“We’re fully prepared for the final round of the ESET Cup. Both the team and our drivers are ready. We’ve already tested with our new GT2 here, so we know what to expect. Racing on home soil is always special, and I hope we’ll see plenty of fans and friends coming out to support us. The weather forecast looks promising, so I believe this will be a great way to wrap up the season,” said Tomáš Fanta, the team’s executive director, with anticipation.
The KTM X-Bow GTX will once again feature its regular duo, with Petr Lisa and Ondřej Rokos teaming up for their third endurance race together. For Rokos, however, the weekend brings a new challenge—on Sunday, he will compete in his first-ever sprint race.
“It’s going to be a completely different format for me,” Rokos noted ahead of the 25-minute event. “The goal is to gain experience with starts and launches. When it comes to traffic on the track, I’ve already gathered some experience, so I decided to give this format a try to round off the season,” he explained. Interestingly, Rokos has never started a race before, as Petr Lisa took the opening stints at both Most and Slovakia Ring.
The 5,403-metre-long circuit is known for being tough on tyres due to its aging asphalt. “It’s going to be a big challenge,” acknowledged Rokos. “You need to take that into account and adapt your driving style accordingly. Petr and I have been preparing for this, so now it’s all about executing our plan and seeing it through to the end,” he added.
Petr Lisa is also ready to tackle the demanding tyre management. “Managing tyres will definitely be a big challenge. The surface here is rough, and tyres wear out quickly. I’ll likely be starting the endurance race, so my focus will be on preserving the tyres as best as possible before handing the car over to Ondřej,” Lisa explained.
While Rokos will be racing on the Masaryk Circuit for the first time, he has previously driven the GTX here during track days. Lisa is confident that this familiarity, coupled with additional practice, will help Rokos adapt quickly. “We’ll be testing from Thursday onwards, so we’ll have plenty of time to get to know the track. The important thing is that Ondřej already knows the car and has gained experience in previous races. This will make things easier. Plus, this track isn’t as demanding as Slovakia Ring. I’m confident he’ll adapt quickly and set excellent lap times,” said Lisa, who serves as Rokos’ coach.
At their first race in Most, Lisa and Rokos finished third in the GTX class. Two weeks ago at Slovakia Ring, they crossed the finish line in fifth place.
In addition to the KTM X-Bow GTX, RTR Projects will also field its latest weapon—the GT2 model. According to the entry list, Tomáš Miniberger is set to pilot the car in both the sprint and endurance races.
The Saturday sprint is scheduled to start at 12:55 PM, with the hour-long endurance race following at 4:35 PM. Sunday’s sprint will also kick off at 12:55 PM, mirroring Saturday’s schedule.
Foto: ESET Cup/Petr Frýba, RTR projects
