Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Successful debut of a Benzina experience programme

15. 12. 2014 - Barum Czech Rally Zlín

The last edition of popular Barum Czech Rally Zlín has come with a big innovation. The rally, which belongs to the FIA ERC series and Czech rally championship, has featured an interesting experience programme offering its attendees to discover rallysport from new angle – like from the co-driver's seat in a rally car of from helicopter flying above the rally route.

The primary impulse to create this project came from a study focused on finding possibilities of active visit at the Zlín rally. This study, which was worked out at the Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín, has showed that people would like to try out the real experience in a rally car. The basic concept of the experience programme met with a success already at the beginning of arrangements when it won the "Hit of the season 2014" competition focused on the best tourist projects for the year 2014 in Southern Moravia.

"The target was to arrange program which would be interesting, with high level of quality and affordable in once. These requirements are usually little bit contradictive and what's more, it required also big safety arrangements. Therefore we were deeply exploring similar experience programmes in the Czech Republic as well as abroad. With this knowledge we set up the basic layout of our project which we started to work with," adds Regner.

The requirements of financial affordability and high-level organization could be put together thanks to relationship with a strong strategic partner, a Benzina company. The Czech number 1 on the market with automobile fuels has kicked off its new marketing concept this year. In its campaign called 'DRIVE ON FULL!' the company wanted to entertain its customers with large portion of adventure, adrenaline and extreme experience, so the BCRZ experience programme and the Benzina campaign fitted together like two gear wheels.

The most popular, but the most difficult to arrange in once, was a co-drive in a rally car. This activity was based on experienced rally driver Vladimír Barvík and his team, who also helped with preparing the rally route and appropriate safety arrangements. The organizers also used useful advices of Petr Mráz from Profi Autosport Klub, who provides similar activities already many years (www.rallyzazitek.cz).

The success of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín 2014 experience programme is clear from numbers. During the competition weekend 88 people overall took part while most of them visited the Barvík's Mitsubishi rally car. "The 2014 Benzina experience programme was a pilot edition of this project so it was clear that there appeared some details to be adjusted. But generally the result was very positive, it was clear that people are interested in such activities. What's more, everything went absolutely smoothly and without any injuries – and we do realize that any adrenaline activities contain a bit of risk," says Regner. There appeared also enthusiastic reactions from the participants. "It was just great, unbelievable and enlightening. Only in the rally car on the stage people can realize that playing racing drivers on public roads and in normal cars is ridiculous and nonsense. The co-driving was wonderful and together with watching the Barum Czech Rally Zlín the motorsport definitely found some new supporters," said Josef Vačkář from České Budějovice.

The first year of the Benzina rally experience programme fulfilled its requirements and the project found its place in the Barum Czech Rally Zlín schedule also for the upcoming year. "We want to continue with the programme also in 2015. We would like to combine well-proven activities with some new ones to satisfy wishes of spectators and visitors. Right now we are again at the beginning of the arrangements, however people can order some of the experiences already now," encloses Regner.