*22-365 days-former Cais holds slim margin of two.1s starting final leg of 50th Barum Czech Rally Zlín
*ERC-MICHELIN Expertise Manufacturing facility member rankings a double take on legendary Pindula stage
*Mikkelsen completes prime three and is recent provisional European championship chief
*Defending champion Érdi Jr on prime in ERC2, Bassas first in ERC3 after anxiety hits competitors
*Torn holds particular lead in ERC Junior in Pirelli-outfitted Fiesta Rally3, Maior prime in ERC3 Junior
*Poloński in front in Abarth Rally Cup war, Mabellini leads Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT
Young superstar Erik Cais delivered a sensational evening-time fee to knock Jan Kopecký off the tip of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín leaderboard and head a round of the FIA European Rally Championship for the first time in his rapid profession.
The 22-365 days-former Zlín resident, a former downhill mountain bike racer, began the leg-closing legendary Pindula stage 5.8s in the help of Kopecký. Nonetheless a incredible fee from Cais throughout the 18.95-kilometre rain-affected stage used to be 7.9s faster than his fellow Czech managed. It map the Yacco ACCR Group ace and co-driver Jindřiška Žáková lead by 2.1s heading into Sunday’s deciding leg on the wheel of their MICHELIN-outfitted Ford Fiesta Rally2.
“It used to be hell, heaven, a rollercoaster and one among the appropriate levels I ever ride on,” Cais acknowledged on the discontinue of Pindula, which he also obtained when it used to be poke for the first time this afternoon. “It’s such an improbable stage, the appropriate stage I power, it’s unbelievable. I pushed lots, the spectators acquire been there and there acquire been more fireworks than at New 365 days, it used to be somewhat Rallye Monte-Carlo.”
By winning Pindula, Cais – a member of the ERC-MICHELIN Expertise Manufacturing facility – executed a feat his former rally-driving father Miroslav by no map managed. “We’re each and each pushing the Cais establish in the front but with out Miroslav Cais there would by no map be Erik Cais and I’m so thankful for my Dad for giving me the different to create that. I hope he’s proud this day.”
Kopecký, the 2013 ERC champion, had led from the moment he location the perambulate through SSS Zlín on Friday evening. Nonetheless with Cais on spectacular originate on his local rally, Kopecký faces an precise fight in his repeat to get a ninth outright victory in Zlín.
“I are making an are trying to make suppose of my journey to be truly rapid for all these prerequisites,” acknowledged the Agrotec Škoda Rally Group driver. “You’d like to be somewhat loopy and preserve some vogue of threat, which I used to be now not doing. I truly have to entire this rally in the tip three. The next day is a protracted day, we can are trying but I don’t are making an are trying to preserve a big threat.”
Andreas Mikkelsen, who used to be fastest on SS4, is third total and the recent unofficial chief of the ERC standings after provisionally scoring three leg bonus aspects, which puts him two aspects in front of Alexey Lukyanuk, a non-starter following his rupture in trying out earlier this week. “It used to be truly appealing to predict the grip with the lights and dust,” Mikkelsen acknowledged after Pindula. “You may perchance perhaps preserve 20s otherwise you is more seemingly to be standing in the woods, it’s very now not easy.”
Toksport Škoda driver Mikkelsen is 16.6s in the help of Cais but very simply earlier than fourth-positioned Simon Wagner from the Eurosol Racing Group, who used to be hampered by a pop-off valve predicament this morning.
Filip Mareš moved up to fifth in the general impart after going second quickest on the Pindula evening stage. Norbert Herczig (Škoda Rally Group Hungaria) is sixth with ORLEN Group’s Miko Marczyk slipping to seventh following a cautious second traipse through Pindula.
Rallye Group Spain’s Efrén Llarena has battled his lowly toll road location to entire leg one in eighth, one location earlier than Motorsport Eire Rally Academy’s Callum Devine, the appropriate-positioned Zlín rookie after 9 levels. Miroslav Jakeš is P10 followed by Petr Semerád, Yoann Bonato and Martin Koči.
Martin Vlček is P14 on his debut in the all-recent Hyundai i20 N Rally2 with ERC Junior chief Ken Torn rounding out the tip 15 following a sturdy present in his Pirelli-outfitted Ford Fiesta Rally3 poke by M-Sport Poland, which integrated demoting Italian promise Alberto Battistolli on SS9. Luis Vilariño is P18.
Jari Huttunen crashed his Group MRF Tyres entry on SS7. Albert von Thurn und Taxis also did now not entire the poke, whereas Adam Březik used to be unable to launch up the test due to a mechanical failure. Tomáš Kostka’s rare rally launch up lasted for now not up to 2 levels after the Czech damaged his Fabia’s front-correct wheel hitting a tree on SS2. Dominik Stříteský, who scored a championship level on his ERC debut in Roma final month, crashed at high flee on SS3 and used to be taken to clinic for precautionary checks.
Érdi overcomes apprehension to take prime problem in ERC2, Poloński ahead in Abarth Rally Cup
A damaged front-correct tyre on his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X couldn’t knock Hungarian Tibor Érdi Jr off his high-tail in his repeat to take the ERC2 class for the first time this season. The defending class champion heads Frenchman Victor Cartier (Toyota Yaris Rally2 Kit) by 13.4s. Dariusz Poloński proved rapid in dry prerequisites but dropped time on damp and soiled roads in his rear-wheel-power Abarth 124 rally. Nonetheless, the Pole is third in ERC2 and particular in the Abarth Rally Cup impart. Roberto Gobbin demoted Martin Rada for fourth on the rerun of Pindula after Rada lost time in the afternoon with a hydraulic predicament. Csaba Juhász completes the tip six despite energy and facing complications, but there used to be drama for championship chief Dmitry Feofanov (Suzuki Swift Rally2 Kit) and Michał Pryczek (Subaru Impreza) who each and each crashed out.
Solberg exit laves Torn up to flee in ERC Junior
With Oscar Solberg going off the toll road and retiring on SS2, Ken Torn has long gone largely unchallenged in his quest for a third ERC Junior Championship victory. Utilizing a Pirelli-outfitted Ford Fiesta Rally3 for M-Sport Poland, the Estonian used to be on spectacular originate all around the day alongside co-driver Kauri Pannas.
Time penalty frustrates rapid Franceschi as Bassas and Maior lead ERC3 and ERC3 Junior
A three-minute time penalty for an early test-in at this morning’s provider live in Otrokovice has hit Jean-Baptiste Franceschi’s repeat for an ERC3/ERC3 Junior victory double in his Toksport WRT-poke Renault Clio Rally4. The Frenchman’s woe map Pep Bassas leads ERC3 for Rallye Group Spain, whereas Norbert Maior holds the advantage in ERC3 Junior with each and each competing in Pirelli-outfitted Peugeot 208 Rally4s. Nonetheless, Franceschi mute has hope after a succession of stage wins do him interior 23.4s of ERC3 Junior chief Maior starting leg two and 1m19.4s in the help of Bassas in ERC3. Maior is second in ERC3 followed by ERC3 Junior contenders Martin László, Franceschi and Daniel Polášek. Adrienn Vogel and Ekaterina Stratieva are P11 and P12 respectively in ERC3, whereas Łukasz Lewandowski is eighth in the class in an Opel Corsa Rally4. Nonetheless it with out a doubt used to be a now not easy day for plenty of ERC3 Junior contenders with Alejandro Cachón, championship chief Sami Pajari, Nikolai Landa and Slice Loof all crashing out.
Mabellini leads Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT glory hunch
Andrea Mabellini is heading in the advantageous route for a third consecutive have the attain-and-power Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT for MICHELIN-outfitted Renault Clio Rally5s. Paulo Soria is second followed by Bastien Bergounhe and Ghjuvanni Rossi. Nonetheless, Yigit Timur retired when he went off the toll road on SS7.
PROVISIONAL TOP 15 ERC POSITIONS (after 9 levels, 127.18 kilometres)
1 Erik Cais (CZE)/Jindřiška Žáková (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2 1h13m41.0s M
2 Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Jan Hloušek (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2.1s
3 Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Jonas Andersson (SWE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +16.6s
4 Simon Wagner (AUT)/Gerald Iciness (AUT) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +54.6s
5 Filip Mareš (CZE)/Radovan Bucha (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +1m02.9s
6 Norbert Herczig (HUN)/Ramón Ferencz (HUN) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +1m05.3s
7 Miko Marczyk (POL/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +1m30.9s M
8 Efrén Llarena (ESP)/Sara Fernándes (ESP) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m04.5s M
9 Callum Devine (IRL)/James Fulton (IRL) Ford Fiesta Rally2 +2m19.3s
10 Miroslav Jakeš (CZE)/Petr Machů (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +2m48.0s
11 Petr Semerád (CZE)/Danny Persein (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m29.8s
12 Yoann Bonato (FRA)/Benjamin Boullloud (FRA) Citroën C3 Rally2 +3m39.1s
13 Martin Koči (SVK)/Martin Tureček (CZE) Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo +3m41.1s
14 Martin Vlček (CZE)/Karolína Jugasová (CZE) Hyundai i20 N Rally2 +5m11.3s
15 Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally3 +6m06.7s
M = Eligible for ERC-MICHELIN Expertise Manufacturing facility incentives
FIA ERC2: Tibor Érdi Jr (HUN)/Zoltán Csökö (HUN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
FIA ERC3: Pep Bassas (ESP)/Axel Coronado (ESP) Peugeot 208 Rally4
FIA ERC Junior: Ken Torn (EST)/Kauri Pannas (EST) Ford Fiesta Rally3
FIA ERC3 Junior: Norbert Maior (ROU)/Francesca Maior (ROU) Peugeot 208 Rally4
Abarth Rally Cup: Dariusz Poloński (POL)/Łukasz Sitek (POL) Abarth 124 rally
Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT: Andrea Mabellini (ITA)/Virginia Lenzi (ITA) Renault Clio Rally5
ERC-MICHELIN Expertise Manufacturing facility: Erik Cais (CZE) Ford Fiesta Rally2
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