Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Flash info from the leading drivers of Star Rally Historic after 1st leg

28. 8. 2022 - Evžen Gargulák, Sarah Sabaková

The first leg of the 14th Star Rally Historic 2022 brought difficult conditions which the competing crews had to deal with. Vlastimil Neumann, this season's champion of the Czech Historic Car Championship, found a long-awaited rival in the beautiful BMW M3 driven by Jaroslav Vančík. After completing all the stages on Saturday, we interviewed selected drivers of the starting field before entering the time check prior to service.

Vlastimil Neumann (CZE, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, starting number H1):
"It's true that we chose a wet assortment for the first passes, but the tracks dried out. But it is part of this sport. What we had prepared didn't work out. The guys behind us accelerated, so they caught us up a bit. At least we're competing against each other. It's more enjoyable for the spectator. I evaluate it very positively."

Jaroslav Vančík (CZE, BMW M3, starting number H2):
"We still have a practically new car. I am very satisfied with this year's Barum rally. I didn't expect that we would be able to run the same pace as Vlastimil Neumann in such conditions. We have some setup adjustments for tomorrow. This car is really not for such stages, but I am very happy with the result. We'll fine-tune the little things for tomorrow's stage and I'm looking forward to it."

Jan Frei (CZE, Škoda 130 LR, starting number H5):
"We are doing pretty well so far. We have a few technical problems. We had bad tyres as the conditions changed. We've had some minor steering problems, so it's challenging, but we have to deal with that now in the workshop. We mainly need points for the title, coming at the end of the year. The main thing is to keep Ota Zenkel behind us, that's the most important thing."

Petr Jurečka (CZE, Subaru Impreza 555, starting number H8):
"When we left Zlín, it was raining a lot. The first stage was wet, the next one was completely dry. It didn't work at all. We'll do our best to stay in our current position, but for us it's all about having fun."

Otakar Zenkl jun. (CZE, Škoda Favorit 136 L, starting number H10):
"Tough weather, tyre choice is a lottery. It's definitely about competition for us, but we keep in mind that at those high speeds it's not a Rally4 class car and that we're driving an older machine, especially when it comes to safety."

Petr Hejhal (CZE, Škoda 130 LR, starting number H11):
"The bodywork of our car has suffered several minor and major scratches. We hit some branches on the way, which damaged especially the left side. Now we are going to change the gearbox if possible. We are satisfied with the Barum rally so far."

Vratislav Hýbner (CZE, Ford Sierra Cosworth, starting number H12):
"It's okay today, we're covering the loss from yesterday. We can't control the weather and everyone has to deal with it. I have to admit that there are a lot of crashes, so the number of competitors is decreasing. It's demanding on both technique and physics. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Michal Pavlicek (CZE, Ford Escort RS 1600, starting number H18):
"We were very scared at the beginning but now we are so happy. We started cautiously. Once we were out, luckily only on grass. It was a great experience. I don't want to overestimate it, as the finish ramp is still far away. You shouldn't complain when things are going well."

Lubos Dolák (CZE, Lada 21011, starting number H19):
"We drove the last stage in the dark and, as complete novices, we were not prepared for it. We drove without lights, our co-driver's lamp wasn't on, so we can't be satisfied with the result. I'm glad we finished Saturday's stage at all."

Petr Drbal (CZE, VAZ 21074, starting number H27):
"I evaluate it positively, even though it is a very difficult competition. My co-driver told me that we are in tenth place, which is really unbelievable for me. My clutch is slipping, but I'm still having a really good time. There's very little grip in some sections, but I'm enjoying it a lot."