ERC 3
Kowalczyk ahead after late ERC3 drama for Rzeźnik
Hubert Kowalczyk will start the final day of Barum Czech Rally Zlín with an advantage of 54.8sec as he bids for his maiden FIA ERC3 Championship victory.
The Chmielewski Motorsport-run Renault Clio Rally3 driver from Poland had been locked in a thrilling battle for top spot with teenaged compatriot Adrian Rzeźnik and was 4.2sec adrift starting the leg-closing Bunč test.
But when Rzeźnik crashed out in the opening four kilometres of SS7, Kowalcyk retook the lead he’d held earlier in the day to head into Sunday’s deciding leg with a comfortable margin over Ireland’s Casey Jay Coleman and home hero Daniel Polášek.
Adrian Rzeźnik had been leading before crashing out on SS7
© At World
“I’m very happy because the stages were very tough and the conditions were getting worse and worse with many tricky places,” said the 21-year-old Kowalczyk. “The first and second stages on the second loop were quite good for us. We lose some time, but the rally is still going. Bunč was very hard on the gravel section and we started to catch the car in front and could not see the road because of the dust. Tomorrow is another day but we try to win this for sure. We have a good gap so we try to take it.”
Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3, Rzeźnik had fired himself into first place by winning Friday night’s super special stage through the streets of host city Zlín with an impressive advantage of 4.8sec. Kowalczyk trimmed that margin to 2.3sec by winning Saturday’s opener after Rzeźnik was delayed by a slow front-right deflation before he went quickest on SS3 to increase his lead to 2.5sec.
Casey Jay Coleman was a benefactor of Rzeźnik's misfortune
© At World
But Kowalczyk moved in front after winning SS4 only for back-to-back stage wins for Rzeźnik to leave the 18-year-old leading by 4.2sec after six stages, only for trouble to strike on SS7.
After an overshoot on SS2, Coleman reached midday service in fifth place before his afternoon charge to second spot. “I really enjoyed the afternoon,” he said. “I was annoyed with myself this morning after making some small mistakes but we’ll keep doing what we’re doing and push on. Second in ERC3 and leading the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy means it’s been a good day’s work but it’s a hard rally.”
Polášek is third on his ERC3 debut and relishing the experience aboard his Fiesta Rally3 despite driving for much of SS7 with a damaged front-left tyre. “I’m so enjoying it,” he said. “We didn’t rally a lot this year because we were struggling with the budget and also with the time because of work. But I’m so grateful we were able to get the budget for the Barum Rally and compete here in ERC because this car is incredible and I still think we have plenty of space howe we can use this car.”
Daniel Polášek sits third overnight
© At World
Martin Ravenščak is fourth despite the Croatian picking up a 10-second penalty for hitting a chicane on SS2 and suffering a spin on Halenkovice this morning. Błażej Gazda is fifth overnight with his Chmielewski Motorsport team-mate Sebastian Butyński sixth.
ERC3 points leader Tymek Abramowski, who can’t be caught in the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy standings after Tristan Charpentier was a non-starter in Zlín, retired with suspension damage on SS2 but is expected to return to the action on Sunday.
Leg two features six stages over a competitive distance of 100.90 kilometres and begins with the first pass of the legendary Pindula stage from 08:03 local time.
