Peugeot UK's Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle check out with 8 points from Zlin

Peugeot UK's Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle have kept their IRC Championship challenge completely on track with an unlikely but determined second place in the Czech Rally Zlin, Round 8 of this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge.  Jan Kopecky’s win means their lead in the title race has been cut to 3 points, but crucially, their other 2 big rivals Giandomenico Basso and Freddy Loix failed to score.

Kris and Paul started the final day in third, 8.4 seconds behind team mate and fellow Championship contender Freddy Loix.   Kopecky’s lead was over a minute, so realistically, Loix was the only driver they could overtake.

Kris went for the challenge, setting fastest time on the opening stage, SS10.  As he and Paul flew through the stage they spotted Loix’s car by the side of the road.  Damage following a puncture had put the popular Belgian out of the event.  Kris and Paul were up to second.  8 points beckoned.

Final Times – SS10 Trojak 1

1  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  16:45.3s 2  Skoda Fabia  Juho Hanninen  16:50.9s 3  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  16:52.0s 4 Peugeot 207 S2000  Roman Kresta  16:57.9s 5  Abarth Grande Punto S2000  Giandomenico Basso  16:59.3s 6  Peugeot 207 S2000  Martin Prokop  17:01.7s

After SS10, Kopecky lead the rally by 63.3 seconds from Kris, with Juho Hanninen a further 24.9 seconds behind.

Next the drivers headed for SS11 Sementin. Kopecky was fastest through the stage, 0.2 seconds quicker than team mate Hanninen and 5.8 seconds quicker than Kris.

Final Times – SS11 Sementin 1

1  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  7:05.1s 2  Skoda Fabia  Juho Hanninen  7:05.3s 3  Skoda Fabia  Pavel Valousek  7:09.7s 4  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  7:10.9s 5  Peugeot 207 S2000  Roman Kresta  7:13.8s 6 Peugeot 207 S2000 Martin Prokop 7:15.4s

After this stage Kopecky had extended his lead to 69.1 seconds over Kris, with Hanninen closing the gap between second and third to 19.3 seconds.

With the sun blazing, the crowds were out in their thousands to cheer on their heroes, many of them lining the fields and woods of SS12 at Komarov.  This was a short 8.4 kilometres stage almost within sight of the Service Park.  Kris responded to Hanninen's pressure by setting fast time, though the Finn came though just 0.8 of a second behind.  Championship rival Giandomenico Basso was driving quickly after rejoining the rally under SuperRally rules – but drive as he might, he would not get into the points.

Final Times – SS12 Komarov 1

1  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  4:49.6s 2  Skoda Fabia  Juho Hanninen  4:50.4s 3  Abarth Grande Punto S2000  Giandomenico Basso  4:50.4s 4  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  4:51.1s 5  Skoda Fabia  Pavel Valousek  4:51.8s

After SS12 Kopecky continued to lead Kris by over a minute, with Hanninen  20.1 seconds behind in third.

The Service Park halt gave the crews a chance to recharge, and then they came out to do the same 3 stages all over again.  All Kris and Paul had to do was to hold position, and they would take 8 points in the title race.  Kris duly responded with another stage win while third-placed Hanninen  dropped time after spinning.

Final Times – SS13 Trojak 2

1  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  16:17.9s 2  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  16:21.8s 3  Skoda Fabia  Pavel Valousek  16:28.8s 4  Peugeot 207 S2000 Martin Prokop 16:30.2s 5  Abarth Grande Punto S2000  Giandomenico Basso  16:33.2s

Kopecky continued to lead Kris, but Roman Kresta moved into third for the first time.

SS14 Semetin saw Hanninen charging to make up ground after the previous stage, but though he re-took third, Kris in second place had a cushion of more than a minute, and with just one stage left, all he had to do was finish…

Final Times – SS14 Semetin 2

1  Skoda Fabia  Juho Hanninen  6:46.3s 2  Skoda Fabia  Pavel Valousek  6:53.5s 3  Peugeot 207 S2000 Martin Prokop 6:54.0s 4  Mitsubishi Lancer  Vaclav Pech  6:55.0s 5  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  6:55.4s 6 Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  6:55.5s

And so the final stage, the re-run at Komarov.  Hanninen  threw everything at it, but Kris would not be tempted with an unlikely 8 points to be had.  Kopecky drifted quietly home and duly took a hugely deserved win – the biggest of his career - but points win Championships and Kris and Paul crossed the line to add those 8 to their tally.  On Friday night, few would have believed Kris and Paul could finish second.  Three rounds remain: they lead the drivers’ table by 3 points.

Final Times – SS15 Komarov 2

1  Skoda Fabia  Juho Hanninen  4:47.3s 2  Mitsubishi Lancer  Vaclav Pech  4:49.7s 3  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  4:50.2s 5  Skoda Fabia  Pavel Valousek  4:50.2s

Overall Rally Result at end of Day One

1  Skoda Fabia  Jan Kopecky  2hr 24m 21.1s 2  Peugeot 207 S2000  Kris Meeke  + 1m 00.4s 3  Skoda Fabia  Juho H‰nninen  + 2m 00.8s 4 Peugeot 207 S2000  Roman Kresta  + 2m 10.8s5Peugeot 207 S2000  Martin Prokop  +2m 39.6s

Drivers Standings

1  Kris Meeke  Peugeot 207 S2000  42 pts 2  Jan Kopecky  Skoda Fabia S2000  39 pts 3  Giandomenico Basso  Abarth Grande Punto S2000  27 pts  Freddy Loix  Peugeot 207 S2000  27 pts 4  Juho H‰nninen  Skoda Fabia S2000  20 pts

Peugeot continue to lead in the Manufacturers standings:

Manufacturers Standings

1  Peugeot  95 pts 2  Skoda  59 pts 3  Mitsubishi (Ralliart)  42 pts 4  Abarth  34 pts 5  Proton  5 pts

The next round is the Rally Principe de Asturias in Northern Spain on the 10th to 12th September.