Jan Kopecky looks almost certain to have to sit out the Rally Russia next month, the fourth round in the 2008 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, following his misfortune last weekend on the Ypres.
Kopecky, who had taken the runners-up spot in Portugal in May, was running fourth overall in his Peugeot 207 S2000 - just 6.5 seconds off third, when he had an accident in the final stage on day 1, the 21.86 kilometre-run through Langemark 2.
The incident occurred just before the halfway marker when he hit a concrete block, which was possibly placed on the road by some spectators. Although Jan and his co-driver Petr Stary escaped uninjured, the car was baldly damaged.
"Gradually we had been gaining confidence and during the second passes of Friday's leg we were achieving times comparable to even crews of our competitor's factory vehicles. Following the fifth, next to last, special stage we were in fourth place with a gap to third of less than seven seconds," he reflected.
"In the last special stage approximately ten kilometres from the start of the stage we were going over a long straightaway and were in sixth gear when we had a big problem.
"I downshifted to fourth, released the brakes and entered a right handed turn through the middle, just as we had written down in our notes. According to my estimate we passed the turn at about 130 mph. When coming out of the turn, exactly in the centre of our path was a part of a concrete column.
"To avoid this chunk of reinforced concrete was impossible, because the track was lined by trees. We hit it and the car was literally catapulted. It forward spun over its roof and landed about 15 centimetres away from a pillar, which was supporting the bridge structure by the river. The impact was so strong that the concrete column pierced the aluminium ledger under the engine and damaged even the engine itself.
![Jan Kopecky / Petr Starý - Peugeot 207 S2000. Portugal 2008. IRC. [Pic credit: Motorsport Kopecky]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/438610.jpg)
