For the third consecutive year, the Central European circuit title in the GTC class goes to Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra. Jakub Knoll and Josef Záruba successfully defended their victory from last season, meaning that with Jáchym Galáš’s sprint title from 2023, the championship streak now spans three seasons. However, the path to the crucial win in Brno was complicated by technical issues. Overnight from Friday to Saturday, the team had to deliver and replace the engine.
“First and foremost, I have to thank the team, who went through an extremely demanding weekend. Brno is always our most challenging event organisationally, as we prepare a much more extensive setup for guests and partners. Practically from Wednesday onwards, we didn’t get home before midnight, and on the night from Friday to Saturday the guys didn’t sleep at all,” described Jiří Mičánek jr., team manager of Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra, recounting the “Brno ordeal.”
The critical moment came during Friday’s qualifying for the endurance race, when the Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2 with car number 22 failed — the very car Jakub Knoll and Josef Záruba were using to contest the title.
“We had to source a new engine and collect it. We started fitting the new motor at two in the morning, and the guys finished at seven. We had the advantage of being able to do the swap in our own workshop, which is right at the circuit,” explained Jiří Mičánek. Jakub Knoll added a humorous anecdote, recalling that he was sleeping at the Grid Hotel on the circuit. “When the mechanics had finished the engine, they needed to test it. As soon as they started it up, it woke me!” he laughed. “In any case, I’m really grateful for the work they did,” he added in the same breath.
Practically from Wednesday onwards, we didn’t get home before midnight, and on the night from Friday to Saturday the guys didn’t sleep at all,” described Jiří Mičánek jr., team manager of Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra, recounting the “Brno ordeal.”
The repaired Huracán then delivered a flawless performance, with Knoll and Záruba securing the crucial endurance victory that sealed the title on home soil in Brno. The final race at Balaton Park, taking place in a month’s time, can no longer affect the outcome of the regional and Czech championships.
The victory for the Knoll–Záruba pairing was also “assisted” by Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra’s second crew — reigning Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe champions Bronislav Formánek and Štefan Rosina. At the start of the race, Štefan Rosina quickly pulled away from Jakub Knoll. However, a serious accident involving a Praga R1 brought the field behind the safety car for around 20 minutes. Even so, the “European” crew held an advantage over Knoll and Záruba at the start of the second shortened stint. “We knew Kuba and Pepa were racing for the title and that we couldn’t jeopardise them. So during my stint, I let Pepa catch up to me and avoided any battle,” explained Bronislav Formánek after the race. Even without such team cooperation, Záruba would probably have challenged Formánek. “Pepa was lapping outside the standard times for the GTC class — his performance was outstanding. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about mine,” Knoll admitted, criticising his own driving.
The newly crowned endurance champion then made up for it in Sunday’s sprint race, finishing in second place behind Záruba. More importantly, he managed to break the symbolic two-minute barrier in qualifying. Although the official timing showed 2:00.009, more precise telemetry data confirmed that Knoll had indeed surpassed the milestone. Záruba, who ultimately set the fastest lap of the weekend among Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra’s four drivers, brought the lap time down to just 1:57.245. “The new track surface has made us much faster. I have to admit, racing here the past few years hasn’t been very enjoyable — it was a struggle. This time, I really enjoyed it,” said Záruba.
With this result in Brno, the team completed a successful campaign in the Central European circuit championship. Out of five endurance races, they achieved a perfect score in four, while a third-place finish in one race was due to an unavoidable collision and a forced pit stop. “Our goal was to celebrate the title in Brno with our friends, partners, and fans. We achieved that one hundred percent, even though on Friday evening we had our doubts for a moment. All the more, we’re enjoying it now,” concluded Jiří Mičánek.
Securing the Central European title is just the first step toward a successful season; the second could come in two weeks in Valencia, where the fifth round of the GT2 European Series takes place. There, Bronislav Formánek and Štefan Rosina currently lead the standings in the premier Pro-AM class. “We’ve just come through a three-week marathon, which we’ve used to the fullest, including preparation for GT2. In Valencia, we’ll aim to make the most of this series,” explained Mičánek.
