Posted: January 13, 2012 1:59 PM - 4483 Hits
Round 1 - 2012 European Rally Championship (ERC)
Posted: January 13, 2012 1:59 PM
SKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabanek has praised his factory drivers Jan Kopecky and Juho Hanninen following their one-two finish on the Janner Rallye in Austria last weekend.
The event, a counting round of the Austrian, Czech and European championships, took place in difficult wintry weather conditions with snow and ice coating the bulk of the asphalt stages around the town of Friestadt near Linz.
Kopecky won the event with Hanninen, the 2010 IRC champion, second after dropping time cleaning a line through the loose-surface snow on both days of the rally.
Hrabanek said:
“This was our first appearance at the Janner Rally and it is really a difficult and unpredictable winter event. We have made a good start to this season by winning the first two places.”
Posted: January 13, 2012 1:58 PM
Intern. Jänner Rallye 2012 - ERC TV Magazine from Ellegy TV on Vimeo.
Posted: January 5, 2012 7:25 PM
Ready to field both of its factory crews, the ŠKODA Motorsport team is entering the 2012 season at the Jänner Rally, which takes place in Austria over the first weekend of January. After the most successful season in its history, ŠKODA Motorsport will fight for the top spot again in 2012, and will focus on three series in total. While the priority is to repeat ŠKODA's 2011 victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), the team will also compete in selected events of the European and Czech championships.
Taking place in the surroundings of the Austrian town of Freistadt, the opening event of the new season is part of the European Championship for the first time in its history. In addition to being part of the Austrian Championship as usual, the Jänner Rally is again part of the Czech Championship after a three-year break.
Reigning SWRC World Champion Juho Hänninen is very determined:
“We’re glad that it's all about to start again. Jänner will be a completely new experience, both the event itself and the whole European Championship. At the same time, it's a new challenge and we are not afraid of it. And it certainly would be even more interesting for all of us if there was some snow on the roads.”
IRC Vice-Champion Jan Kopecký is starting the new season with a new co-driver:
“The first event of the season is always rather special. Pavel and I are looking forward to it - we have our first whole year together ahead of us. I have competed three times in the Jänner, and I realise that a lot will depend on the stage conditions.”
Typically, the Jänner Rally offers variable road conditions, often including snow. The programme includes 18 special stages (240 competitive kilometres) and over 600 kilometres of road section. The start list includes nine times Austrian Champion Raimund Baumschlager in a private Fabia Super 2000.