› WRC2 champion and European champion Andreas Mikkelsen drives the all-new rally car from ŠKODA as course car at Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav (8 to 10 July 2022)
› ŠKODA dealer teams compete regularly with the current ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo
› Fifth round of the Czech Rally Championship offers 14 special stages covering 158 kilometres
› ŠKODA Rally Park in the service zone on the airfield in Hoškovice welcomes fans and their families with a rich entertainment programme
Mladá Boleslav, 1 July 2022 – One of the tradition-richest events of the Czech Rally Championship is entering its 49th edition with a new name and a world premiere: During Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav (8 to 10 July 2022), the all-new ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 will go on rally stages in public for the first time. With reigning European Rally Champion Andreas Mikkelsen at the wheel, the ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 runs the manufacturer’s home rally as a so-called course car outside the official classification.
The Bohemia Rally in the Mladá Boleslav area has always played an important role for ŠKODA. The 49th edition of the event runs from 8 to 10 July 2022. ŠKODA Motorsport greets the spectators with a world premiere: the new ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 will tackle real rally stages for the very first time.
Because the homologation (approval for motorsport by the governing body FIA) for the completely newly developed Rally2 car has not yet been finalized, Andreas Mikkelsen and co-driver Torstein Eriksen will run without official timing. Driving the so-called course car on behalf of race control, the two Norwegians go out on the special stages about four minutes ahead of the first proper competitor to signal to the fans: The stage is live!
Last season, Mikkelsen won the drivers’ titles of the FIA European Rally Championship and the FIA World Rally Championship’s WRC2 category at the wheel of the current ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo. It is with this model that ŠKODA dealer teams compete the Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav.
They dominate the overall rankings. Jan Kopecký/Jan Hloušek of Agrotec ŠKODA Rally Team hold first position. The defending champions have won three of the four rounds of the season so far, most recently the Rally Hustopeče. Second placed Filip Mareš/Radovan Bucha fly the colours of Laureta Auto ŠKODA Team. Youngster Dominik Stříteský and experienced co-driver Jiří Hovorka from ACA ŠKODA Vančík Motorsport team are in third place overall after strong performances during the 2022 rallies so far. After the Hustopeče Rally, which did not go all to well for them, Adam Březík and co-driver Ondřej Krajča from Samohýl ŠKODA Team want to close the gap to the trio at the upper end of the overall standings.
In addition to all the Czech Championship’s top teams, the Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav will also feature crews competing in classic cars for the historic championship.
The tradition-rich event, which is entering its 49th edition under the new name of Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav, brings the competitors to Central Bohemia. Friday (8 July) is made up of scrutineering and the opening special stage "Sosnová". The three stages "Kvítkovice", "Bzí" and "Radostín" in the Liberec region, each to be driven twice, are on the agenda on Saturday (9 July). The final leg on Sunday (10 July) will take place in the Mladá Boleslav region with the special stages "Staroměstská", "Krásná" and "Zvířetice", which also will be run twice each. The 14 stages cover a total distance of around 158 kilometres.
The service park is set up on the Hoškovice airfield near Mnichovo Hradiště, including the ŠKODA Rally Park, which offers spectators an interesting entertainment programme. Among the crowd-pullers are the new ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 and the ŠKODA AFRIQ concept car built by students from ŠKODA AUTO Vocational School. Visitors can also compete on rally simulators, the fastest of the entire weekend will win a valuable prize.
Libor Šedivák, Head of Marketing at ŠKODA AUTO Czech Republic, comments: "This rally is one of the most important events of the whole year for ŠKODA and we are very committed to taking part in it. We are happy to welcome the spectators to the ŠKODA Rally Park, where the new ŠKODA FABIA RS Rally2 awaits them, along with many other attractions. Visitors will also be able to experience the same vehicle for the first time on the special stages, driven by a top international crew.”
News from the ŠKODA dealer teams:
• Championship leader Jan Kopecký and overall runner-up Adam Březík prepared themselves together for the Bohemia Rally Mladá Boleslav. Their respective teams Agrotec ŠKODA Rally Team and Samohýl ŠKODA Team organised a joint test day in Klášterec nad Orlicí in the Eagle Mountains foot hills
• Filip Mareš and his Laureta Auto ŠKODA Team used the days since the last championship round to set up and expand the new team base in Žerčice near Mladá Boleslav. The team is currently finalising the details of its service truck.
• Dominik Stříteský from ACA ŠKODA Vančík Motorsport team has again acted as a coach and mentor to several young Czech drivers in the Italian go-kart racing series Trofeo Easykart. One of the team's most successful drivers is Karolína Vančíková.
Overall standings Czech Rally Championship:
1. Jan Kopecký/Jan Hloušek (Agrotec ŠKODA Rally Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo), 231 points
2. Filip Mareš/Radovan Bucha (Laureta Auto ŠKODA Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo), 192 points
3. Dominik Stříteský/Jiří Hovorka (ACA ŠKODA Vančík Motorsport/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2), 126 points
4. Adam Březík/Ondřej Krajča (Samohýl ŠKODA Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2), 76 points
5. Karel Trojan/Zdeněk Jůrka (Korno Motorsport/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2), 75 points
6. Martin Vlček/Alexandra Skripová (Kowax 2Brally/Hyundai i20 N Rally2), 68 points
7. Věroslav Cvrček/Ondřej Šálek (Kontakt ŠKODA Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo), 43 points
8. Ondřej Šimek/Vítězslav Baďura (Shiva Motorsport KTM/Ford Fiesta R5), 41 points
9. Tom Kristensson/Andreas Johansson (Kowax 2Brally/Hyundai i20 R5), 39 points
10. Jaromír Tarabus/Daniel Trunkát (T&T Rally Team/Peugeot 208 Rally4), 28 points
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