Team boss Manfred Stohl says he wouldn’t be surprised if his driver Andreas Aigner finished ahead of the some of the Super 2000 runners on Barum Czech Rally Zlín.
Although Aigner has never contested the Intercontinental Rally Challenge qualifier before and is at the wheel of a near-standard Subaru Impreza R4 STI, which is less powerful and less technically advanced as the pacesetting Super 2000 machines, team boss Stohl has high hopes for his fellow Austrian.
“The first hope of course is to fight for the IRC Production Cup win and the rest is just an extra,” said Stohl, pictured right with Aigner. “We’ve seen in the past with other drivers on this event that it’s always possible to beat one or two Super 2000 drivers. But we’ve also seen it’s very easy to have a puncture or a problem on the car because the roads are tough and it’s a long, hard weekend.”
Aigner has claimed top IRC Production Cup honours on two of his three appearances so far and he starts in Czech Republic as one of the favourites for success in the showroom category, which he currently leads outright. Nevertheless he was slightly more circumspect about his chances alongside co-driver Ilka Minor.
“This will be the toughest competition we’ve had this season with many starters and some very quick local guys,” said Aigner. “I did a rally in Czech Republic in 2004 at the beginning of my career and I know how fast the guys can be. But the big point will be the weather and if it’s raining then it will be really, really tricky.”