Jan Kopecký has been racing in ŠKODA cars for nearly 20 years, and for the last 11 of them he has been a rally driver for the ŠKODA Motorsport factory team. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s faithful to ŠKODA in his personal life as well. He currently drives an OCTAVIA RS 245, and when he finally decides to sell it, it’ll prove a surprisingly good deal for the new owner. Seeing “previous owner: race car driver” in an ad would definitely put off most people, who are looking for a car owned by “one careful old lady”, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a car that has received better care.
“I really love cars, and I like to take care of them too. I even clean and wash them myself. I’d never take my own car to the car wash – I’d worry about scratching the paint. I really pamper my cars – I have a personal relationship with them and don’t just think of them as a way of getting around,” explains Kopecký. The same also applies to his rally car, currently a FABIA R5.
While it’s true that he is quite prepared to give the car a hammering at the races, he knows it will still get the royal treatment from ŠKODA Motorsport’s mechanics afterwards. As Kopecký himself says, the car has to be cleaned perfectly after every race, no matter how much mud and gravel it has picked up. This is the only way to detect any wear before it becomes a problem.
Any thoughts we might have that a rally driver would be a speed demon on the road are misplaced. If you happen to encounter Jan Kopecký on the road, you can relax, and for two reasons. The first is that he’s always completely focused on driving. Have you ever wondered if race drivers feel like they’re driving in slow motion when they’re on a normal road? In truth, they do.
“In all modesty, the difference between me and an untrained driver is enormous. The speed that we race at really gives us a shifted sense of perception. We’re able to keep track of so many things and see details that a normal person would never notice,” Kopecký says, describing the advantages of being a rally driver.
The second reason is that he simply doesn’t want to take the risk. “The OCTAVIA RS 245 is the fastest ŠKODA I’ve ever owned. It’s great to have the power when you need to accelerate in order to overtake someone safely, and the RS can take off like a rocket. But I don’t use this car to drive 200 km/h down a regular road. First off, it’s not allowed. Secondly, I can’t afford to lose my driving licence, because it means I would automatically have to quit racing,” says Kopecký.
Czechs lack politeness
“On Czech roads, I’m mostly missing a sense of fluency and politeness. I’d say that we Czechs are too arrogant behind the wheel sometimes,” says Kopecký. As for himself, he respects the Highway Code and always tries to keep abreast of what’s going on around him. “I don’t like being stuck in a long line of moving traffic, where your vision is limited and you don’t have much chance of responding to an unexpected situation. I’d rather overtake. My grandfather used to tell me that a million different situations can happen on the road at any moment. And he was right. That’s why I’m always trying to keep one step ahead.
3. What do you enjoy most about your work?
Mostly the adrenaline. And then, of course, there are the successes and the victories, just like in any sport. It takes a lot of work – motor sports take a mental, physical, and financial toll. So when it all works out and you can see the results, it’s really satisfying.
10. If you could take a drive anywhere in the world, where would you go?
My dreams have already come true in this sense, as I’ve traveled all over the world doing motor sports. My favourite country is Australia, followed by Japan. I’d head out there again any time.
