motorsport ŠKODA Champions want to round off outstanding season at highlight in China

[ColinD]

The ŠKODA champions want to round off an outstanding season in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) at the highlight of the season in China.

 

With the flawless result of five victories in five rallies so far, the duos Jan Kopecký/Pavel Dresler (CZ) and Gaurav Gill/Glenn Macneall (IND/NZ) head to the Czech car manufacturer’s most important market in the world for the season finale. 

 

The works-supported ŠKODA MRF Team has already secured the title in the manufacturers’ standings of the APRC* ahead of the “China Rally Longyou” for the third time in a row.

 

• › “China Rally Longyou” from Friday to Sunday final APRC stop


• › ŠKODA title win in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings* already certain


• › Five victories in five rallies of the APRC season so far


• › ŠKODA production vehicles are best sellers in China


• › Titles in the ERC and four national championships for the Fabia Super 2000

Src: Mladá Boleslav, 5 November 2014 –  

 

Also, Jan Kopecký has secured the title before the end of the season, making him the first 

driver in history to win the driver’s title in the European Rally Championship 

(ERC) and the APRC* in consecutive years

“Naturally we are very proud to have won these titles for ŠKODA in our debut season in 

the APRC. But there’s no reason to celebrate just yet: After all we want to finish off the 

season perfectly at the highlight of the season and put on a good show for our fans in 

China,” said Kopecký. The 32-year-old ŠKODA works driver has won three rallies this 

season, in New Caledonia, Australia and most recently in Japan. The dethroned defending 

champion Gill was victorious in the other two APRC rallies in New Zealand and Malaysia. 

Gill’s aim for China is to at least draw level with Kopecký on number of victories: “After 

coming second in China last year, I want to finish the season with a win. After all it’s an 

important race for the whole brand.”

 

Just how popular ŠKODA is in China was evident the first time that the Czech brand ever 

participated in a vintage car rally in Beijing and Shanghai in September. At the “Top City 

Classic Rally China” a convertible ŠKODA Felicia from 1961 and a Laurin & Klement 300 

from 1923 – the oldest vehicle to take part – delighted tens of thousands of spectators. 

At the “China Rally Longyou”, the state of the art rally racer Fabia Super 2000 is set to 

enthral the fans over 230.92 kilometres and 13 special stages.

 

ŠKODA wants to increase its worldwide sales in the coming years to at least 1.5 million 

units per year, focusing on the Asian growth markets in particular. In China alone the 

number of vehicles sold is planned to rise to more than 500,000 in the future. Last week 

ŠKODA’s HR Director Bohdan Wojnar was part of a Czech government delegation 

accompanying President Miloš Zeman on his state visit to China.

 

In addition to the title hat-trick in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings in the APRC, 

ŠKODA has also secured the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) title going into the 

final race of the season. The path to the ERC title is clear for ŠKODA works driver 

Esapekka Lappi (FIN) at the season finale on Corsica from Thursday to Saturday. The 

high-tech four-wheel drive from Mladá Boleslav has also won the championship title in 

four national rally championships.

 

Belgium’s rally old hand “Fast” Freddy Loix, who won the FIA European Rally 

Championship race in his home country in the Fabia Super 2000 in June, won the Belgian 

championship title. Before that, Pedro Meireles (P), supported by ŠKODA Portugal, won 

the championship in Portugal. Old hand Raimund Baumschlager (A) also won his twelfth 

rally championship title overall in Austria in the Fabia Super 2000. On top of that, Poles 

Grzegorz Grzyb/Robert Hundla won the championship in Slovakia.

 

* Subject to the official publication of the results by the FIA.