The ČESKOSLOVENSKÝ MOTORSPORT a.s. company's projects for the year 2008
The company's management lead by the general manager Stanislav Matějovský presented the company's main projects for the year 2008 at a meeting with journalists held in the Ambassador Hotel, Prague, on Wednesday, 2 April 2008. For a rather long period of time, the activities of the company ČESKOSLOVENSKÝ MOTORSPORT a.s. Hradec Králové have focused on circuit racing, particularly, on circuit races for cars, both in the Czech Republic and abroad. The culmination of the past period was, for example, the participation of the team's driver Michal Matějovský in a race of the FIA European Touring Car Cup (FIA ETCC) at Adria, Italy, in the autumn of 2007. Within the domestic contests, the company's efforts culminated in the fine achievements attained by Miroslav Forman, who won the Racing Circuit Championship of the Czech Republic (the 2000cc category of Division 4), and by Michal Matějovský, who claimed the third place in the overall standings of the prestigious Česká pojišťovna - Škoda Octavia Cup.
In 2008, the company will continue to adhere to this trend. For the upcoming season, the company has set up several teams that will contest racing events not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad. The company's attention will particularly focus on the talented young drivers Michal Matějovský and Jiří Forman in order to allow them to win recognition abroad.
The most prestigious series to be attended certainly is the 2008 SEAT Leon Eurocup, whose six weekend-type racing events will be contested by Michal Matějovský under the colours of the Czech-Spanish SUNRED-BRT team, in the face of great competition of more than 20 drivers from the whole of Europe. These races will be broadcast live on Eurosport within the FIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) weekend program. Our driver's objective is to win one of the six races of the SEAT León Eurocup series, because such a victory would automatically qualify him for the respective next upcoming FIA WTCC race.
Jiří Forman holds a UK licence allowing him to contest the KF3 category under the colours of the CSMS and MS KART teams. He will particularly be able to take advantage of his rich experience gathered in the course of last year when he contested the SUPER 1 series and the MSA championship of the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow series in the UK. His objective is to win recognition among Europe's top karting drivers, specifically, within the WSK series, whose regulations are based on the F1 system. This series is contested by the world's top 90 drivers of the KF3 category. The WSK series' races are held in Italy, France and Spain. Jirka will benefit from the kart manufacturer's assistance. With a kart with a Birel chassis, he will represent the Emilia Kart team, of Italy. His objective is to claim a top ten placing in at least three races. Furthermore, Jiří Forman, as a driver enjoying the manufacturer's assistance, is to contest the prestigious Super 1 series in the UK with a kart with a MS KART chassis. His objective is to take a top-five placing in every individual race. However, his main goal in karting is to pass the qualifying for the European Championship in Spain successfully and, thereafter, claim a top-fifteen placing in the finals in France. As part of the preparations for his transition from karting to circuit races, Jiří Forman will also take part in some of the Formula BMW races of the Championship of the Czech Republic this year, which will allow him to gain his first experience with a Formula race car.
In the second half of April 2008, the Hungaroring circuit will host the opening race of this year of the International Racing Circuit Championship of the Czech Republic, which comprises eight weekend racing events. These races will be contested by the CSMS team's driver Miroslav Forman, who, once again with the AUDI A4 ST car, will be defending his title of the 2007 Champion of the Czech Republic in the 2000cc category of Division 4.
Racing driver Šimon Kubišta, under the colours of the VEKRA-CSMS Racing Team, will set off for racing circuits abroad this year. With an Alfa Romeo 156 S 2000 car, he will take part in the German touring car series '2008 DMV Tourenwagen Challenge', aiming for the victory in his category.
The company will also continue its involvement in the 2008 Česká pojišťovna - Škoda Octavia Cup series. Within the framework of the company's cooperation with the young, ambitious Vekra Racing Team, a team was formed, which has the VEKRA-CSMS Racing Team new combined name and is lead by Petr Fulín, the team's manager and experienced racing driver. The VEKRA-CSMS Racing Team will operate a combined total of at least six race cars, and Petr Fulín will be joined by Laura Hájková, Michal Matějovský (for two or three races), Daniel Skalický, Tiki Ivoševič, Tadeáš Martínek and Mateusz Lisowski. All of these drivers should make good use of the rich experience of the two teams. This combined know-how will certainly allow them to aim both for the drivers' and teams' championship titles.
