Round 7, Czech Republic

European Rally Championship

Barum Czech Rally Zlín belongs to the most important motorsport events in the Czech Republic and in 2010 it's going to celebrate the 40th anniversary. The tradition of this event is closely connected to very high popularity of rallysport in this country and it has been year by year proved by the number of spectators; only in 2009 there were count more than 265 000 visitors alongside the BCRZ special stages! The importance of this event was also readable from the media interest; in 2009, 283 journalist teams from 15 countries came to Zlín, 79 from TV or radio stations, 86 writing editors and 118 photographers.

The long-term partner of the event is the company Barum. Connecting the biggest and the most successful tire producer in the Czech Republic with the most important motorsport event in the country makes very solid relationship and helps to provide good name both the Barum company and the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. Like in the past, the tire producer will be the main partner of the rally also during the anniversary 40th edition of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

This rally, which has the base in Moravian city of Zlín, has been developed during the years up to the top of the motorsport scene in the Czech Republic and every year it's been the pioneer with introducing new features and innovations to the rallysport. Since 1983 the rally has been a part of European Rally Championship and by 2007 it also became a part of exclusive Intercontinental Rally Challenge serial promoted by satellite broadcast TV Eurosport. With this step the quality of the rally again rose up. In 2009 the competition could offer the best entry list in its history; Barum Czech Rally Zlín also holds the unofficial record of number of entered S2000 cars. There was no other so far, that would pass the Czech rally in this way. The 2009 was won by Jan Kopecký and Petr Starý driving the works Škoda Fabia S2000. It has been long eight years, since the Czech driver with a Czech car won the Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

The rally-headquarter as well as the start and finish ramp are usually located in the centre of Zlín city. The whole rally action will be launched with scrutineering held in service area in Otrokovice on Thursday, August 26th. Next morning, crews can prove their cars on shakedown track close to the service base and in the evening, the rally will start with very popular Super Special Stage in the streets of Zlín city. Upcoming Saturday and Sunday will be fulfilled with 270 kilometers of tarmac special stages.

The host city of Zlín is lying in the East of the Czech Republic and is surrounded with marvelous woody countryside. It's 300 km far from the Czech capital Prague and 200 km from Austrian metropolis of Vienna.