IRC Rally Zlin: Spectator fatality halts event, Juho Hanninen winsJuho Hanninen was declared the winner of Rally Zlin after it was stopped prior to the final stage when a spectator was killed.
Event organisers are in the process of issuing a statement but it is understood the deceased was standing in a non-spectator zone when the Subaru Impreza of Czech driver Vaclav Kopacek rolled several times.
Hanninen had been in a close fight with Skoda Motorsport team-mate Jan Kopecky starting the final day but edged 16.2 seconds clear when he beat Kopecky by more than 10s on stage 12, Majak.
But any hopes Kopecky had of fighting back on the next run, Halenkovice, ended when his Fabia Super 2000's engine failed after a handful of kilometres. The stage was subsequently cancelled following Kopacek's accident.Andreas Mikkelsen was in third overall when a double puncture on the day's first stage dropped him to 10th. He was in eighth place when the rally was stopped.
Roman Kresta finished second following a close fight with Tomas Kostka, who led after Friday night's opening special.
Leading finishers after SS14:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Juho Hanninen Skoda 2h11m28.2s
2. Roman Kresta Adell Mogul Skoda + 1m43.1s
3. Tomas Kostka Rufa Skoda + 1m51.8s
4. Jaromir Tarabus Ak Skoda + 4m11.7s
5. Robert Barrable CA1 Skoda + 4m33.6s
6. Karl Kruuda ME3 Skoda + 5m03.0s
7. Andreas Aigner Stohl Subaru + 5m34.6s
8. Andreas Mikkelsen Skoda UK + 5m35.8s
9. Michal Solowow Cersanit Peugeot + 6m18.7s
10. Sepp Wiegand Skoda Deutschland + 7m21.8s
