Dominik Stříteský is an FIA European Rally Championship winner for the first time as Jan Kopecký’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín reign came to an end during a dramatic sixth round of another all-action ERC season.
Kopecký hadn’t been beaten on his home ERC event since 2015 but a damaged tire put the skids under his bid for a record-extending 12th victory and dropped him down the order on SS5.
It left Hankook-equipped Stříteský in front by 10.1 seconds and although Erik Cais narrowed that margin to 4.2 seconds after seven stages, the combination of torrential rain and dry-weather tires on SS8 proved disastrous for Cais, who dropped from second to fourth and left Stříteský leading Simon Wagner by 21.1 seconds at the Saturday night halt.
But that lead was trimmed to 14.5 seconds on Sunday morning after Stříteský completed the 11.51-kilometer Simetín stage with a deflated rear-right tire on his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. He also finished Pindula with a loss of air from his front-left tire. But with Wagner dropping time in the muddy sections, Stříteský started the final stage of the morning loop leading Wagner by 25 seconds.
Wagner responded with the fastest time through the Halenkovice Power Stage rehearsal, which left Stříteský in front by 21.4 seconds, an advantage he was able to increase to 25.3 seconds with one stage to run, despite a scare when he spun after the flying finish of SS13.
By completing the Power Stage with the 10th-fastest time, Stříteský banked his first ERC win by 19.2 seconds and the first for his tire partner Hankook since Rally Hungary in 2019.
“Fantastic, fantastic,” 24-year-old Stříteský said. “Absolutely thank you to everybody who is supporting us, the whole team, families, partners and also the fans because it’s very important.”
Stříteský, whose Auto Podbabská Škoda MOL Team Fabia was co-driven by fellow Czech Jiří Hovorka, continued: “We had some scare this morning with a puncture on the first stage. We lost a lot of time but we set a good time in Pindula but also with another puncture. In the last one before service I was careful, but it was no problem.”
While Wagner and Cais completed the podium just 4.8 seconds apart, Kopecký languished in ninth at the finish. “It was a different rally but one year this has to come,” the 2013 ERC champion said. “For sure and I’m really happy that Dominik is in the front. There are lot of talented Czech drivers coming through but I think Dominik is the best one.”
For Michelin-equipped Škoda driver Wagner, second place marked an ERC career-best result, while Cais’ capture of third – his maiden Zlín and ERC podium – represented a remarkable turnaround for the local hero following a 20-second time penalty on SS1. He completed the event by winning the Power Stage, his eighth fastest time of the weekend.
After leading for two stages on Saturday morning, Adam Březík was forced to settle for fourth after his decision to carry wet-weather tires to combat the mud on the re-runs of Semetín and Pindula backfired. But it was nevertheless an impressive performance from the Kresta Racing driver, who lives on the legendary Pindula stage.
Filip Mareš bagged two stage wins in his Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to take a strong fifth place as Efrén Llarena rounded out the top six.
Miko Marczyk took seventh to strengthen his ERC title chances after Mathieu Franceschi retired when he ran out of replacement tires and defending champion Hayden Paddon languished in 13th after the BRC Racing Team Hyundai driver was forced to change a damaged tire on SS8. Pirelli-equipped Paddon, who was third quickest on the Power Stage, continues to lead the ERC standings by 14 points with two rounds remaining.
Austrian Hermann Neubauer finished eighth as two-time winner Václav Pech followed Kopecký home in 10th.
Hungarian youngster Martin László recovered from a spin to snatch 11th from Albert von Thurn und Taxis on the Power Stage, the highlight of the German’s rally being his seventh fastest time on the first pass of Simetín this morning. However, von Thurn und Taxis would later collect a 10-second penalty for a late check-in, dropping him behind Paddon to 13th at the final control.
Ex-circuit racer Aleš Jirásek finished 14th while Jarosław Kołtun took 15th with Andrea Mabellini one place behind for Team MRF Tires.