Season
25.4.07 Jan Kopecký gets silver with Škoda Fabia Kit Car
After two weeks, the crew of Jan Kopecký-Filip Schovánek with their Škoda Fabia Kit Car from Impromat Motorsport has been at the starting line of also the second race classified as part of the Czech Republic's Rally Championship. They turned their second start in the Škoda Fabia Kit Car into a silver performance and therefore improved their bronze from the previous Valašská Rally.
The starting ramp of the Agrotec Rally Hustopeče has again seen the two cars with WRC classification set off to battle for the top positions as well as a large starting field of production cars. Right from the first meters of the super special stages the Škoda Fabia Kit Car driven by Jan Kopecký, who is supported by Škoda Auto a.s., has been an even match for the two liter supercharged engines and with drives on both axles, although the Kit Car classification car has under its hood only a one point six liter atmospheric engine that only pushes a single axle.
Jan Kopecký with Filip Schovánek have balanced the technical handicap with their experiences gained during their starts with the Škoda Fabia WRC in races classified in the World Rally Championship circuit where they represent the colors of the Czech Rally Team Kopecký. The Impromat Motorsport team is also intending to go fully pro and that is why the third best time by Jan and Filip already in the initial super special stage was no accident, on the contrary, Jan Kopecký has battled for a place on the winner stands throughout the entire race.
Jan, following the seventh special stage, was in second place with a 16.2 second lead ahead of the third rider. Unfortunately the power steering gave out in the eighth special stage, the car was very hard to handle without the power steering and in sharp turns even the co-driver Filip Schovánek had to help Jan turn the wheel. After the assumed time loss, Jan Kopecký has dropped to third place and was 17 seconds behind second place. However, in the last two special stages the Jan Kopecký-Filip Schovánek crew turned in an unbelievable performance, they were able to erase the time lag to second place and at the end of the race they finished in the second overall position.
"We were very glad to fill the gap between our start with the Škoda Fabia WRC in the April's Rally de Portugal and the start of Rally Sardinia just up ahead by starting twice behind the wheel of the Škoda Fabia Kit Car in the Czech Republic's Rally Championship. Two finishes on the winner stands are a very good result and the only confirm the quality of the Škoda Fabia Kit Car and the fully professional attitude of the Impromat Motorsport team, which develops and prepares the car for racing.
We've tried to repeat the good result from the Valašská Rally during the very interesting super special stages in South Moravia. Following the seventh super special stage we've moved to silver, but right in the next stage we've suffered a time loss due to the power steering malfunction. However, after this special stage followed a good service stop and we've entered the final special stages with a fully functional car. We wanted to regain the lost silver position and therefore focused as much as possible on the two final special stages. Not only with Filip were we happy with the final silver that we've won, but understandably this was an accomplishment for the entire Impromat Motorsport team.
The two races convinced us that the Škoda Fabia Kit Car is a full fledged competition race car and an ideal sports tool especially for the young drivers," said the driver Jan Kopecký at the finish line of the Agrotec Rally Hustopeče.
Results of Agrotec Rally Hustopeče 2007:
1. Flídr Leoš / Ehl Bohumil Škoda Octavia WRC 01:11:56.3
2. KOPECKÝ JAN / SCHOVÁNEK FILIP Škoda Fabia Kit Car +2:31.1
3. Barvík Vladimír / Mynářová Petra Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +2:31.2
4. Semerád Josef / Ceplecha Bohuslav Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +2:54.3
5. Volf Jiří / Rajnoha František Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX +3:14.6
6. Peták Josef / Joska Libor Renault Clio S1600 +3:27.2
