- Wales Rally in twelfth place

The Czech Rally Team Kopecký crew comprised of Jan Kopecký-Filip Schovánek has given their farewell to this year's world championship by finishing twelfth in the Wales Rally, which was the final race of the World Rally Championship in 2007.

The race leading along the loose tracks in Wales is famous for its unfavorable weather, but this season's climatic conditions were much tougher than many expected. Heavy rain showers accompanied the fogs, which especially during Friday's leg kept causing almost zero visibility on the special stages. Strong gusts of winds did not make the situation any easier.

This season Jan Kopecký has started in ten world championship races and in half of those starts, he was able to bring home points. Especially the fifth place finish in the German rally ranks among the most valuable results, because the Škoda Fabia WRC can only be modified within the framework of current homologation. An interesting fact not to be overlooked is also that Jan Kopecký has earned points this year in three rallies, which are not typical tarmac races.

"Of course I am happy about the fact that we were able to finish the British rally in conditions, which were extremely difficult. This start gave us much experience for the future.

This year's British rally has ended our two year cooperation program with Škoda Auto a.s., which has regarded the starts with the Škoda Fabia WRC in selected races on the world championship circuit. I am very grateful not only to the company in Mladá Boleslav, but also to our other partners, who were helping us throughout this unbelievably difficult program. Huge thanks, which cannot even be expressed in words, belongs to my dad. Without him we would never be able to set off on such a tough journey.

I am hopeful that we will have an opportunity to really benefit from all the earned experience in the future," said the driver Jan Kopecký at the finish of the British rally.

"I must admit that sadness has dropped over me at the start of the final special stage of the British rally. I quickly remembered back to everything that me and Jan and the rest of the crew experienced on the wild ride of the world rally circuit.

Everyone wants to race in the best league and I had this dream come true. For two years we were competing with the absolute world's best. Hopefully we can consider our participation a success.

Thank you to team members, especially mechanics, our partners and everyone else, who made it possible for my dream to come true, " added the co-driver Filip Schovánek.

"A twelfth place in British rally under the given conditions corresponds to our possibilities, realistically we could not have been hoping for a point position.

However, I am utmost happy with this year's participation in the World Rally Championship. We have been able to turn our participation into a points finish five times. Jan and Filip have earned a fantastic fifth place and scored in winter conditions and on typical gravel race. They clearly proved that they belong to the world's top.

Our two year program with a car in the highest specification was successful and the earned experiences among the world's best teams and crews are a huge benefit for the future. And for this opportunity I am of course greatly thankful to all partners and especially Škoda Auto a.s.

In closing it must be mentioned that the top performance in extremely demanding conditions was turned in by the entire Czech Rally Team Kopecký. Behind each kilometer driven there hides an enormous amount of careful work by the mechanics and technicians," added the team manager Josef Kopecký.

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