Jan Kopecký Wins 2011 Sportbest Award

›  ŠKODA Motorsport's driver won Sportbest as part of the 2011 Autobest awards

›  Three time IRC Vice_Champion received honours for excellent rallying performances

›  Jury made up of 15 motoring journalists from Central and Eastern Europe

›  Kopecký's second award this year

Mladá Boleslav, 2 February, 2012 – Jan Kopecký of ŠKODA Motorsport (factory team) has been awarded the 2011 Sportbest from Autobest, a renowned international organisation. Three time IRC Vice_Champion, the Czech rally driver received the honour for his long-standing excellence in motorsport.

The 2011 Sportbest is Kopecký's second prestigious award within a short span of time after the Golden Steering Wheel he won in his homeland, the Czech Republic, two weeks ago.

According to the jury, the decisive criterion was Kopecký's long-standing excellence in rallying, particularly in the IRC championship where ŠKODA Motorsport's driver was Vice_ Champion in three consecutive years (over 2009-2011) and helped ŠKODA achieve two victories in the Manufacturers category (2010 and 2011). 2011 was the most successful year in the 111-year history of ŠKODA's motorsport efforts.

“I feel very honoured to have won the Sportbest award, because it is a prestigious award given by an experienced, expert jury,” said Kopecký and went on to say: “I would like to thank ŠKODA for excellent cooperation, because my performances would be nowhere near where they are without the top-class support I am getting from the ŠKODA Motorsport team”.

Autobest is one of Europe's most prestigious awards in the automotive industry. Made up of motoring journalists from 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the jury selects the best individuals, vehicles and companies.

Jan Kopecký remains a member of ŠKODA Motorsport in 2012, and the team's goal is to achieve a third consecutive victory in the Manufacturers´category of the IRC. In addition to that, the Czech driver is taking part in the Czech Rally Championship with a Fabia Super 2000. In January Kopecký won the first event of this season, the Jänner Rally in Austria, thus contributing to ŠKODA's first double in 2012, as his team-mate Juho Hänninen finished second.