During the Special Stage 9, Desinić 3, on the Leg Two of 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec, reckless civilian driver, despite the warnings of the Safety Marshalls, has entered the route of the Special Stage by car after breaking the tape for traffic closure and driving in the direction opposite to the direction of the Stage, thus endangering his and the safety of the competitors.

In just a few seconds on the track, he almost caused a frontal collision with the crew of st. no. 33 Glasenčnik/Pistotnik. Tragedy was averted by the bravurous reaction of the rally driver who, by letting the rally car onto the lawn by the side of the road, avoided a collision. Just a few seconds later, the civilian vehicle was removed from the route of the Special Stage, police were called, who determined that the vehicle was driven by an intoxicated person and took further action.

We would like to stress out that as organizers of the 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec we have taken all the prescribed measures by the FIA and the Croatian Auto and Karting Federation that are the condition for the organization of rally events. Also, all consents and permits of the local government bodies and the police were obtained for the event. At the Desinić special stage, which took place on a 4.18 km section, in accordance with the Safety Plan, more than 50 Safety Marshalls and Stewarts were assigned whos quick reaction prevented the tragedy. The local population was informed on time about the event dates and road closure through printed notifications, billboards and posters, special leaflets that were delivered to mailboxes, through the means of public information and through the competition website www.rally-kumrovec.com.

We hereby as event organizer condemn the irresponsible behaviour of the individuals which is endangering safety and lives of the athletes, marshalls and spectators. We would also like to apologize for this whole situation, inconvenience and the shock to the crew of Mitja Glasenčnik and Matej Pistotnik from AMTK Velenje. Please note that this is a separate incident and that such situations never happened before at our events in Kumrovec. We appeal to the police and the judiciary to take such and similar offenses as a serious threat to the lives of athletes, judges and spectators that is inadmissible in any civilized society and to harshest punish those who cause them with their behaviour.

Best regards,
Organizing Committee of the 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec

Slovenian crew Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin in Hyundai i20 Rally2 defended their title at Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. They’ve finished eleven demanding special stages finished 10.6 seconds ahead of Dominik Dinkel and Pirmin Winklhofer of Germany in Ford Fiesta Rally2. Third place went to Hungarians Andras Hadik and Krisztian Kertesz in Ford Fiesta R5 MkII with 1:30.7 off the winner’s time.

After the real drama in the Croatian Championship Viliam Prodan eventually finished ahead of Juraj Šebalj with only 2.3 seconds advantage. Along with the co-driver Marko Stiperski in Ford Fiesta Rally3 he has entered the ultimate Stage with a delay of 7.4 seconds, and then overtook Šebalj and Marijan Stublić who competed in the Toyota Yaris GR.

“Our performance at Kumrovec was for an A. We’re happy, we really didn’t expect such a good rhythm. In the end, we ‘took off’ Šebalj at the last Test after he was in front of us all day. We got up on the afternoon Stages and reached the fifth place overall in the first appearance in this car.”

Viliam Prodan (AK Opatija Motorsport)

“I had migraine problems in the middle loop and then I took a pill after which I got better, but I lacked those three Stages in the overall score. In the end, Prodan was ahead for a small difference, well done for him, he was very fast. We were good, the car was working well. Great rally, great organization and absolutely crazy Stages.”

Juraj Šebalj (AK Delta)

Third in the Croatian Championship were Nenad Hrvatin and Doris Labinjan in Peugeot 306, who finished 101.96 km of Special Stages tenth overall. Nenad Lončarić and Tajana Vojvodić Pinky (Subaru Impreza STI) finished 14th and Dario Šamec and Florian Šalec (Peugeot 206 RC) finished 16th overall. The victory in the club standings went to the members of AK Zagorje Oroslavje ahead of AK Opatija Motorsport and AKK Sveta Nedelja.

Excellent rides in Croatian Zagorje were presented by young Slovenian ace Mark Škulj. In his second appearance at the Kumrovec rally, together with co-driver Pia Šumer, he placed very high seventh in the overall standings in Opel Corsa Rally4. The entire competition was accompanied by sunny weather, a total of 80 crews started 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec, 59 of them reached the finish line. The reasons of withdrawals were mainly technical failures and crashes from which crews emerged unharmed.

German crew Dominik Dinkel and Pirmin Winklhofer in Ford Fiesta Rally2 are the leaders after the first day of the 12th Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. They took the advantage of a mistake by the defending champions, Slovenians Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin who spinned on the second, night Stage Tuhelj. Dinkel and Winklhofer will enter the Saturday’s Tests with a 2.9-second lead, while they are 7.3 seconds away from the third-placed Hungarians Andras Hadik and Krisztian Kertesz in a Ford Fiesta R5 MkII. Vlastimil Majerčak and Jakub Slovak in Ford Fiesta Rally2 (+19,3) and the fastest 2WD crew Mark Škulj and Pia Šumer in Opel Corsa Rally4 (+22,9) followed.

Top-ranked Croatian crew Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić in Toyota Yaris GR holds the sixth position with 22.9 seconds behind the leaders. Right next to them settled Viliam Prodan and Marko Stiperski in Ford Fiesta Rally3. An excellent result was achieved by Nenad Hrvatin and Doris Labinjan, who reached the 13th position with Peugeot 306. Leaders of the Croatian Championship Hungarians Janos Szilagyi and co-driver Robert Balai in Peugeot 208 Rally4 finished the first Stage on 21st position, but later they withdrew from the rally due to gearbox failure and electronics problems.

„It was good and that’s it. I’m not eloquent at the start, I’m saving the words for the finish”, Juraj Šebalj stated shortyl about his drive at the Stage Tuhelj, reffering to nine more demanding Special Stages on Saturday. Unforunately, without Austrian-German crew Daniel Mayer i Alessandra Baumann, whos crash caused a delay of the first Stage Tuhelj. The crew is ok and after removal of the car, the rest of the crews have finished the stage.

Saturday’s programme will start at 9:15 with a Ceremonial Start at the Museum Staro Selo in Kumrovec. At the very same place first crew will arrive at 17:45 for the Closing Ceremony. Special Stages Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec will be driven three times. Special location for the spectators this year also will be at the elementary school playground at Kumrovec, where it will be possible to watch the competition with eno-gastronomic offer of Hrvatsko Zagorje or to try the full-motion rally simulator HeliDrive, official simulator of Kärcher Rally Kumrovec.

Live Timing

Special TV Show broadcasted live at GP1 TV from Terme Tuhelj.

Last year’s Kärcher Rally Kumrovec winner, Slovenia’s Rok Turk has set the fastest time at the shakedown. With co-driver Blanka Kacin in Hyundai i20 Rally2, he drove the 2.13 km long test 1:17,500, which is 1.4 seconds faster than the Austrian-German crew of Daniel Mayer and Alessandra Baumann in Citroen C3 R5. The third time, 1:19,200 was achieved by Hungarians Antal Kovacs and Richard Csaki (Hyundai i20 Rally2). The fastest Croatians were Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić (Toyota Yaris GR) who were 3.7 seconds behind Turk and Kacin.

Live Timing

Special Stages 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec are mostly the same as last year. There were no changes in the routes of Tests Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec, but Tuhelj is a completely new Stage that will be driven for the first time. With the start in Kumrovec, at the position of the finish line of the WRC Croatia Rally Power Stage, through Kladnik and Velinac, the Special Stage leads to Prosenik.

The new asphalt on Zagorska Sela will help the crews for the time-attack, but renovated banks could pose a problem because of the amount of pebbles that will end up on the track after the rally cars pass through. The record time was set by Rok Turk – 7:26,4.

The Stage Zagorska Sela is circular again this year, driving a little more than a full circle. It is followed by Kumrovec, which, in a good part, just like Zagorska Sela, passes through the sections of the Croatia Rally Power Stage. Next to the track, on the elementary school playground the special Fan Zone will be set from where it will be possible to follow the competition, try the eno-gastronomic offer of Hrvatsko Zagorje, as well as the ride on the official simulator of the Rally Kumrovec – HeliDrive.

As always, the Start-Finish portal, is located in the Museum Staro Selo in the center of Kumrovec. Instructions for spectators, detailed schedule of Special Stages and maps can be found in the Spectators section.

The crews have kicked off Thursday with recce and a part of them have done Administrative Checks and Scrutineering in the late afternoon and the early evening. The Welcome Dinner followed at Dom Kulture Razvor with a music band performing. The good atmosphere wasn’t spoiled by fresh late-summer evening with the temperature dropping to 15 degrees Celsius. Significant heat is expected as of tomorrow and on Saturday, when the temperature could rise up to +30.

Friday will bring the continuation of the Administrative Checks and Scrutineering, followed by Shakedown from 14:00 till 15:45. First Special Stage, Tuhelj, is scheduled at 17:34. Before second pass through it, crews will go to the regrouping at Terme Tuhelj parking lot, where special programme will take place. The rally cars will be displayed for the visitors who will be able to get autographs from the crews. Detailed Schedule may be found at the section Spectators.

Excellent turnout of the crews for 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec, a total of 82 from 8 countries have entered the event. The starting no. 1 is allocated to the defending champions Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin from Slovenia in Hyundai i20 Rally2. A few more big names are coming to Hrvatsko Zagorje. Certainly the biggest among them is that of three-time Hungarian champion Andras Hadik, with co-driver Krisztian Kertesz in Ford Fiesta R5 MkII. Hadik is currently holding the second place in the Mitropa Rally Cup standings, with third-placed Simon Rončel (Peugeot 208 Rally4) and fourth-placed Mark Škulj (Opel Corsa Rally4) also coming to Kumrovec.

• Download Entry List

Domestic crews will be led by Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić in Toyota GR Yaris, and after a short absence from Croatian Stages, Viliam Prodan will return, with new co-driver Marko Stiperski in Ford Fiesta Rally3. This season they have already driven two rallies in nearby Slovenia with Renault Clio Rally4, so they will probably aim for a high finishing place in a stronger car at Kumrovec. The Croatian Championship leader, Janos Szilagyi and Robert Balai will compete in the Peugeot 208 Rally4, and there is a whole bunch of experienced AKK Sveta Nedelja drivers such as Nenad Lončarić in Subaru Impreza STI, Daniel Vojvodić in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III and Krešimir Ravenščak in Ford Fiesta Rally3.

Statistically speaking, as many as 14 cars are the strongest, Class 1 cars, one more than Class 2 vehicles are on the Entry List. We are looking forward to an interesting fight in all championships for which 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec scores. Unfortunately, three drivers from the Top 10 of the Croatian Championship are missing at the moment – Martin Ravenščak, Jan Pokos and Nino Bogović, but we believe that very soon we will watch them again at Kumrovec’s Stages.

The main Promotion of 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec will take place from September 1 till 3 at City Center One West in Zageb. On this occasion, the official simulator of Rally Kumrovec HeliDrive will be set up at the exhibition area of our partner Suzuki Antares Center. Visitors will be able to try their driving skills on the full motion simulator of our partner HeliSpace Interactive Park, see Suzuki models and find out all about the international rally competition in Hrvatsko Zagorje.

The most successful drivers on the simulation of the Special Stage will receive prizes and we hope that after their driving skills tests they will come to experience the rally from the first row on September 8 and 9 at the Stages of 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. See you this weekend at City Center One West in Zagreb, Jankomir 33.

During the 12. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec, on September 8 and 9, 2023, the following roads will be closed:

Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9 – Josip Broz Street in Kumrovec for setting up the Parc Ferme, Ceremonial Start and Finish Ceremony from Friday, September 8 at 17:00 till Saturday, September 9 at 22:00

Friday, September 8 – road Kumrovec (Kumrovečka Street) – Kladnik – Vidikovac – Kumrovec (Lončarov Put) from 12:00 to 16:00 due to Shakedown Kladnik

Friday, September 8 – roads Kumrovec (Kumrovečka street) – Kladnik – Velinci – Lenišće – Prosenik from 16:00 to approx. 22:30 due to Special Stages Tuhelj

Saturday, September 9 – Hum Košnički road (Dvor Veliki Tabor) – Sv. Marija Magdalena Chapel – Jazbina – Košnica from 09:00 to 19:00 due to Special Stages Desinić

Saturday, September 9 – roads Zagorska Sela – Kuzminec Miljanski – Pušća – Zagorska Sela from 9:30 to 20:00 due to Special Stages Zagorska Sela

Saturday, September 9 – roads Ravno Brezje Street – Razdrto Tuheljsko – Ravno Brezje – Kladnik – Kumrovec – Donji Škrnik – Gornji Škrnik from 9:00 to 20:00 due to Special Stages Kumrovec

We kindly ask all residents who live in the area or use the roads that will be temporarily closed for public traffic for full cooperation in the organization of the competition in such a way that at the specified times:

• They close the doors at all entrances to their backyards.
• Pay special attention to the care of the children, making sure that they are under control and safe at all times
• Domestic animals and pets are kept indoors, so as not to be uncontrollably on the road/street
• To remove their vehicles from the roads/streets passing the Special Stages route
• If special circumstances arise that require the intervention of emergency services, contact the nearest judge “SAFETY MARSHAL” (orange bib/vest)