Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Barum rally returns to Pržno, the classic route will host the Power Stage

18. 6. 2025 - Roman Ordelt

Only the long time fans remember the legendary special stage of the Barum rally from Kateřinice to Pržno, which was part of the event during the 1990s. The organizers from the Barum Zlín Auto Club led by the clerk of the course Ing. Jan Regner, are pleased to announce that this classic special stage will again be a part of the itinerary of the 54th BARUM CZECH RALLY ZLÍN 2025.

The 52nd year of the Barum rally in 2023 saw a return to the iconic section after almost thirty years. At that time, the Kateřinice special stage, which in the 1990s was one of the key locations of the event, was revived. The rebirth of this legendary stage took place exactly 29 years later. The technical stage in the surroundings of Wallachian forests came to life again with the roar of rally cars on narrow tarmac roads in the local districts. The organizers managed to find an agreement with the company Lesy a statky Tomáše Bati, spol. s r.o., which gave the green light for the return of rally cars to this Wallachian area.

During the following two years, the cooperation managed to expand even further. The itinerary of Sunday's section includes the Kateřinice special stage with a length of 12.62 km. This is the legendary stage from Kateřinice to Pržno. The first half of the track is based on last year's version, when it starts at the end of the village of Kateřinice and the route climbs between pastures to the local part of Kamasi, then the rally cars begin to descend into the valley below the village of Lázy. The organizers managed to restore the section to the village of Mikulůvka and then the track descends through the Prženské paseky to the village of Pržno. "We have included the Kateřinice special stage on Sunday, precisely because of its importance, and the Power Stage will be held here during the second pass, as the most broadcasted part of the rally. In front of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Pržno, the rally promoter ERC will make a live finish ceremony. Thanks for returning to the legendary route go to Baťa Forest, the villages of Kateřinice, Mikulůvka, Pržno, the local residents for their support, and if I would like to single out someone more, then the mayor of Pržno, Radek Machýček," said Jan Regner, director of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

In the 1990s, names such as Patrick Snijers from Belgium, Franz Wittmann, Raimund Baumschlager from Austria, Erwin Weber from Germany, Mikael Sundström from Finland, and John Bosch from the Netherlands all raced in the narrow tracks of Pržno. Spectators were also excited by the local drivers Ladislav Křeček, Václav Blahna and Stanislav Chovanec. "I am glad that the Barum rally has returned to the village of Pržno after thirty years. This is a tradition that has strong roots here and thanks to the actions of the village council, we can now continue with this tradition. For now, we'll run on the old sections and without the legendary hairpin, near which a new road is currently being built. As a rally fan, I regularly go to the legends in San Marino and, if time allows it, to the Czech championship events as well," said Bc. Radek Machýček, mayor of Pržno.

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