The ŠKODA Motorsport factory team confirmed that it will be taking part in the SONAX Czech Rally Championship 2020. The plan is to use one ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, crewed by reigning Czech rally champion Jan Kopecký and co-driver Jan Hloušek.
As the measures against the COVID-19 epidemic are being relaxed, various sports are being re-started, including rallying. This includes the SONAX Czech Rally Championship, which has already introduced its modified calendar for 2020. Jan Kopecký and his new co-driver Jan Hloušek, from ŠKODA Motorsport, aspire to be among the favourites for the title.
The highest ambition
Kopecký does not hide his big ambitions and would like to retain the title of Czech rally champion. If he succeeds, it would be a historic success, as it would be his eighth title – something that no one before him has managed to do. At the same time, he aspires to win his sixth title in a row – that would also be a historic success.
For his co-driver Jan Hloušek, last year's European Rally Champion, this is a new chapter in his career. One of the reasons for choosing him was a positive experience from last year's starts in the Wales Rally and Rally Catalunya, where Hloušek helped Kopecký to secure his WRC 2 Pro successes.
“I'm looking forward to new challenges and working in a big team. I’ve already experienced professional rallying with Filip Mareš, but this will be a completely different thing. I realize that the high expectations include not only the physical preparation, but also the marketing and media activities,” says Jan Hloušek about his new life challenge.
The season begins
The new crew of Jan Kopecký and Jan Hloušek will introduce themselves this weekend in Sosnová near Česká Lípa, where one of the first races of this year's calendar, shortened by the coronavirus, will take place. On Saturday, 20th June, the Mogul Test Rally will take place at the Autodrom Sosnová. The three stages will be run on the racing circuit, totalling 30 kilometres.
Besides the works ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo, several customer ŠKODA cars will fight for the top places. Their crews will enjoy the great care that ŠKODA Motorsport gives to all the teams included in their customer programme, which is going really well even in - 2020. The number of ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 and Rally2 evo cars sold has passed 350 units already. This year, ŠKODA Motorsport is focussing on the customer programme even more, which means closer cooperation with the teams that have bought ŠKODA cars.
