Local ace Cais sets the pace in ERC’s Czech qualifier

Born and raised in Zlín where this sixth round of the 2024 FIA European Rally Championship is based, ex-mountain bike racer Cais took his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to the top of the timesheets with a 1min 40.9sec effort over the 2.77-kilometre Oldřichovice test.

Dry roads and blue skies greeted the drivers this morning although Cais, who is 25, is hoping for rain this weekend. He and co-driver Igor Bacigál will open the road through Saturday’s eight-stage leg.

“I don't know completely [the best starting position] because of the rain," he said. "For sure, you have a small part where it's better to have a clean road, but you have to think also about a lot of kilometres. We are happy."

Austria’s Simon Wagner trailed Cais by eight-tenths in second while Miko Marczyk completed an all-Michelin-shod Škoda top three another three-tenths of a second behind.

Filip Mareš was the only non-Fabia driver inside the top 10. Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 on Hankook tyres, the Czech ace posted the same time as Marczyk, as did the 2022 ERC champion Efrén Llarena.

Sixth went the way of Mathieu Franceschi, currently second in the championship and just seven points adrift of series leader Hayden Paddon. The Frenchman stopped the clock at 1min 42.1sec with local drivers Dominik Stříteský, 11-time Barum Czech Rally Zlín winner Jan Kopecky and Adam Brezik just one-tenth slower.

Hermann Neubauer completed the top 10 ahead of Paddon, who ended 2.1sec off the pace in his Pirelli-armed Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Twelfth went to Vaclav Pech while Martin László and Andrea Mabellini both overcame half spins at the first junction to place 13th and 14th ahead of Ford Fiesta Rally2 man Jon Armstrong.

The SSS Zlín test, which takes place under darkness around the streets of Zlín, is next from 21:15 local time.