The three-time winner of the ERC Ladies’ Trophy made her debut on the challenging Tarmac event in 2009 and has made the start every year the rally has been held since.
“After 10 years they make me a citizen of Zlín and they give me the key to the city,” Bulgarian driver Stratieva said. “We make a joke that if I do 15 they will come with a door on the podium so we will see if I have a door, maybe for 20 I will have a small flat!”
Stratieva, who started competing in hillclimb events in her homeland in 2002, explained why the long-standing FIA European Rally Championship round holds so much appeal.
“It was one of my first international events, the atmosphere, the super special at night, everything was ‘wow’,” she said. “I didn’t expect a rally could be like this with so many spectators and such an atmosphere. At the finish for the first time I said to myself I want to be here after 10 years but I didn’t think it would be possible. And when I look back now I can’t imagine how fast 15 years have gone. It’s such an amazing rally and I thank everybody for their support.”
Stratieva, whose Opel Corsa Rally4 is co-driven by Georgi Avramov, is preparing for her 15th Barum Czech Rally Zlín start on the back of finishing fourth in FIA ERC4 on last month’s Rally di Roma Capitale.
“I can put this legendary race in my CV,” she said at the finish of the Italian event. “Like my father said to me many years ago, if it’s not a hard race and not specific then it will not be in the European championship. That’s why this race is in the European championship so I need to learn how to do it next time better.
“With all the turns and hairpins this rally was very specific, we don’t have roads like this in Bulgaria or in other rounds I have been to in the European championship. I hope I have learned some things that will be good for the future.”
Chile
Poland
China