Juho Hänninen Showed His Class

Last year's SWRC- world champion dominated the shakedown to the January-Rallye 2012. Title defender Beppo Harrach focussed on the

Austrian championship despite Freistadt's European championship status.

With the shakedown on Thursday as the last test before the start, the January Rallye 2012 has reached the final phase before the actual start at 7:30 a.m. on Friday Previously, 101 vehicles successfully passed the administrative technical acceptance procedure in Freistadt's exhibition center.

Afterwards the protagonists of the European championship race which also counts toward the Austrian and Czech championship caused the grounds of the Trölsberg mountain near Freistadt to tremble.  In heavy sleet the shakedown - originally approved till 3.00 p.m. - was extended by one hour by the authorities. The test was dominated by the foreign trio Juho Hänninen, Pavel Valousek and Jan Kopecky. Kris Rosenberger as best Austrian came in sixth.

After the official presentation of the drivers in Freistadt's main square the favorites of the first European championship rallye heat of the 2012 season revealed their expectations in the course of a fully occupied closing press conference.

Juho Hänninen( IRC-champion 2010 and SWRC-champion 2011): "The weather situation here is not simple. We got here expecting snow, snow, snow. During the shakedown it rained.For tomorrow, snow is predicted. But no matter what will happen, we are prepared. Naturally, we want to win. "

Jan Kopecky (Czech champion 2005, official Skoda company driver since 2009, two-time winner in the IRC-championship 2011): "The January Rallye is known to be challenging.It's difficult to get through without mistakes. Considering all this we'll try not to make any.  If in addition we'll be fast we should be far ahead in the end. "

Luca Betti (European vice-champion 2011): "I'm here in Austria for the first time and accordingly everything is new to me. Luca Rossetti, last year's European champion is not here. I try to take advantage of this with a view toward the final results. Of course, the season is still long. "

Beppo Harrach (Austrian state champion 2011 and title defender in the January Rallye): " For me, the Austrian championship naturally is of prime importance. Although it is a European championship race and the competition is accordingly fierce, my focus will be on the Austrian competitors. To keep them behind me will be difficult enough."

Raimund Baumschlager (nine-time Austrian state champion, three-times winner of The January Rallye in 2004, 2006 and 2009): " Last year a mistake after only a few  kilometers probably cost us the win. I hope to be able to avoid that this year. We are actually well prepared for this rallye and we'll fight for a place on the podium. It's only too bad that I was not notified that the shakedown today was extended. So I lost out on my last test."