“We’re thrilled to welcome Dan Skalický back to the team,” says team owner Tomáš Miniberger. “Dan’s return aligns with our goal of giving more drivers the chance to experience the GT2. I’m confident he’ll be a great fit for the car.”
Skalický, no stranger to RTR Projects, has previously raced for the team in the 24H Series, most notably winning the SP3 class at the 2019 24 Hours of Barcelona with the KTM X-Bow GT4. Primarily associated with GT3 racing, he claimed the overall title in the 2020 ESET Cup season driving the Audi R8 LMS Ultra for Duck Racing. However, this will be his first time racing a GT2 car.
Primarily associated with GT3 racing, he claimed the overall title in the 2020 ESET Cup season driving the Audi R8 LMS Ultra for Duck Racing. However, this will be his first time racing a GT2 car.
“The KTM X-Bow GT2 is a very interesting car,” Skalický says of his first impressions. “I have to drive it differently than a GT3. I need to be more cautious, as a more aggressive approach doesn’t work here. The car feels much smoother, but the front tires wear out quickly. It requires a gentler touch.”
Despite still learning the ropes of the GT2, team director Tomáš Fanta is impressed with Skalický’s adaptation. “He picked it up quickly. I believe he and Tomáš will make a strong pair and will be fighting for top results,” Fanta adds.
Miniberger and Skalický should divide the time spent behind the wheel equally. Each rider is expected to complete one sprint, while competing together in Saturday’s endurance.
This will be the second race of RTR projects at the Slovakia Ring this year as part of the ESET Cup. The race was already held here in June and it was a successful weekend for the team. The leader of the Fanatec GT2 European Series standings, Reinhard, won not only the GTX class, but also the absolute classification of GT cars in Saturday’s sprint. In endurance, Kofler and Miniberger took second place in the class, and Tomáš Miniberger contributed to the collection with another silver result in the GTX in the Sunday sprint.
The Slovak race in August will be different for RTR projects in a number of aspects. “We will benefit from the experience we gained thanks to Reinhard Kofler. We have the necessary data. We will also ride with a slightly different set-up. In addition to fielding a different rider line-up, the weather will also be different,” explains Fanta.
Another challenge for Ondřej Rokos
Just like three weeks ago in Most, RTR projects will have two cars at the event. Petr Lisa and Ondřej Rokos will also take part in the one-hour endurance race. They achieved third place in the GTX class at their first joint start in the north-west of Bohemia. For the latter, it was the first car race in his life.
“I feel much better prepared. I’ve been training with Petr on the simulator, and the improvement is noticeable. Every kilometer here helps, and I’m much more confident than in Most,” says Rokos.
The Slovakia Ring presents a different challenge compared to the technical, narrow layout of Most. At nearly six kilometers long, Slovakia Ring offers a mix of fast and technical sections, as well as long straights.
“This track is completely different, and you have to adjust your mindset accordingly,” Rokos explains. “There are faster and slower cars, so you have to get used to being overtaken at times, while at other moments, you’ll be doing the overtaking. The speeds here are higher, and managing traffic is key. It’s a challenging track, but I like it.”
Petr Lisa, Rokos’ mentor, is also pleased with his co-driver’s progress. “After the races in Most, Ondřej has gained valuable experience and has made significant progress, both in terms of driving and mentally. I believe he can be even better this time. We’ve tested here before, so he knows what to expect and can make use of that knowledge,” Lisa says.
Lisa will continue to support Rokos over the weekend, aiming to help him improve even further. “I’m here to push him forward once again,” Lisa adds.
The first sprint race will take place on Saturday at 13:05, with the second sprint scheduled for Sunday at 14:20. Both races will last 25 minutes. The one-hour endurance race is set for Saturday at 16:05.
