Neil Simpson just missed out on a top 10 finish when he made his Rally Zlín debut in Czech Republic last weekend using Pirelli tyres. The Lancashire-based Skoda dealership proprietor finished in 11th place on the all-asphalt event in a Skoda Fabia Super 2000.

A mainstay of the European Rally Championship for several years, the event has a fearsome reputation due to the bumpy and sometimes broken nature of the road surface. To add to the challenge, several stages feature high-speed blasts through forest areas. While this year’s event took place in the dry intermittent showers are always a possibility.

“The rally was epic, there’s no other word to describe it,” said Simpson. “It was fast and tricky but we had a lot of fun and I’m so glad to finish. The Fabia S2000 has run faultlessly, the Pirelli tyres have worked very well.”

Simpson will continue his European championship adventure with Pirelli when he contests Rallye du Valais in Switzerland on October 23-25.