Local driver Jan Kopecky set the fastest time on the Qualifying Stage for round seven of the 2015 FIA European Rally Championship, the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. The Skoda Motorsport Fabia R5 driver set a time of 2:51.7 over the 4.71 kilometre Pohořelice stage and will be the first to select his starting position during the road selection process later today.
Kopecky, who won the event in 2013, was just 0.1 seconds faster than Rally Estonia winner Alexey Lukyanuk in a Ford Fiesta R5. Last year’s winner Václav Pech was third in a Mini John Cooper Works S2000, while series leader Kajetan Kajetanowicz set fourth fastest time in his LOTOS Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5 0.8 seconds off the stage winner. Robert Consani was a further 0.7 seconds behind in fourth in his Citroen DS3 R5 while Irishman Craig Breen was sixth, 1.8 seconds off Kopecky, in the Peugeot Academy 208 T16.
The ceremonial start takes place in Zlín’s city square at 17:00, before the traditional opening stage of the event three laps of the Zlín city superspecial stage and around the Bata shoe factory starting at 21:15.
