As in previous years, interest in participating in the commemorative “1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia” rally once again exceeded the capacity set by the organizers, even though this year's event was officially open to 130 vehicles. Held from 10 to 13 June 2026, the rally was traditionally organized by the Association of Friends of the 1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia, with significant support from the Veteran Car Club Prague, the Veteran Club Bratislava, the Autoclub of the Czech Republic and the National Technical Museum in Prague. A new record was set in 2026 with a total of 67 Czechoslovak-built vehicles taking part. Another remarkable fact was that six vehicles which had originally competed in the historic long-distance race also participated.
It was particularly pleasing that, once again this year, the 1939 JAWA 600 Minor Roadster, carrying starting number 2, was on the starting line on Thursday morning in Opletalova Street in front of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic building. The crew consisted of Lukáš Kudrna and Vladimír Kudrna as driver and navigator, respectively - son and father, both experts on and admirers of historic vehicles. For both the JAWA 600 Minor Roadster and Lukáš behind the wheel, this marked their sixth participation in the rally. The navigator's seat has so far been shared by his wife, Hanka, and his father, Vladimír. And what about their previous results? In the category for vehicles with engine capacities of up to 750 cm³, they have finished on the podium every year since 2021, claiming 1st, 2nd, 1st, 3rd and 1st place, respectively. In 2022, they even achieved outstanding second place in the overall standings.
With the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, attending the ceremonial start, crew number 2 set off with great determination and the ambition to build on the successes of previous years. Everything went smoothly throughout the rally, apart from a cracked exhaust on the way to Bratislava. On the other hand, the JAWA 600 Minor Roadster finally produced the beautiful sporty sound it deserved. At the finish, "our" crew was classified in 1st place in the category for vehicles with engine capacities of up to 750 cm³ and achieved an excellent 28th place overall.
We warmly congratulate the crew on their achievement and thank them once again for their excellent representation of the Restoration Workshop at the Department of Machine and Industrial Design, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava and wish them and the JAWA 600 Minor Roadster many more kilometers of trouble-free and accident-free motoring.
