Sprint and endurance. Fans will see Lamborghini Huracán cars in Mičánek Motorsport colours in both formats of this year’s Central European Circuit Championship. Jakub Knoll returns to the team after his experience in European GT4, while Libor Dvořáček will tackle the “home” circuits this season.
For the team led by Jiří Mičánek Jr., this represents the biggest shake-up of “seats” in the past five years. “I believe that even for FIA CEZ we are building a team capable of fighting for the championship,” says Jiří Mičánek. And that’s despite the fact that one race will already be missed. Due to a calendar clash with Super Trofeo, we already know we won’t be racing at the Hungaroring. “But I still believe we should have a chance to fight for the title,” he adds.
This will mainly concern the endurance category, where two Huracáns will start with a total of three drivers. “We’ll field one car just like last year with the Kurt Wagner – Josef Záruba pairing. And with them, we’ll aim to fight for the title that slipped away from us last year due to bad luck in the final race,” recalls Jiří Mičánek.
The duo will be led by Josef Záruba, who also remains in the role of coach for the junior drivers, transitioning from last year’s dominance in the FIA CEZ to the Super Trofeo Europe. “I’m still overseeing the guys’ physical preparation, which means training with them directly. I’ll be glad if I can also put that to good use in the races,” says Josef Záruba. Whether the pair will contend for the championship will depend, he adds, on the competition.
So far the competition isn’t fully defined, but one formidable rival will undoubtedly join the track. Jakub Knoll, the 33-year-old driver and former Czech autocross champion, is returning to Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra after five years. In 2019, he raced for Jiří Mičánek in their inaugural Super Trofeo Europe season. After a one-year “COVID hiatus,” he competed for three seasons in the GT4 championship—and now he’s looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the Huracán. “The performance of GT4 cars can’t be compared to a Lamborghini; in that sense, I’m returning to a truly fast car, at least in terms of power,” says Knoll. He will compete solo in endurance events, spending a full hour each weekend behind the wheel instead of the half-hour stints he was used to in GT4. “Physically, it won’t be an issue. The challenge will be dealing with the heat—I usually struggle with that. Summer races will be tough.”
He also points out another unknown factor that all drivers will face. For the first time in the FIA CEZ calendar, the newly built Balaton Park circuit in Hungary makes an appearance. “The track is completely unfamiliar, and I think it will be quite challenging for a Lamborghini. It’s very twisty, which doesn’t really suit us,” Knoll estimates.
The remaining six rounds will take place on well-established circuits in Central Europe. In addition to the traditional Czech and Slovak tracks in Brno, Most, and the Slovakiaring, the grid will head to Hungary’s Hungaroring, Austria’s Red Bull Ring, and another newcomer – the Lausitzring. “The championship has expanded by one round, but on the other hand, it gives us a simpler path to success in the overall standings. Only the best six results will count, so if we perform at 100%, missing one weekend doesn’t have to be a disadvantage for us,” explains Jiří Mičánek.
The team boss also plans to field a third car in the sprint races, with Libor Dvořáček behind the wheel. A seasoned Super Trofeo Europe competitor and multiple LC Cup podium finisher—achievements he earned alongside Kurt Wagner—Dvořáček is returning to Central European circuits after five years, although he has occasionally raced in FIA CEZ events for training purposes. “On one hand, I’m a bit disappointed that we’re not continuing in Super Trofeo, but on the other, I see it as a challenge and something new. Both in terms of different circuits, including two that will be completely new to me, and in terms of the race format,” says Dvořáček.
Jiří Mičánek also doesn’t rule out the possibility of fielding additional cars in the sprint races as part of training. “In Super Trofeo, we’ll have three professional drivers—last year’s juniors Jáchym Galáš and Matěj Pavlíček, and, most importantly, a key reinforcement in Štefan Rosina. So it’s possible that we might arrange for one of them to also start in the FIA CEZ,” Mičánek explained.
The first race of the season at Balaton Park will take place on the last weekend of April.
