Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

Autograph session of European stars once again attracted crowds of enthusiastic fans

14. 8. 2025 - Vojtěch Gargulák

The 54th edition of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín is knocking on the door! There are only a few days left until the start of one of the biggest Czech motor racing events, and most of the elite crews have already arrived in Bata's city, preparing for another tough fight for valuable points in the continental championship. The stars of the European rally have also managed to meet fans in Zlín, at the traditional autograph session in the premises of the Zlaté jablko Shopping and Entertainment Center, which this time took place over two days.

For the first time, motoring enthusiasts were able to meet some of their favorites on Tuesday, when the crews of the Škoda cars visited Zlaté jablko as part of the 130 Years of Škoda exhibition. Among them were the domestic stars Dominik Stříteský and Adam Březík, but also the Japanese Hiroki Arai, who returned to Zlín after six years, was giving smiles, autographs and joint photos.

A day later, the shopping center adjacent to Zlín's Náměstí Míru was filled with rally fans once again, when this time, in addition to the domestic competitors, the biggest stars of the current European Championship arrived. Visitors were able to meet, for example, the current championship leader Miko Marczyk, his closest challenger Andrea Mabellini, or the popular Briton Chris Ingram, for whom the Zlín competition is the first start of the year.

And the interest was traditionally huge. Already hours before the official start of the event, a long queue began to form, which at times reached far beyond the entrance doors of the Zlaté jablko. "Over the years, the autograph session has become an established tradition within the accompanying program and we are pleased that such a large number of fans find their way to it every year. For the entire organizing team, but also for the crews themselves, the great interest of public is a huge motivation and we believe that we will enjoy another unforgettable year of the Barum rally together during the weekend," says Roman Ordelt, the press relations officer of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

In addition to the main favorites in the fight for European points, a pair of female drivers also participated in the autograph session this time. Specifically, they were the Turkish fighter Kubra Keskin Denizci and the popular Bulgarian Ekaterina Stratieva. "The Barum Rally is my favorite competition. I'm very happy to be here for the sixteenth time and I'm looking forward to it all starting on Friday. When you see how many people love this rally and support us, it's a really special feeling," smiles the Opel Corsa Rally4 driver, who first started in Zlín back in 2009.

Fans will be able to get autographs from interesting rally personalities on Thursday as well, when the main stars of the Star Rally Historic will gather in the Zlaté jablko.