Keith Cronin says he wants to get back behind the wheel of a PROTON Satria Neo S2000 in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge following a promising debut for the Malaysian manufacturer on Barum Czech Rally Zlin last week.
The 24-year-old Irishman had posted a succession of top 10 fastest stage times when he crashed out close to the finish of the penultimate stage of the opening day of the demanding asphalt event.
He said: "I want to do something with PROTON again but I don’t know when at the moment. It took me a little while to get to grips with the car but it was perfect, a fantastic car. I couldn’t believe it when I went off. It was so disappointing and I hurt my wrist a bit but that was nothing compared with the feeling of being out of the event. But it was a fantastic chance for me and one I’m not going to forget for a long time."
Cronin and co-driver Barry McNulty were in 14th overall when they crashed. They were fifth fastest on stage six of the event and seventh quickest on stage seven, despite overshooting a junction.
PROTON’s next IRC outing is currently scheduled for October’s RACMSA Rally of Scotland.

Keith Cronin impressed on his debut for the PROTON IRC team

Route changes for Rally of Scotland revealed

The penultimate round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, October’s RACMSA Rally of Scotland, has undergone a few changes with the addition of a new stage on the final day of the spectacular gravel event.
A new stage, Clashmore, has been introduced to replace Achray, which can no longer be used due to access issues, on day two of the event. As a result, the Loch Ard stage will be trimmed from 33.52 kilometres to 29.04 kilometres to accommodate the new test.
Furthermore, the finish at Stirling Castle on Sunday 17 October will also be 30 minutes earlier than scheduled at 15:04hrs local time, while the remote service on Sunday has been switched from Callander to Aberfoyle.
Clerk of the Course Iain Campbell said: "The new stage is more of a technical challenge than we had before. The start is very narrow with off-camber corners before joining a new forest road that takes in part of the Loch Ard stage. The final two-thirds are very fast and the committed driver will make the most of this test."
More information on the event can be found via the official website www.rallyofscotland.com.

Zlin Subaru Individual Award for Stajf

The latest Subaru Individual Award has gone to Vojtech Stajf following his run to 17th place on Barum Czech Rally Zlin, which took place in southeast Czech Republic from 27-29 August.
Driving for the Czech National Subaru Team, Stajf was making his second start in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge following his appearance on Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo in January where he finished 14th alongside regular co-driver Marcela Doleckova.
The Subaru Individual Award is presented on each of the 12 IRC rounds this year to the highest-placed Subaru finisher and demonstrates the support that Subaru is extending to its customer drivers in the IRC in 2010.
Olivier Burri (Monte Carlo), Juan San Martin (Curitiba), Gabriel Pozzo (Argentina), Jose Barrios (Canary Islands), Teemu Arminen (Sardinia), Florian Gonon (Ypres), Sergio Silva (Azores) and Pedro Meireles (Madeira) are the other Subaru Individual Award winners so far this season.

Vojtech Stajf is the latest Subaru Individual Award winner

Miclotte reveals late scare in Zlin

Barum Czech Rally Zlin-winning navigator Frederic Miclotte has revealed that he and driver Freddy Loix suffered a dramatic moment of their own in the closing stages of the thrilling Intercontinental Rally Challenge event, which featured three changes of lead on the final four stages.
The Belgian pair secured their third win in as many starts in the IRC this season on the rain-hit asphalt rally in their Skoda Motorsport Fabia S2000. Despite being a relatively comfortable 25 seconds clear of closest rivals Juho Hanninen and Mikko Markkula at the finish in Zlin on Sunday afternoon, there was a moment when Miclotte feared their bid for victory would end prematurely.
"From looking at the data the team realised there was a problem with the gearbox and that it would have to be changed in the final service," said Miclotte. "We only had 20 minutes and it normally takes more than this. But the guys changed it in 14 minutes, which was really amazing. The team did a perfect job so we’re very happy even though it was quite a tense finish."

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Jan Kopecky’s disappointment at losing out on victory on Barum Czech Rally Zlin on Sunday (29 August) has been eased slightly after he was chosen as the winner of the third Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy, which is presented to the most spectacular driver who best embodies the spirit of the rallying legend on rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
Kopecky, who follows in the footsteps of previous winners Bruno Magalhaes and Freddy Loix, was handed the prestigious award by a panel of judges consisting of the IRC’s Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Gilbert Roy, the Director of Editorial and Programme Development for Eurosport Events, and Colin’s father Jim McRae, who was in Zlin to make the presentation to Skoda Motorsport driver Kopecky.
Chasing his second win in a row on the demanding asphalt event, Kopecky had led from the start and was 26 seconds clear in front when he crashed into retirement with three stages remaining. Nevertheless his performance, which included setting the fastest time on five of the rain-hit stages, was enough to earn him the prestigious accolade on round nine of the 2010 IRC season.
An emotional Kopecky said: "I have to say it’s a big honour. Colin was an official Skoda driver and [on Rally GB in 2005] I did the whole recce with him. He was a very good guy and it’s really sad what happened to him."
The judges also considered Keith Cronin, who set several top 10 stage times in the emerging PROTON Satria Neo S2000, and Vaclav Pech, who was battling for a top five finish in his showroom-specification Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX before an off dented his hopes. However, Jim McRae said that Kopecky was most deserving of the award because of the pace he displayed in the changeable conditions at the wheel of his Fabia Super 2000.
"I went to a few stages on Saturday and Sunday," said McRae, a five-time winner of the British Rally Championship and a trustee of the Colin McRae Vision charity. "The conditions were very difficult but Jan drove very well and was unlucky not to win. It’s for this reason that he was chosen."
The Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy will be presented on all remaining rounds of the IRC with an end of season trophy, the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Driver of the Year, also being handed over at the IRC’s end of season awards ceremony.
It was conceived following the formation of an official partnership in June between Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, and Colin McRae Vision, a charity established following the death of the 1995 world rally champion, his young son Johnny and two family friends in a helicopter accident in 2007, which aims to improve health and education for children around the world.
Eurosport Events and Colin McRae Vision will work with organisers of selected rounds of the IRC to identify suitable projects and initiatives that help young people*.
The 2010 IRC season continues with Rallye Sanremo, round ten of the series, from 23-25 September when the next Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy will be presented.
*Prior to the start of Barum Czech Rally Zlin, reigning IRC champion Kris Meeke, an ambassador of Colin McRae Vision, presented a cheque for 90,000 CZK (about 3700 Euros) to a local Zlin-based charity, the Children’s Traffic Foundation.

Jan Kopecky (left) receives the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy

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Belgian maintains remarkable sequence of victories
Podium lockout hands Skoda first IRC makes‘ award
Freddy Loix has become the most successful driver in the history of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge by taking a record-breaking sixth win and his third in as many starts this season after a dramatic climax to Barum Czech Rally Zlin today (Sunday) when the lead changed hands three times on the final four stages.
Juho Hanninen claimed second to maintain his title advantage while third place for local hero Pavel Valousek not only ensured a Skoda Fabia one-two-three but also enabled the Czech firm to clinch the 2010 IRC manufacturers‘ crown for the first time with three rounds remaining.
Overnight leader Jan Kopecky had looked set to triumph on the demanding all-asphalt rally for a second year in a row but spun into retirement with three stages left to run when he was 26 seconds out in front.
Kopecky, who was on a charge in his efforts to make up lost time following a spin earlier on stage 14, broke too late for a left hander and slid off the road. Although his Fabia was largely undamaged it was beached on a large branch. Unable to regain the stage, Kopecky and co-driver Petr Stary were forced to retire having led the rally from the very first stage through the streets of host city Zlin on Friday evening.
"There was some vibration after the first spin and I was a little afraid I had a puncture," said the 28-year-old Czech driver. "My thinking was too much for this and I went off. I’m very disappointed and sorry for Skoda because the car was absolutely perfect and also to the crowd who gave me so much support all weekend."
His misfortune promoted Bryan Bouffier, at the wheel of a Peugeot 207, into first place. But Bouffier’s challenge came unstuck when he damaged his rear suspension sliding wide on the penultimate stage. Although he managed to soldier through the run, his delay dropped him to second, 3.8s behind Loix heading into the final test.
Any hopes Bouffier had of regaining top spot were dashed when a broken pipe, the legacy of an earlier compression, dumped water over his Peugeot’s front tyres and caused him to go off into a ditch five kilometres from the start of the stage.

Freddy Loix (right) celebrates his dramatic IRC win in Zlin

Loix and co-driver Frederic Miclotte had settled for second place when Bouffier pulled clear on stage 15. A cautious run through the mud-strewn penultimate stage ensured they moved in front when Bouffier hit trouble and the Belgians kept their composure to claim what had been an unlikely victory leaving midday service.
Rain and cool temperatures were a factor throughout the event in southeast Czech Republic. Not only did the unseasonable conditions add to the challenge facing the competitors by making the inconsistent stage surface more slippery than usual, they also made tyre choice a lottery as crews gambled over compound choices to suit the changeable weather.
Juho Hanninen was one of a number of drivers to fall foul of the conditions when he slid off backwards into a tree at high speed on stage four. Although the moment dropped him out of contention, an error-free performance thereafter helped the Finn to land his eighth podium finish of 2010.
Pavel Valousek trailed IRC champion Kris Meeke by 18.4s with one stage left to run but moved ahead of the Northern Irishman when Meeke’s Peugeot UK 207 suffered a broken front differential two kilometres into the stage. Meeke started Sunday’s final eight stages confident he could fight for second place but a series of incorrect tyre choices wrecked his chances. A sticking throttle on stage 14 caused more anguish before the differential fault dropped him to fourth behind Valousek.
Valousek, who lives close to Zlin, made the most of his local knowledge and some inspired tyre choices to beat his previous best finish of fourth place in his semi-works Fabia. The pick of these was when he opted for dry weather hard-compound tyres for Sunday’s opening loop of stages when most of his rivals believed it would rain.
Andreas Mikkelsen took a solid fifth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 with Vaclav Pech rounding out the top six in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer. Pech had been in a close fight with Czech championship rival Valousek only for an off to drop him back and leave his car with a punctured front-right tyre and damaged suspension.
Guy Wilks marked his return from injury with seventh place in his Skoda UK Motorsport Fabia although his true pace was masked by a rear differential fault, which his mechanics were unable to cure due to a component supply issue. The glitch hindered braking stability and traction on the, at times, treacherous stage surfaces. Jaromir Tarabus secured the final IRC drivers‘ point in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000.
Kevin Abbring took his second IRC 2WD Cup win of the season in his Clio R3 with rising Czech driver Lobomir Minarik second in a similar machine. Abbring, from the Netherlands, moves joint top of the drivers‘ standings with Rafael Tulio, who wasn’t competing in Zlin.
There was some consolation for Jan Kopecky, however, when he was handed the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy for his efforts. Colin’s father Jim McRae, who was in Zlin, was part of the three-person judging team. He said that Kopecky’s spectacular performance had best embodied the spirit of the rallying legend, who lost his life in a helicopter accident in 2007.

 
Bryan Bouffier lost victory with two stages remaining

DRIVER QUOTES

Freddy Loix (Belgium), Skoda Fabia S2000, first overall: "It’s my second victory in Zlin but definitely my hardest and definitely my most exciting. The conditions were extremely difficult and it was a big fight with Bryan at the end. I always had a good feeling with my car but I was missing something in my driving. It was a question to be as quick as possible without making any mistakes."
Juho Hanninen (Finland), Skoda Fabia S2000, second overall: "My goal was to be first or second to improve my points. I was second so I am happy but it was very interesting because the weather kept changing on almost every stage. It started well on my side and I had the speed but then I had my big moment although I was lucky not to retire."
Pavel Valousek (Czech Republic), Skoda Fabia S2000, third overall: "This is my best position on this rally and I’m really glad we’ve achieved it. Today we chose the right tyres and this was very important. I would like to thank my team for all their help."

 
Juho Hanninen remains in control of the IRC title chase

TOP TEN IRC POSITIONS AFTER LEG TWO

1 Freddy Loix/Frederic Miclotte (Skoda Fabia S2000) 2h31m31.0s
2 Juho Hanninen/Mikko Markkula (Skoda Fabia S2000) +25.0s
3 Pavel Valousek/Zdenek Hruza (Skoda Fabia S2000) +1m20.2s
4 Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000) +1m57.6s
5 Andreas Mikkelsen (M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000) +2m33.9s
6 Vaclav Pech/Petr Uhel (Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) +3m07.4s
7 Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (Skoda Fabia S2000) +3m41.1s
8 Jaromir Tarabus/Daniel Trunkat (M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000) +5m18.0s
9 Tomas Kostka/Vit Houst (Skoda Fabia S2000) +6m13.1s
10 Bryan Bouffier/Xavier Panseri (Peugeot 207 S2000) +6m52.2s
Leading IRC 2WD Cup finishers: Kevin Abbring/Erwin Mombaerts (Clio R3)

IRC STANDINGS

Drivers after round nine of 12 (best seven results)
1 Juho Hanninen (Finland) 56pts
2 Jan Kopecky (Czech Republic) 47pts
3 Freddy Loix (Belgium) 30pts
= Bruno Magalhaes (Portugal) 30pts
5 Kris Meeke (United Kingdom) 28pts
6 Guy Wilks (United Kingdom) 27pts
7 Andreas Mikkelsen (Norway) 13pts
8 Thierry Neuville (Belgium) 11pts
9 Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) 10pts
10 Paolo Andreucci (Italy) 8pts etc
Manufacturers after round nine of 12 (best seven results)
1 Skoda 128pts
2 Peugeot 79pts
3 M-Sport 31pts
4 Ralliart 22pts
5 Subaru 11pts
IRC 2WD Drivers after round nine of 12 (best seven results)
1 Kevin Abbring 20pts
= Rafael Tulio 20pts
3 Pierre Campana 16pts
= Harry Hunt 10pts
= Yeray Lemes 10pts
= Kris Princen 10pts
= Duarte Ramos 10pts
= Marcos Tokarski 10pts
9 Carlos Oliveira 9pts
10 Filipe Carvalho 8pts
= Enrique Cruz 8pts
= Luis Gius 8pts
= Lubomir Minarik 8pts
= Pablo Pelaez 8pts
= Colin R Smith 8pts
= Luis Tedesco 8pts etc
IRC 2WD Manufacturers after round nine of 12 (best seven results)
1 Peugeot 80pts
2 M-Sport 68pts
3 Abarth 29pts
4 Honda 27pts
5 Skoda 5pts

RALLY LEADERS

SS1-13: Jan Kopecky
SS14-15: Bryan Bouffier
SS16-17: Freddy Loix

STAGE WINNERS

Friday 27 August
SS1: SSS Zlin (9.36kms): Jan Kopecky
Saturday 28 August
SS2: Biskupice 1 (9.01kms): Jan Kopecky
SS3: Zadverice 1 (14.95kms): Jan Kopecky
SS4: Semetin 1 (11.71kms): Juho Hanninen
SS5: Trojak 1 (29.09kms): Bryan Bouffier
SS6: Biskupice 2 (9.01kms): Pavel Valousek
SS7: Zadverice 2 (14.95kms): Jan Kopecky
SS8: Semetin 2 (11.71kms): Juho Hanninen
SS9: Trojak 2 (29.09kms): Freddy Loix
Sunday 29 August
SS10: Halenkovice 1 (24.90kms): Pavel Valousek
SS11: Kudlovice 1 (11.39kms): Bryan Bouffier
SS12: Velky Orechov 1 (7.14kms): Jan Kopecky
SS13: Pindula 1 (19.76kms): Pavel Valousek
SS14: Halenkovice 2 (24.90kms): Freddy Loix
SS15: Kudlovice 2 (11.39kms): Bryan Bouffier
SS16: Velky Orechov 2 (7.14kms): Juho Hanninen
SS17: Pindula 2 (19.76kms): Pavel Valousek

KEY STATISTICS

Rally wins in 2010 (drivers)
Loix: 3
Hanninen: 2
Hirvonen: 1
Kopecky: 1
Magalhaes: 1
Meeke: 1
Rally wins in 2010 (manufacturers)
Skoda: 6
Peugeot: 2
M-Sport: 1
Stage wins in 2010 (drivers)
Juho Hanninen: 32
Kris Meeke: 27
Jan Kopecky: 25
Freddy Loix: 25
Sebastien Ogier: 7
Paolo Andreucci: 5
Bruno Magalhaes: 4
Luca Rossetti: 4
Pavel Valousek: 4
Bryan Bouffier: 3
Mikko Hirvonen: 3
Stephane Sarrazin: 2
Andreas Mikkelsen: 1
Bernardo Sousa: 1
Nicolas Vouilloz: 1
Guy Wilks: 1
Stage wins in 2010 (manufacturers)
Skoda: 88
Peugeot: 46
M-Sport: 5
Abarth: 4

TV TIMES

Eurosport, Europe’s largest television sports channel, will show highlights of the rally, which will also be available at www.rally-irc.com, as follows:
Sunday 29 August
22:00hrs-22:30hrs Day two highlights (Eurosport)
23:15hrs-23:45hrs Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
24:45hrs-25:15hrs Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport)
Monday 30 August
08:30hrs-09:00hrs Day two highlights repeated (Eurosport)
Tuesday 31 August
15:30hrs-16:00hrs Rally review (Eurosport, Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Wednesday 1 September
05:00hrs-05:30hrs Rally review repeated (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
Thursday 2 September
13:00hrs-13:30hrs Rally review repeated (Eurosport 2)
Saturday 4 September
09:45hrs-10:15hrs Rally review repeated (Eurosport 2)
11:00hrs-11:30hrs Rally review repeated (Eurosport Asia-Pacific)
All times are CET

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