Czech driver Jan Kopecky and co-driver Petr Stary drove their Skoda to a first home victory in nearly a decade in the Barum Rally Zlin.
Kopecky took over the lead from his teammate Hanninen on the second stage of the eighth round of the IRC series, and never ceded the advantage after that.
The Skoda driver eventually built up a winning margin of more than a minute over second-placed Kris Meeke as the enthusiastic home fans cheered them on every step of the way.
Meeke’s second place finish means that the Ulsterman holds on to his overall lead in the IRC series, though he now enjoys just a three-point margin over Kopecky.
Kopecky’s team-mate Juho Hanninen came in third, but was very nearly overtaken by Roman Kresta after sliding off during stage 13 and losing time.
Fortunately for the Finn he only dropped one position to find himself a few seconds behind Roman Kresta, but he promptly regained third position with a blisteringly fast drive on the penultimate run and confirmed it on the last to secure first and third spots on the podium for Skoda.
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