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Mladá Boleslav, 4 October, 2011 – This year's Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) Championship is about to enter its final stage. There are only two rallies to go this season and, considering the point-winning system in place, each of them is expected to offer a thrilling spectacle, with fierce battles for every yard of the track. The points to be won in Scotland will be multiplied by 1.5, which in fact means that every victory is fifty percent more valuable than any of those achieved in the previous events. The ŠKODA Motorsport team will be at full strength, i.e. is prepared to use both its crews – the reigning IRC champions Hänninen & Markkula and the current championship leaders Kopecký & Starý. As far as ŠKODA vehicles are concerned, the factory team will be reinforced by ŠKODA UK Motorsport's ever-improving Andreas Mikkelsen for whom the home rally is a big challenge.

The IRC championship is getting back to gravel after three asphalt rallies. Taking place at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, the upcoming rally is generally considered difficult. What makes it even more attractive is that the number of points to be won will be multiplied by 1.5, which is why experts expect a fierce battle for victory - the fifteen stages (200 km) in Scotland will affect the overall standings in both the Drivers competition and the Manufacturers Cup. Since the tie has not been broken yet, the Rally of Scotland is indeed an important one. Coolness and patience will play a major role – there is a lot to win but also a lot to lose.

Commenting on the upcoming Rally of Scotland, the current IRC Championship leader Jan Kopecký says: "Scotland is a big unknown for us, we have never competed there. It's gravel, i.e. a surface on which we've only appeared once this season (the Azores), but we will certainly drive as fast as possible to win as many points as possible."

Last year's IRC Champion and the winner of the 2010 Rally of Scotland Juho Hänninen adds: "We have the best memories of the Rally of Scotland, and we would certainly love to repeat our result from last year, but the main thing is to help the team. Scotland is a beautiful country, and I am looking forward to the overall atmosphere of the IRC."

The Rally of Scotland and the last event to take place in Cyprus over 3-5 November are the absolute climax of this year's IRC Championship. The points to be won in Scotland and Cyprus are coefficient-based, which in fact means that the value of these two rallies equals that of three and a half standard ones.

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