The Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) resumes this weekend in the Czech Republic, and Proton will be there at the Barum Czech Rally Zlin with their yellow Neos piloted by two-time FIA Junior World Rally Champion P-G Andersson and double FIA European Rally Champion Giandomenico Basso. This is round seven of IRC 2011′s 11 races.
Based in the south-east of the Czech Republic, some 300 km east from capital Prague and about 200 km north from the Austrian capital of Vienna, the 41st edition of the Zlin Rally will be contested through the forests close to the city of Zlin. The event will consist of 15 special stages with a combined competitive distance of 248.48 km. High-speed and tricky asphalt roads will be waiting for the drivers.
Rallying begins with a 9.36 km test along a super special stage in the town centre which will be run in the dark before day two takes teams through another nine SS totaling 133.4 km. The third and final day will feature six special stages with a distance of 115 km. The event will see 29 S2000 cars battle, 14 of which are Skoda Fabia S2000s, from a total of 123 registered entries. This is the home race for Skoda, the IRC champions.
“The roads on this rally can be quite bumpy with some broken tarmac, which is good for me – this kind of condition suits me quite well. I haven’t competed in Zlin before, but I have heard a lot about the rally. I’m looking forward to getting out there and driving again to chase a good result,” said ex-Suzuki man Andersson.
“The most important thing is to find a good confidence in the car on the bumpy surface. Barum is not like a normal tarmac rally, it is very specific. The bumps make finding the right set-up complicated so there is a lot of work to do with the dampers. The roads in Zlin can be especially difficult when there is rain,” said the experienced Italian Basso.
I went to the official Czech Rally website, and guess what greeted me? Hint, it’s not a Skoda!
