Skoda Motorsport driver Jan Kopecký says that becoming the 2013 FIA European Rally Champion is 'a dream come true', after he clinched the title with victory on Rally Croatia.

Kopecký and co-driver Pavel Dresler made a risk-free start in Croatia, before showing their class on the slippery asphalt roads along the Adriatic coast and moving into the lead in their factory Skoda Fabia S2000.

The 31-year old driver held onto the lead until the end of the 14 stage, 148 mile (239km) Porec-based event, to score his sixth ERC victory of the season and his eighth podium finish from eight starts.

With two rounds of this year's series remaining, Kopecký becomes the first Czech driver to win the ERC title.

It''s been a fantastic season for Kopecký, with a highlight being his home win on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. He also triumphed on the ERC rallies in Austria, on the Canary Islands, in the Azores, in Romania and now in Croatia - winning on all surfaces, from snow and ice to gravel and asphalt.

"Winning the title is a dream come true for me," explained Jan Kopecký. "I would like to thank Skoda Motorsport and our fantastic team for the amazing work they have done this season. We are European champions and also won Rally Croatia. It does not get any better than this."

Pavel Dresler: "It is the icing on the cake at the end of a fantastic season in the Skoda, and the highlight of my career." 

Michal Hrabánek, Skoda Motorsport Team Principal, said: "With the ERC title for Jan Kopecký and Pavel Dresler, we have claimed another major success for the Skoda Fabia Super 2000 project. Our entire team has worked hard all year to achieve this goal. This is a wonderful reward for everyone involved. We have once again proven the quality of the Fabia Super 2000 and the technical expertise of ŠKODA."

Having secured the first international title of his rally career (having narrowly missed out by finishing IRC runner-up in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) Kopecký is now aiming to retain his Czech Rally Championship title.

Having won all four of the Czech rounds he''s started, Kopecký''s home national title hopes will be decided on the Rally Príbram (October 5 to 6).

CRAIG BREEN: I CAN BEAT SEBASTIEN LOEB  IRISHMAN Craig Breen has become a factory driver for Peugeot Rally Academy in the European Rally Championship. Craig wrote to Motortrades Insight just before the career-changing news emerged.W

James Hunt's Hesketh 308 could make £537,000 at upcoming RM Auctions Monaco sale.  Hesketh Racing was formed in 1972 by the British Peer, Lord Alexander Hesketh, who was a keen motorsport enthusiast with a desire to compete in the sport at the highest level. After two seasons... 

Kia receives environmental badge for use of bio-based plastic in new Soul electric vehicle.  Kia has revealed that the company’s new Soul EV (electric vehicle), which will have its world premiere at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show starting later this week, has achieved UL Environment validation ... 

Crash tests show India's cars are unsafe and in the dark ages compared to Europe.  Britons are lucky to be driving some of the safest cars in the world. In other parts of the world, safety standards are not so high. Every day, 380 lives are lost on the roads of India. It's a blood... 

European autonomous driving research project 'AdaptIVe' begins.  The European research project AdaptIVe (Automated Driving Applications & Technologies for Intelligent Vehicles) has begun at the MobileLifeCampus in Wolfsburg, Germany. It is a consortium o... 

New Vehicle Collision Repair Qualifications brought in to recognise skills of mechanics and bodyshop workers.  Two new IMI Awards qualifications have recently been introduced, targeted at the body repair sector. The level 2 and level 3 Multi-skilled Vehicle Collision Repair Qualifications cover paint, p... 

New 70mpg C-Class C 220 BlueTEC will cost around £30,000, Mercedes reveal.  The new C-Class C 220 BlueTEC will cost from £30,865 for a 7-speed automatic. It has 170hp, accelerates from zero to 62mph in 7.7 seconds and has a claimed combined fuel economy of 70.6mpg.&nbs... 

F1 Pictorial Comparison: McLaren MP4-28 vs McLaren MP4-29 - the bizarre intricacies of dolphin noses, crazy curves .  After McLaren confirmed the departure of Paddy Lowe to Mercedes F1, Tim Goss was appointed Director of Engineering for the Woking-based Formula One team. In the past, he was Chief Engineer for ... 

FIRST DRIVE REVIEW: Volvo V60 D4 R-Design Nav Geartronic.  This is arguably the sexiest looking Volvo estate ever created. And the colour, Rebel Blue, says what Volvo and Swedish design is all about. We test drove the Volvo V60 D4 R-Design Nav last wee... 

Personal photograph taken by Michael Schumacher to be auctioned for Great Ormond Street Hospital.  A personal photograph taken by Michael Schumacher is to be auctioned in London this Friday to raise funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.The image of a boat on a lake taken ... 

New Vauxhall Astra gets cleaner 1.6-litre engine with a combined fuel economy of 76.3mpg.  The top-selling Astra is now available with a super-smooth new generation 1.6 CDTi engine, Vauxhall’s cleanest ever mid-size diesel.Previously only available on the Zafira Tourer and the Meriva, the... 

New cars are 27 per cent more fuel efficient than in 2008, as car sales rise in January.  New car registrations were up in January, with the UK automotive industry expecting to see 'moderate, sustainable growth in 2014', according to SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes.Buyers are increasingl... 

Like many popular websites, Motortrades Insight uses some third party widgets that may set and may have already set cookies, for example the Twitter feed on our homepage. For more information see our cookie policy. By clicking close and continue you agree to our use of cookies.