Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Neumann won again Star Rally Historic

18. 8. 2019 - Jakub Kudláč

For the second consecutive year, Vlastimil Neumann and his co-driver Martin Hlavatý on the Ford Escort RS Cosworth won the Star Rally Historic at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. They gained enough time on their rivals right in the very first stage and then kept the gap. In the end, the second crew Libor Kotrmon and Jan Krečman on the same type of car lost 53 seconds. Altogether, only twenty cars saw the finish of this demanding race, which is less than half of the 49 competitors.

The fastest duo Neumann, Hlavatý, had a very comfortable lead after SS 3, when their main pursuer retired, Slovak Jozef Béreš. "Everything went well from start to finish. We did not disappoint the fans, and we managed to defend the victory, what more could we want. We enjoyed SS Halenkovice the most. It was the hardest and the best at the same time. Rally was a big job, hard work at great speed. Nothing for children," smiled Neumann, who scored three victories out of seven stages.

The same number of stage victories has second Libor Kotrmon, but it wasn't enough to get the gold. "We lost a lot of time in the opening SS, even though the city was beautiful, the time was not ideal. By the end, we got to some pace. It is a pity that the competition does not continue tomorrow. It was hard to fight with Vlastík for the first place; he knows it well here," said Kotrmon.

Michal Černý, Tereza Mandlíková with Lada VFTS won the bronze with a total loss of 2:20 minutes on the winner and 1:27 minutes on the second position. It helped them a lot that the duo Hustý and Kouřil retired. They both had the same time before SS4. Černý was here for the fourth time, but now, he finally reached the finish line. "And that's the most important thing. I have to praise the co-driver. She did a great job, and she was not afraid even though it's her first time here," said Černý, who achieved one stage victory.

Interestingly, this pair helped the second crew in the final ranking. "They needed to borrow an engine, so we lent them one. They defeated us as a reward, but what can you do," smiled Černý.

The fourth position reached Lumír Vyorálek and Radek Olejník. "Challenging competition as always, but that's what makes it beautiful. We are satisfied. We needed this because this year we were not very successful, so at least we finished," said Lumír Vyorálek.

Petr Michálek and Roman Maryška with Suzuki Swift GTI closed the elite five. They had some issues on SS Březová. "Yes, the circuit SS is too much for our car. We always lose time there and then try to gain it back on the classic stages. For instance, we enjoyed Semetín a lot. Anyway, fifth place is a great result for us. We finished, the car is whole. We liked it very much," said Michálek.

Final Results of the XII. Star Rally Historic 2019:
1. Neumann, Hlavatý (CZE, Ford Escort RS Cosworth) 1:02:35.2 h
2. Kotrmon, Krečman (CZE, Ford Escort RS Cosworth) + 53.0 s
3. Černý, Mandílková (CZE, Lada VFTS) + 2:20.4 min
4. Vyorálek, Olejník (CZE, Lada VFTS) + 3:38.0 min
5. Michálek, Maryška (CZE, Suzuki Swift GTI) + 4.18.1 min
6. A. Jirátko sen., A. Jirátko jun. (CZE, BMW 2002 TI) + 5:11.2 min
7. Szot, Dyemba (POL, Honda Civic VTi) + 6:08.3 min
8. Berger, Zuzánek (CZE, Škoda 130 LR) + 7:29.0 min
9. Bělohradský, Rieger (CZE, BMW 318 iS) + 7:40.5 min
10. Klepáč, Krčma (CZE, 205 GTI) + 7:42.3 min