Jiří Mičánek is preparing for two iconic hillclimb events in consecutive weekends. This weekend he will line up for the legendary Ústecká 21 in Ústí nad Orlicí, before making his debut in the European Championship at Ecce Homo in Šternberk just one week later.
“They’ll be two very different weekends for me. Both courses are extremely demanding, but while I already know Ústecká 21 well, Ecce Homo will be completely new territory. I’ve been spending a lot of time there recently in a road car to familiarise myself with the circuit, and my first impression is one of enormous respect,” says the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team principal.
What both events do share, however, is a deep connection to the Mičánek family name and its racing heritage. Ústecká 21 was organised for many years by Miroslav Urban, a close friend of Jiří Mičánek Sr., which means the event has always felt almost like a home round for the family. “It’s something very close to my heart. Being able to meet the Urban family again, as well as the fans who create such an incredible atmosphere here, really brings back the spirit of the old natural-road circuits. From a driver’s perspective, it’s a very special event,” explains Jiří Mičánek Jr. ahead of the first of the two race weekends.
At Ústecká 21, he will be aiming to build on his strong form from Zámecký vrch in Náměšť nad Oslavou, where he secured two runner-up finishes just a few weeks ago. “We’ll see what the level of competition is like. With the Lamborghini Huracán, we’re at quite a disadvantage against the four-wheel-drive cars that fall into our class. We definitely want to fight for podium finishes, and of course it would be fantastic to repeat last year’s two victories.”
The 39-year-old driver is approaching the following weekend in Šternberk with considerably more caution. The Mičánek name is already well known at Ecce Homo, where Jiří Mičánek Sr. claimed several podium finishes in the European Championship during his career. The organisers themselves are also looking forward to seeing the famous name return to the entry list.
As for the driver, he is treating the challenge with immense respect. “It’s fast and incredibly demanding. Our average speed will be over 180 km/h. By Czech standards the course is very long as well, with more than 300 metres of elevation change,” he explains. Because the event forms part of the European Championship calendar, there is less opportunity for practice runs than at domestic events. “I’m really looking forward to it and I see it as a major challenge. I’m spending a lot of time on the course in a road car at the moment, trying to learn it as thoroughly as possible and reduce some of the advantage held by drivers who compete there regularly,” says Mičánek. Just as at Ústecká 21, he will compete in the Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2. While the powerful GT machine often carries a handicap on traditional hillclimb courses due to its size and weight, the high-speed nature of Ecce Homo could suit the car far better.
His father is also planning to support him at Ecce Homo. “It’s a very demanding hillclimb. You have to stay focused because there are some extremely fast corners and long flat-out sections. The straight after Sojka Corner is a kilometre long on its own. Given the length of the course, you really need to know it properly,” says the 25-time Czech and Czechoslovak champion. Jiří Mičánek Sr. first competed at Ecce Homo 51 years ago, in 1975. The last time fans saw him there was a quarter of a century later, in 2000.
