Barum Rally 2016: Kopecký defends title in the Czech Rally Championship

ŠKODA works duo Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler won the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, thereby defending the title in the Czech rally championship (MČR) before the end of the season. Kopecký won the national championship for the fourth time after 2004, 2012 and 2015.

The experienced driver remained unbeaten in his ŠKODA FABIA R5 with its spectacular red and black special paintwork in the fifth round of the MČR season and in doing so prevailed over the European elite. The successful ŠKODA team of Kopecký / Dresler staged a dramatic duel with Russians Alexey Lukyanuk / Alexey Arnautov, who forfeited their chances of a win after an accident on the final special stage, over the three days of rally action.

This year’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín consisted of 15 special stages over a total of 229.94 classified kilometres, of which Jan Kopecký / Pavel Dresler won a total of ten stages. The classic rally was characterised by a close battle between ŠKODA works duo Kopecký / Dresler and Russian duo Alexey Lukyanuk / Alexey Arnautov. Throughout the entire rally, the two teams were separated by just a few seconds. The Russian duo had an accident on the final special stage; they were in second place at the time. Thousands of enthusiastic fans experienced the drama of the rally up close and personal – and cheered as Kopecký / Dresler in the FABIA R5 with a red and black special paintwork crossed the finish line. Kopecký burst into tears at the finish.

A total of ten ŠKODA FABIA R5 contested the rally around Zlín, and the top five spots ended up going to the these cars. Tomáš Kostka finished in second place ahead of Jan Černý. Despite suffering a puncture, Fabian Kreim / Frank Christian who competed with support from ŠKODA Motorsport, finished in fifth place.