One of the ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo will be in the hands of Czech Rally Champion Jan Kopecký, now also a ŠKODA Motorsport test driver, and navigator Jan Hloušek. Another car backed by the ŠKODA Motorsport team has been prepared for Dominik Stříteský. Aged 21, the young talent gets this opportunity after putting in very good performances during the first three championship events. Scoring fourth place twice and fifth once, he beat quite a few more experienced rivals in his first season behind the wheel of a Rally2 car. Although Stříteský started his motorsport career in karts already in 2009, his first rally season came as late as 2018. But he indeed climbed up the ranks very quickly to reach the absolute top of Czech championship’s two-wheel-drive category already in 2020. This year, Stříteský and new co-driver Jiří Hovorka are part of the dealer team ACA ŠKODA Vančík Motorsport.
Last but not least, the third rally car to appear in ŠKODA Motorsport colours will be driven by 20 years old Marco Bulacia Wilkinson of Bolivia with Marcelo Der Ohannesian of Argentina in the navigator´s seat. The South American crew normally are part of team Toksport WRT in the FIA World Rally Championship and are currently third in the WRC2 overall standings.
As usual, dealer teams have an ambition to fight for top ranks, too. This counts especially for Filip Mareš, who is going to drive an all-new limited production ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo Edition 120 for the Laureta Auto ŠKODA Team, and Jan Černý/Petr Černohorský of the Louda Auto ŠKODA Racing Team, a duo that has been gradually improving its performance since the season´s start. Fielding crews Miroslav Jakeš/Petr Machů and Adam Březík/Ondřej Krajča, the Samohýl ŠKODA Team will be at full strength. The list of those, who are eager to win some more valuable championship points, also includes Věroslav Cvrček/Tomáš Prokorát (Kontakt ŠKODA Team) and David Tomek/Václav Kopáček (Autokomplex Menčík ŠKODA Rally Team).
“As home event for ŠKODA, the Bohemia Rally is attended by thousands of its employees and their families every year. This is one of the reasons, why we have chosen it as one of the pillars of this year´s celebrations of 120 years of our motorsport efforts,” says Martina Zimmermann, responsible for marketing at ŠKODA AUTO Czech Republic. “Together with ŠKODA Motorsport we prepare quite an unusual arrangement, the objective being to make the number of factory-backed ŠKODA cars higher than usual. We are looking forward to their battles and duels, and we would like to invite all fans not only to the individual special stages, but also, for the first time this year, to our ŠKODA Rally Park in the centre of Mladá Boleslav. It is going to offer a lot of interesting activities and attractions to visitors of all ages
The Bohemia Rally 2021 is scheduled for the usual time of year at the beginning of the summer holidays, and the special stages will again take the crews to many locations in the Central Bohemia and Liberec regions. The event is known for its unique and technically demanding special stages, and the organising team has always been looking for new locations. This year they have again prepared enormously challenging stages in the Liberec Region, including the very first speed test. Sunday will see the field return to the Mladá Boleslav region, and the teams can already start looking forward to many all-new sections. As usual, the central point of the event is the town of Mladá Boleslav. Mladá Boleslav Town Hall is one of the organisers. Also as usual, the service zone will be set up at Hoškovice Airport, a large site near Mnichovo Hradiště.
Czech Rally Championship 2021 / Standings after round 3
1. Jan Kopecký/Jan Hloušek (Agrotec ŠKODA Rally Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) 158 points
2. Filip Mareš/Radovan Bucha (Laureta Auto ŠKODA Team/ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) 134 points
3. Jan Černý/Petr Černohorský (Louda Auto ŠKODA Racing Team/ ŠKODA FABIA Rally2 evo) 102 points
SONAX Czech Rally Championship 2021
Valašská Rally ValMez 27/03 -28/03/2021
Rallye Šumava Klatovy 08/05 – 09/05/2021
Agrotec Petronas Rally Hustopeče 18/06 – 19/06/2021
Bohemia Rally 10/07 – 11/07/2021
Barum Czech Rally Zlín 27/08 – 29/08/2021
Invelt Rally Pačejov 01/10 – 03/10/2021
Rallye Český Krumlov date to be announced
