure I will be able to do so again. I gained a lot of experience on the [asphalt-based] Ypres Rally, which wasn’t exactly ideally suited to me, and I wish to thank all members of the team for their support and for the excellent preparation of my car.”
Hanninen held third place on the Belgium Ypres Rally heading into the final stage only for a punctured tyre to drop him to fifth overall in the final standings.
“I am glad to have got to the finish of this difficult rally,” he added. “I consider fifth place in the overall rankings to be positive.”

PROMISING YPRES SHOWING GIVES WITTMANN A BOOST FOR RUSSIA

Franz Wittmann Jr believes the experience gained on the Belgium Ypres Rally in June will be highly advantageous when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge resumes in Russia later this month.
Austrian Wittmann will tackle the gravel event based in Vyborg in a Mitsubishi Lancer E9 following a strong showing on the asphalt lanes of Ypres recently. There he was challenging for a top-ten finish until a puncture caused a driveshaft to failure and led to his retirement from the event.
If Wittmann can maintain his impressive start to the season in Russia then it will help the Mitsubishi-blessed Ralliart operation to maintain its second position in the IRC manufacturers’ standings.
“We entered the Ypres Rally knowing that we wouldn’t stand much chance against 19 superior Super 2000 cars and several [of the latest] Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Xs on a 100 per cent Tarmac rally,” said Wittmann. “But we can be a little bit proud that we managed to be 11th in the intermediate classification as second-best non-Super 2000 car after six stages. In any case we learned a lot in Belgium and I hope that I can put these experiences into action in the future.”
Wittmann is the only driver from Austria regularly competing in the series. He is currently 19th in the drivers’ table.

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YPRES PERFORMANCE BOOSTS SKODA … AND ALL THE OTHER NEWS FROM THE IRC

Skoda Motorsport boss Michal Hrabanek believes Jan Kopecky’s second place finish on the Belgium Ypres Rally recently will be a major step towards the Czech manufacturer achieving its debut win in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Speaking after Kopecky’s second consecutive runner-up placing in the IRC, which also marked his first podium on a full asphalt rally, Hrabanek said the result was very significant.
"Just like we presumed the Ypres Rally was a tough fight for every second, which is actually typical of the entire IRC series and certainly attractive from the perspective of the rally fans," said Hrabanek. "The final result confirms that our success at the Azores Rally was no coincidence and that we are indeed good enough to fight for the overall victory."
Hrabanek, however, urged caution, adding: "We haven’t made the last step, though, and we know that we still have a lot of hard work to do. The experience we have gained in Belgium will definitely help us in our development work and in preparing the car for the races to come, as well as in our customer sales programme."
Skoda will return to the IRC on Rally Russia, which is due to run from July 9-11.

Skoda enjoyed another strong run in Belgium

HONDA AND PIEPERS AIM FOR IRC 2WD GLORY

Honda driver Marcel Piepers has emerged as an outside bet for 2WD Cup honours in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge following his victory in the emerging class on the recent Belgium Ypres Rally.
Piepers was the first of two Honda drivers in the top three of the 2WD section on the popular asphalt event. Fellow Dutchman Martijn Braat was third in a similar Civic Type R, while fourth place for Belgian Patrick Vandeputte completed an astonishing Honda performance after it scored more manufacturer points than any other make on the event.
Although Piepers will skip the next two rounds in Russia and Madeira, he is set to return for Barum Rally Zlin in August when he will be a favourite for 2WD Cup honours.
"The result means that we are now joint second in the IRC 2WD Cup drivers‘ rankings and we have also boosted Honda’s score in the IRC manufacturers‘ standings," said Piepers. "It was an excellent rally for us and our Honda performed perfectly throughout all 16 stages. All we did was put in fuel and change the tyres."
Alessandro Mariani of JAS Motorsport, the company responsible for overseeing the Honda Civic Type R rally programme, added: "To achieve such a successful result on one of the toughest events of the IRC only increases our satisfaction."

Piepers won the IRC 2WD Cup for Honda in Belgium

WILKS HAS HIGH HOPES FOR PROTON DESPITE TOUGH DEBUT

Guy Wilks has said he will be able to take many positives away from his retirement on the Belgium Ypres Rally recently.
Wilks, who was giving Proton’s Satria Neo Super 2000 its debut in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, retired on the opening day of the event following a crash. However, the British driver said the fact he was as high as 11th on the car’s first proper event suggested the Proton has a huge amount of potential.
"I’m disappointed and the whole of the Proton team is that we weren’t able to finish and get the mileage in the car we were looking for," said Wilks. "The Proton had been really well received by the IRC fans and they were brilliant helping us to get back on the road after our accident."
Wilks said he had already turned his attentions to the next round of the series, Rally Russia, which runs from July 9-11.
"I’m already thinking ahead to Rally Russia," said Wilks. "We always knew it was going to be difficult against the more experienced teams here. But we know what we have got to do and given time and testing and some data to compare our performance against the others we’ll be right up there."
BFGOODRICH DRIVERS‘ TEAM SEARCH UNDERWAY FOR CZECH RALLY
The search for the next BFGoodrich Drivers‘ Team participant will begin in earnest shortly following the recent Belgium Ypres Rally.
Giving the opportunity for a rising star from selected countries to tackle their home event of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in a fully funded Peugeot 207 Super 2000, the programme will continue on Barum Rally Zlin in August.
Before then, however, representatives of tyre firm BFGoodrich, Kronos Racing (the company responsible for preparing the 207 S2000 used for the project), the Czech Republic’s motorsport governing body and members of the Czech media will have to consider applications from various candidates before eventually selecting a winner.
Last year’s recipient on Barum Rally Zlin, Pavel Valousek, finished fourth on the asphalt event, while the pedigree of the candidates was demonstrated when Sebastien Ogier won the Monte Carlo Rally, the IRC opener, in January.
Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville, who was selected to drive the car on the Belgium Ypres Rally, lived up to the strong reputation created by the BFGoodrich-backed drivers. Although he would ultimately retire from the asphalt event before the completion of day one, he had run as high as fourth on his first outing in a four-wheel-drive car.
"The BFGoodrich Drivers‘ Team operation was once again a huge success with the local crowd," said the company’s Jacques Morelli. "Thierry’s retirement no way calls his talent into question. He failed to finish but that’s rallying."

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Peugeot UK driver Kris Meeke has won his third consecutive IRC event by claiming victory on his first participation in the Belgium Ypres Rally, round five of the IRC series. The momentous win has promoted Meeke to a six-point lead in the standings over Peugeot Belgium driver Freddy Loix: the winner of the Belgium Ypres Rally last year.
Meeke and Loix were involved in a battle for the lead from the very beginning of the rally, trading fastest stage times. Over the course of the 16-stage event, Meeke won eight stages while Loix won seven. Meeke edged ahead after SS12, but Loix – a five-time winner of the Belgium Ypres Rally – claimed to have more speed in reserve. His challenge evaporated on the following stage though, when the Belgian picked up a puncture that dropped him to fourth place. He refused to give up and eventually finished third, maintaining second place in the championship.
The only other person to challenge the two leaders was Skoda driver Jan Kopecky, who was in the top three from the very first day. The only problem that the Czech encountered was a motorcyclist who rode into him on a road section before SS10, but fortunately there were no serious consequences. Following Loix’s puncture Kopecky moved up into second place, where he remained to the finish in order to graduate to third place overall in the championship standings.
Kopecky’s team mate Juho Hanninen was third up until the final stage, where he too punctured a tyre and dropped down to fifth. Nonetheless, the popular Finn scores his first points of the year. Hanninen’s misfortune benefitted local driver Pieter Tsjoen, who claimed fourth at the finish in a privately-run Peugeot 207 S2000.
The battle for sixth resulted in one of the closest finishes in the history of the IRC. Luxembourg driver Gilles Schammel, driving a Peugeot 207 S2000, finished just 0.1 seconds ahead of Dutchman Jasper van den Heuvel, at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer.
The final point was claimed by Abarth’s Giandomenico Basso, who lost fourth place on the very final stage after picking up a puncture on the same rock that caused a problem for Hanninen. Basso’s Abarth team mate Bernd Casier eventually finished 13th after being delayed by a gearbox problem and punctures: a constant risk on the challenging Belgian asphalt.
This notoriously tricky event, which is renowned in the world of international rallying, claimed some high-profile victims: most notably Francois Duval, making a guest appearance in a privateer Skoda Fabia S2000. The Belgian’s rally lasted just a few hundred metres before he skated off the road on SS1. Nicolas Vouilloz, the reigning IRC champion, also endured a difficult opening stage on Thursday: he went wide on a corner and heavily damaged the front of his Peugeot 207 S2000. The Frenchman was attempting to make his way back up the leaderboard on the second day when he got stuck behind the similar car of Michal Solowow, which had been slowed by a puncture, and went off whilst trying to get past it.
The IRC 2WD Cup was won by Dutchman Marcel Piepers, driving a Honda Civic Type R. Piepers stamped his authority over the event, but second place for Frenchman Denis Millet was enough to give the Frenchman the joint lead of the IRC 2WD Cup standings. Another Honda, driven by Martijn Braat, was third – usefully boosting the Japanese manufacturer’s haul in the IRC 2WD Cup constructors‘ standings.
IRC RESULTS AFTER SS16, BELGIUM YPRES RALLY
1 Meeke / Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    2hrs 32m 16.3s
2 Kopecky / Stary    Skoda Fabia S2000    +20.4s
3 Loix / Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m40.5s
4 Tsjoen / Chevaillier    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m35.3s
5 Hanninen / Markkula    Skoda Fabia S2000    +3m35.1s
6 Schammel / Jamoul    Peugeot 207 S2000    +4m06.4s
7 Van den Heuvel / Kolman    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10    +4m06.5s
8 Basso / Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +4m 24.9s
9 Betti/ Capolongo    Peugeot 207 S2000    +5m48.3s
10 Fontana/Cassina    Peugeot 207 S2000    +6m24.5s
IRC 2WD Cup Winner: Piepers/de Wild    Honda Civic Type R R3
STANDINGS
Drivers
1 Kris Meeke    UK    30
2 Freddy Loix    B    24
3 Jan Kopecky    CZ    21     
4 Nicolas Vouilloz    F    14
5 Giandomenico Basso    I    11    
6 Sebastien Ogier    F    10
7 Carl Tundo    EAK    10
8 Alistair Cavenagh    GB    8
9 Lee Rose    EAK    6    
10 Stephane Sarrazin     F    6
Manufacturers
1 Peugeot    68
3 Ralliart    35
3 Skoda    25
4 Abarth    15
QUOTES
"I never thought for a minute that I could be in a position to win here, so to be on the top step of the podium on such a prestigious event is a dream come true for me. I think this is certainly the biggest moment of my career to date. Everyone knows the reputation of this rally: victory here feels very special. But it takes more than one person to make a race, and it’s been fantastic to have such a fight, with just tenths of a second separating us all. I think this weekend is the most fun I’ve ever had behind the wheel."
-Kris Meeke, Peugeot UK, Winner
"Second place is a very good result for us, particularly as we had the accident with the motorcyclist today, which was not a nice feeling as it distracted us. Luckily everyone is OK, but it is not a nice thing to happen on a rally. I tried as best as I could, but I think this result is a real testimony to just how good our car is. I’d like to thank our entire team: we have had two second places now and we are third in the championship, which is a good sign that we are making progress."
– Jan Kopecky, Skoda Motorsport, Second
"Of course it’s a shame for everyone that we had the puncture, as before it was a really great fight with Kris. I tried not to push my hardest all the time, because this is not the sort of rally where you can take big risks, but in the end it was a really close battle between the two of us. The most important thing in any sport is to have good competition, and we certainly had that all weekend."
-Freddy Loix, Peugeot Belgium, Third
THE NEXT EVENT
By contrast to the flat-out asphalt roads of Belgium, the IRC moves next to the gravel stages of Rally Russia. The Russian event, now in its third year of participation in the IRC, is based as always in the city of Vyborg, not far from the Finnish border.
Unsurprisingly, the roads have quite a lot in common with those that feature on the legendary Rally Finland, rewarding bravery and commitment above all else. The Rally Russia takes place from July 9-11, with a ceremonial start in the beautiful city of St Petersburg.
TV TIMES
Eurosport will broadcast highlights from the Belgium Ypres Rally regularly, and video highlights can also be viewed on the official IRC website: www.rally-irc.com. To watch highlights from Belgium and the rest of year, please click on ‚watch video highlights‘. Alternatively, click on the flag of your preferred language in the Yahoo Eurosport box. All times listed below are Central European Times.
Tuesday 23 June
– 23h00 => 23h30      Rally Highlights (Eurosport)

Meeke claimed his third consecutive IRC victory

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Last year’s Belgium Ypres Rally winner Freddy Loix (Peugeot 207 S2000) holds a lead of just under five seconds at the overnight halt, from IRC series leader Kris Meeke. "I’m just trying to drive carefully and keep my concentration," said Loix at the finish. "I know this event quite well but it’s still so easy to make a mistake."
However, Meeke – the winner of the last two IRC rounds – has kept pace with Loix to hold a strong second place at the overnight halt.  Meeke declared himself ’surprised‘ to be trading fastest times with his veteran Belgian rival on home soil.
"I’m just driving my own stages," Meeke said. "I’m very surprised to be going so quickly, and I knew that if I came back into service leading the rally I’d be for the high jump! I don’t want to beat Freddy."
Having passed Loix for the championship lead with victory at the last IRC round in the Azores, Meeke has pledged to go carefully and ensure that he doesn’t throw away his chances on the notorious roads in Flanders. Nevertheless he and the Belgian WRC winner have pulled away from the chasing pack on every stage, with the gap standing at 4.9s at the overnight halt.
Czech asphalt ace Jan Kopecky trails them by 8.4s in his factory Skoda Fabia S2000, with a charging Giandomenico Basso clawing back time for Abarth in the battle for fourth, ahead of Kopecky’s teammate Juho Hanninen by 0.2s.
Both the BF Goodrich Peugeot being guest-driven by Thierry Neuville and Britain’s other leading entry in the event, the new Proton Satria of Guy Wilks, joined the high-profile retirements. 
The 21-year-old Belgian talent crashed out of the event on the sixth stage, Lille-Eurometropole 2 after a strong performance through the day.  Wilks, who was struggling with an over-eager engine temperature warning and without the ideal gear ratios because of homologation issues, went off the road on SS5.  The Skoda Belgium entry of former WRC winner Francois Duval crashed out a few hundred metres from the start of SS1. Peugeot’s Nicolas Vouilloz also hit trouble, damaging the front of his car with an off on the opening stage. "We were going fast, hit a bump and we spun quite fast," he said. The Frenchman dropped to 59th at the end of the stage but recovered to set the fifth fastest time on the second and third stages.
Bernd Casier, making his debut with the Abarth factory team, was delayed by a puncture on the final stage. Meanwhile, Dutch driver Marcel Piepers is in the provisional lead of the IRC 2WD Cup after a faultless performance.
The rally restarts at 12:30 tomorrow with an intense 10-stage run to the finish.
IRC RESULTS AFTER SS6, BELGIUM YPRES RALLY
1 Loix / Smeets    Peugeot 207 S2000    1h03m46.4s
2 Meeke / Nagle    Peugeot 207 S2000    +4.9s
3 Kopecky / Stary    Skoda Fabia S2000    +13.3s
4 Basso/Dotta    Abarth Grande Punto S2000    +56.9s
5 Hanninen/Markkula    Skoda Fabia S2000    +57.1s
6 Tsjoen/Chevaillier    Peugeot 207 S2000    +1m09.2s
7 Van den Heuvel/Kolman    Mitsubishi Lancer    +1m41.0s
8 Betti/Capolongo    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m40.6s
9 Fontana/Cassina    Peugeot 207 S2000    +2m41.4s
10 Wittmann/Ettel    Mitsubishi Lancer    +3m57.1s
IRC 2WD Cup leader: Piepers/de Wild    Honda Civic Type R

Freddy Loix leads the Belgium Ypres Rally after the opening day

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