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František Rosický, a great personality of czech rally, passed away

5. 6. 2026 - Roman Ordelt

With deep sorrow and regret, we announce that on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Ing. František Rosický passed away at the age of 92. He was the long-standing chairman of the Rally Division of the Motorsport Federation of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic and a prominent figure in Czech motorsport. For nearly fifty years, he actively participated in the management of Czechoslovak and Czech motorsport and was recognized as an expert on the subject of motor competitions.

František Rosický came from Střítež in the Vysočina region and grew up in an environment where motoring played a key role. His father was a passionate racer and promoter of the sport, who had competed on motorcycles as early as the 1920s and later in car races as well. After the Second World War, František shared this passion with his father and older brother, attending most motorsport events held in Czechoslovakia. The most significant experience for them was the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Czechoslovakia in Brno in 1949. The family's enthusiasm for motorcycles lasted for several more years. While his brother Jiří competed in motorcycle events, František took on the role of mechanic. Together they joined the Autoclub, and alongside their passion for motoring, they also pursued studies at universities. František enrolled at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) in Prague and took advantage of the nearby Autoclub premises on Opletalova Street, where he attended specialist lectures held as part of the so-called Motoring Thursdays.

The next chapter of the brothers' motoring adventure began in 1959, when Jiří purchased a Renault 4 CV. Together they began exploring the world of motor competitions, with František initially taking on the role of co-driver. He soon gave that up, however, when he began teaching at the Mechanical Engineering High School in Olomouc. Nevertheless, he did not break off his activities with the Autoclub. Towards the end of the 1960s, he played a significant role in organizing circuit races and in the founding of the Jeseníky Rally.

From an organizing role, he smoothly transitioned into an official capacity. Ing. Rosický was appointed head of the Motorsport Center of the North Moravian Region. His duties included not only the registration of drivers and the issuing of licences, but also education — he endeavored to explain the regulations to drivers so they could avoid unnecessary penalties arising from ignorance. Over time, however, a problem emerged stemming from the insufficient compatibility of Czechoslovak regulations with the international standards of the FIA. Ing. Rosický was sent to the nascent Barum Rally to gather the necessary information through alternative means. Thanks to translations of the sporting codes by Marta Regnerová, he was able to propose their adaptation so as to conform to international regulations while preserving certain national specificities. This revised version was subsequently approved by experts and served Czechoslovakia for the following ten years.
Ing. Rosický also played an important role during the Prague Spring period. After August 1968, however, difficulties linked to the period of Normalization arose, which fundamentally affected his work. He entertained the idea of separating the Autoclub's activities from the structures of Svazarm, with the aim of aligning domestic rally standards with European ones. This effort brought him considerable complications for the next two decades — because of it, he was prevented from travelling to races in Western Europe, where he could have gained invaluable experience.

It was only after 1989 that the situation changed. From his position as long-standing chairman of the Rally Division of the FAS Autoclub of the Czech Republic, he succeeded in adapting Czech rally regulations to meet FIA standards, enabling better integration of domestic competitions with the international scene. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and remarkable memory, many drivers and organizers sought him out for valuable advice. He passed on his experience and guidance, for example, at training sessions for new drivers at rally schools, and at meetings and discussions with competition organizers. He had a thorough overview of Czech and world competitive sport, its rules and its history. For his lifelong activity in motorsport, he received the prestigious Golden Clasp award from the Autoclub of the Czech Republic in 2003. In 2011, he received the highest distinction of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic — the Garnet Lion. When his health permitted, he was a direct participant in Czech rallies even in his advanced years. He followed current events on internet portals and was also very active on social media. He was a member of the Senate of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic.

We met with Mr. Rosický three weeks before his passing. For a forthcoming book trilogy, Stars of the Barum Rally, he captivated us for many hours with the story of his life. None of us knew then that it would be our last meeting... The life's journey of František Rosický came to a halt at the remarkable 92nd kilometre. We extend our sincere condolences to his family. The motoring world has lost a highly educated expert, a respected and exceptional man.

The final farewell to František Rosický will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026, at 13:20, in the ceremonial hall of the Olomouc crematorium.
Honour his memory!
Autoclub of the Czech Republic, Barum Czech Rally Zlín