Slovenian crew Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin in Hyundai i20 Rally2 has won the 11. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. With a superior and attractive ride, the five-time reigning Slovenian champion reached the finish line in a time of 52:38.5. Second were Hungary’s Antal Kovacs and Gergely Istovics in Hyundai i20 R5 with 1:33.3 gap, while Bulgaria’s Ignat Isaev and Milen Iliev won the third step of the podium in the Skoda Fabia R5.

Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić won the Croatian Championship. They competed in Toyota GR Yaris. In the overall standings, they were fourth. The second position was won by Alfred Kramer Jr. and Jeanette Andersson Kvick in Peugeot 208 Rally4 with 57.8 seconds gap, which was enough for them to finish seventh overall. Viliam Prodan and Zoran Raštegorac in the Renault Clio Rally4 tried to reach the second place, but in the end they still finished third with 5.4 seconds behind Kramer and Kvick. Overall Prodan and Raštegorac were eighth.

In his maiden appearance at Rally Kumrovec, 18-year-old Slovenian driver Mark Škulj along with co-driver Matej Čar reached the excellent sixth place of the overall standing in Ford Fiesta Rally4, which is also the best placement of the crews in two wheel drive vehicles. After rain that fell intermittently during Therme Tuhelj Special Stage on Friday, Saturday’s itinerary was guided in completely dry and sunny weather. Several thousand spectators gathered along the route and enjoyed the driving of the crews and the eno-gastronomic offer of the Croatian Zagorje region. 68 crews from nine countries started, with 49 reaching the Staro Selo Museum in Kumrovec. Fewer crews went off road, but without serious consequences. Most, however, experienced the bitter side of the rally and withdraw due to the technical failures of their cars.

There are no changes at the top of the overall standings after six tests. Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin (Hyundai i20 Rally2) will enter the final at the Kumrovec Special Stage as the leaders. Modelled on the Power Stage of the World Rally Championship, the top five crews will start in reverse order. Antal Kovacs and Gergo Istovics (Hyundai i20 R5) took second place at the penultimate test, held by Bulgaria’s Ignat Isaev and Milen Iliev (Skoda Fabia R5) since the start of the competition on Friday in Terme Tuhelj.

Viliam Prodan and Zoran Raštegorac (Renault Clio Rally4) got close to Alfred Kramer Jr. and Jeanette Andersson Kvick just 3.7 seconds behind after Zagorska Sela pass two, but on Kumrovec Kramer and Kvick raised the lead to 5.9 seconds. Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić (Toyota GR Yaris) still hold the domestic general and fifth place in the overall standings.

Live Timing

Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin at Hyundai i20 Rally2 increased the advantage with which they entered Saturday’s speed tests by more than half a minute. After the first pass of the Stages Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec they hold the lead with 35,6 seconds ahead of Ignat Isaev and Milena Iliev in Skoda Fabia R5. Antal Kovacs and Gergely Istovics advanced to third place in the Hyundai i20 R5.

Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić in Toyota GR Yaris are the fastest domestic crew, in fifth place in the overall standings. Next up are Alfred Kramer jr. and Jeanette Andersson Kvick in Peugeot 208 Rally4 in sixth and Viliam Prodan with co-driver Zoran Raštegorac in Renault Clio Rally4 in seventh place. The Kumrovec 1 Special Stage was neutralized for the part of the crews to whom the time was allocated.

Unfortunately, already after the first loop more than ten crews are out of the competition. Some of them didn’t even start, some of them had technical failures in the Stages, and some of them ran off road, luckily with no consequences for the crews. The afternoon round starts at 13:28 minutes with the Desinić test.

Slovenian crew Rok Turk and Blanka Kacin in the Hyundai i20 Rally2 are the fastest after the first day of 11. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. At both passes through the Special Stage, Terme Tuhelj set the fastest time and will start on Saturday with a five-second lead over second-placed Bulgarians Ignat Isaev and Milen Iliev in the Skoda Fabia R5. Third place is held by Italy’s Alessandro Proscodimo and Massimo Falomo, also in Fabia R5 with 6.7 seconds behind.

The fastest Croatian crew was Nenad Lončarić and Tajana Vojvodić Pinky in eighth place, 14.4 seconds behind the leaders. It is uncertain in class 2 of the domestic championship, in which brother and sister Martin and Dora Ravenščak (Ford Fiesta Rally4) will start on Saturday with a 1.1 second lead over Viliam Prodan and Zoran Raštegorac (Renault Clio Rally4).

The first passage of Terme Tuhelj started in dry weather, but soon the rain began, which did not create too much trouble for the crews. Their driving was a shade slower, but also more attractive because they were drifting through the turns. The second stage was driven in night conditions, and like the first one it was followed by several thousand spectators along the route. The competition continues on Saturday when seven Special Stages scheduled at Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec with a ceremonial start at the beginning and a ceremonial finish at the end of the day at Kumrovec’s Staro Selo Museum. The competition was started by 68 crews.

In the Historic Car Cup Slobodan Karleuša won in Škoda 120 L in front of Robert Šamec (Porsche 911) and Zlatko Brozović (Zastava 128).

Rok Turk (Hyundai i20 Rally2) has kicked off hard. At the very first, 1,6 km long, Special Stage Terme Tuhelj he achieved time 1:55,1, which is exactly two seconds faster than secondplaced Ignat Isaev (Škoda Fabia R5). Alessandro Prosdocimo (Škoda Fabia R5) was third with 3,5 seconds gap behind Turk. As high as fifth place overall was won by Mark Škulj (Ford Fiesta Rally4) in time 2:00,8, while Julian Wagner (Audi A1 Rally2-Kit) was only 0,2 seconds slower at sixth place.

First run of stage at parking lot of Terme Tuhelj has started in dry weather, but the rain began soon. It didn’t cause too much trouble for the crews, but for sure it did affect their stage times. Spectators could enjoy in several drifts. The start of second Special Stage Terme Tuhelj is at 20:00 sharp and as a foreplay the second run of accuracy of Historic Car Cup with seven competitors will be driven.

Live timing

Slovenian driver Rok Turk (Hyundai i20 R5) was fastest in the 2.13 km long Shakedown Kladnik with time 1:18.2. The second time was achieved by Hungary’s Antal Kovacs, who was only 0.9 seconds slower in an identical car. Bulgaria’s Ignat Isaev (Skoda Fabia R5) was thirdplacer with 1.9 seconds behind. Juraj Šebalj was the fastest Croatian driver, in fourth position with 2.7 seconds gap behind Turk.

In the afternoon, crews will run SS Terme Tuhelj two times, with 7 competitors of the Historic Car Cup joining them with two rides of accuracy.

Live timing

On the days of 11. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec roads will be closed for traffic in the municipalities of Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec. We hereby ask all the residents of the area for understanding and support in organizing the sporting event as in previous years. All road closures are carried out on the basis of the approval of the Krapina-Zagorje Police Department. In the documents below, find traffic closure times in the area where you live.

Općina Desinić – obavijest o zatvaranju prometa   Općina Zagorska Sela – obavijest o zatvaranju prometa   Općina Kumrovec – obavijest o zatvaranju prometa

Another octane spectacle is being prepared in Zagorje, Croatia. After the World Rally Championship event held at the end of April, September brings the resumption of the Croatian Championship and the 11. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec. Seventy-one crews from nine countries have been registered. This is a record number of crews announcing their arrival, after the round 70 in year 2016. For the spectators, the fleet will be particularly attractive, which will drive through the tests in Terme Tuhelj, Desinić, Zagorska Sela and Kumrovec. It will be led by the Hyundai i20 Rally2 of reigning five-time Slovenian champion Rok Turk with co-driver Blanka Kacin. Next up is the Ford Focus WRC of Austria’s Gerald Rigler and Jürgen Heigl.

Already usual, the domestic crews are the most numerous, and some of them will be having the high expectations of this competition, Viliam Prodan and Zoran Raštegorac in Renault Clio Rally4, Juraj Šebalj and Marijan Stublić in Toyota GR Yaris and Tomas Hrvatin and Đani Simčić in Renault Clio RS. Austrian with AK Rijeka license Alfred Kramer Jr. with co-driver Jeannette Andersson Kvick in the Peugoet 208 Rally4 will also enter the fight for the top of the domestic championship.

Entry List

Preparations for the fifth event of the Croatian Rally Championship season are in the final stage. The 11. Kärcher Rally Kumrovec will be held on September 9 and 10, and will also be counted for prestigious international series, the FIA Championship of the Central European Zone (CEZ) and the Alpe Adria Rally Trophy. Last year, in its tenth anniversary edition, it gathered 65 crews from seven countries.

Nine special stages will be run, and a new one has been added to previously known locations. “There are few news. We’ve expanded the area where the competition is taking place. This extension refers to going to the vicinity of the Veliki Tabor castle, where the Desinic stage will be run. On the old and already well-known stages, we’ve decided to make a drastic change, which is to turn the direction of driving. On Tuesday, September 6, we will publish the Entry List, and I can already announce that it will be excellent. Once again we expect the spectators in large numbers and I hereby urge them to follow all instructions of the marshalls and stewarts along the track,” said the Clerk of the Course Željko Štefanić.

The itinerary consists of 75.40 km of tests and has a total length of 161.98 km. “It all starts, as usual with a shakedown on Friday, September 9, followed by two prologues at Terme Tuhelj parking lot. Saturday’s program begins with the ceremonial start at Staro Selo Museum, followed by two passes to the stages of Desinić and Zagorska Sela and three times the Kumrovec test. The finish is scheduled for 18:30,” Štefanić added.

The section between Zagorje Selo and Kumrovec is written in the history of the world rally as the site of epic finals of the Croatia Rally. In both WRC editions of the event so far, it is on this route that the question of the winner has been decided. In April 2021, Elfyn Evans lost the victory to Sebastein Ogier by only six tenths of a second, and a year later Kalle Rovanperä surpassed Ott Tänak with a brilliant ride for the overall celebration in Croatia. After only two editions of the Croatia Rally in the WRC calendar, the world media called it a classic, and its Powerstage Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec one of the most attractive and technically demanding in the entire World Championship.

“I feel that in Croatia we have witnessed the birth of a new world champion, young Finn Rovanpera. It was Powerstage Kumrovec that was declared the turning point of the last season by the WRC fans, as Ogier took the push to the eighth title on it. Rovanperä did the same this year, winning the maximum 30 points,” Štefanic concluded.

In the ten editions of the Kumrovec Rally so far, only once the crew from Croatia has won the victory. It was in 2013 when Daniel Šaškin and Damir Bruner won in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. The last five editions were won by crews from Austria. Hermann Neubauer and Niki Mayr-Melnhof each celebrated twice in Ford Fiesta R5 and Rally2 cars, along with three co-drivers – Bernhard Ettel, Poldi Welsersheimb and Thomas Zeiser. In 2020, Simon Wagner and Gerald Winter celebrated in Skoda Fabia R5 Evo. The most successful driver remains Hungary’s Janos Szilagyi with three wins with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, while his compatriot Krisztian Hideg has one win with an identical car.