The German duo Dominik Dinkel and Kathrin Götzenberger, driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2, are leading after the first day of the 13. Motul Rally Kumrovec. They have finished the second special stage in Tuhelj better than the Slovak crew Majerčák and Slovák, who started the rally strong with a well-driven shakedown and first stage, only to crash into a nearby ditch during the second stage. With last year’s winners, Slovenians Rok Turk and Blank Kacin, not participating, the competition is fierce, and an exciting race with a battle for the top positions is expected until the very end.

The best-placed local crew, Viliam Prodan and Marko Stiperski, driving a Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, secured a solid seventh place, with a 7.9-second gap behind the leaders. “Expectations? We have no idea. We know the stages well, but not the car,” Prodan expressed his doubts before the start of the rally, but that didn’t stop him from delivering the best performance among the Croatian drivers.

Four foreign and two Croatian crews crashed during the first two stages, but they are eligible for a so-called restart, meaning they can continue the race, if their cars aren’t too damaged.

The ceremonial start at the Staro Selo Museum in Kumrovec is scheduled for saturday morning at 9:15 AM. The crews will then face nine more special stages through Desinić, Zagorska Sela, and Kumrovec. The ceremonial finish and prize giving will take place in Kumrovec, starting at 6:15 PM.