Praga Journal #18

Praga

Issue 2018

CHASSIS 2018

The new STR.V2 BRAKE SYSTEM

PETR PTÁČEK JR. claims first F4 VICTORY

PRAGA R1 Aerodynamics

SERIE CMX V

ELEVATE PRESTAZIONI DI FRESATURA SERIE CMX V

SERIE CMX V

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2018 3

Dear readers, I’m pleased to introduce you the new issue of Praga Journal bringing many fascinating things from the Praga world.

Praga brand has celebrated 111 years and therefore we will have a brief look into the history, especially to the post-war period.

Kart section is going to offer us a quick view to Australia, one of the fastest growing markets for Praga and Formula K brands, thanks to its very professional and hardworking importers. You can go through important events such as the Kart show in Offenbach and Rotax Grand Finals held in Portugal last year. And of course, we will introduce some new technical features developed for the better performance of IPK products.

DANIEL SLIVA CEO of IPKarting

Cars worked on its international presence. We had a successful presentation in Dubai, where we found new opportunities for partnerships.

Our dealer network expanded to Canada and we shipped new cars to the North America. At the same time we work on the further development and technical improvements of our Cars.

Praga Aviation division is in the process of production certification and the first Praga Alfa prototype is already decorating the sky.

So now you can enjoy the new Praga journal!

CONTENT 04

08 14 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

32 34 36 42 44 47

Short News - OMP racing, SKF Kart Unite, Kart Exhibition 2018 I.T.S. Italia, Xeramic, Sinter Rotax Grand Finals: Praga Karts Praga chassis 2018 - The new STR.V2 BRAKE SYSTEM Dealers Formula K, Praga Australia A positive first part of the season for IPK Petr Ptácek Jr. claims first F4 Victory In Valencia HAT-TRICK of overall F4 podiums at Misano - Petr Ptáček Jr. Praga R1T EVO: The fastest Praga R1yet Praga Cars debut in The Middle East - Dubai Praga Cars factory team at the Dutch Supercar Challange at Spa Safety First 2018 Arrive & Drive PRAGA R1 Aerodynamics Aviation - Praga Alfa History - Praga in the post-war period Praga Dealers List Issue 2017

Praga Journal 2018 Issued on: 1st July 2018 This issue was printed in a volume of 6.500 copies at Integraf, s.r.o.

PRAGA-Export s.r.o.

U Císařské cesty 219, Prague 10, 103 00, Czech Republic | IČ: 275 77 171 | MK ČR E 20631 Editor: Tadeáš Marek, Hannes Danielsson Graphic Design: Romana Šmachová, grafika.romana@gmail.com Photographers: Hannes Danielsson, Tadeáš Marek, Frozenspeed, Petr Frýba, Oskar Bakke, Petr Kolmann Cover photo by: Petr Frýba Xeramic-kart-ad

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JON OLSSO JONNOLS SON The Ultimate Drive Th Test

HIGH-TECH LIQUID TECH HIGH-T EC H LIQUI NOLOGY WW W. TECHNO XE RAD MI C.C LOGY WW W. OM XE RA

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Issue 2017

15-01-16 15-01-16

15-01-16 17:06 15-01-16 17:06

17:06 17:06

e Ultimate Test Drive

the R1in R 1in AL the VIRTU VIR TU D AL WORL WO RLD

PRAGA HISTORY PRAGA HISTORY 1907 1907 - 2017 2017

2018 4

SHORTNEWS

OMP

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2018 5

PRAGA at the 26th International

KART EXHIBITION 2018 Just like every year, Praga Karts were present on the biggest Kart Exhibion worldwide in Offenbach am Main. Eight halls with event centres on 10.000 sqms presented everything you need for Karting, for indoor and outdoor, everything about racing and hobby.

The headstone of this great exhibition started in the year 1993 with an exhibition area of 900 sqm and until today developed to the biggest Kart-exhibition worldwide.

2018 6

SHORTNEWS

I.T.S. ITALIA I.T.S. Italia is the ideal supplier for industrial technical articles.

Our motto „Wisdom is the daughter of experience“, aphorism of Leonardo da Vinci, summarizes our corporate mission: to put together the customer service know-how with a technical team of industry experts able to guarantee the experience, reliability and quality necessary to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the market.

We offer all types of bearings as ball bearing, tapered roller bearings, needle roller bearings and bearings unit. We have introduced new products: filter elements and silencers, linear guides and recirculating ball screws.

And of course, last but not least, ends and spherical bearings (on request also stainless steel), cam rollers, cam follower, support rollers and locknuts, linear ball bearings, compensating rings, sewals rings and OR (NBR Silicone - Viton)

I.T.S. Italia offers many products for the most varied uses; self lubricating and relubricating bushings, bronze / iron sintered bushing, self lubricating dry elements with solid lubricant insert (also available in white PTFE variant), rolled bronze bushings and bimetallic bushings: everything branded with our logo DJAMOND.

IPKarting signs contract with XERAMIC Kart Lubricants This year XERAMIC® Kart Lubricants celebrates the 20 years anniversary in karting and recently signed a sponsor contract with IPKarting. CEO Ton Koebolt: “We are very happy with this 5 years sponsor agreement with IPKarting, especially because they are growing very fast in the world of karting due to their product quality, marketing strategy and performance”. “For the past 20 years XERAMIC® has been the leading company in the kart lubricants and it is a privilege for us to be related to IPKarting”.

XERAMIC® Kart Lubricants was founded in 1996 and soon became one of the leading brands in karting. It was mainly the passion for the sport that brought this company the status of number one for many years. Continuous research and development of new materials as well as long-term testing in laboratory and on

the karting track ensures that the XERAMIC® brand stands for quality.

The 2 different XERAMIC® 2T Karting Oils, the famous Castor 2T Evolution and the SynMax 2T Oil, are used by famous engine manufacturers, engine tuners and racing teams all over the world.

Recently the Dutch based company introduced the new XERAMIC® Kart Chain Lube. “We received the feedback from the market that there was a big demand for a very sticky chain lube which works under all weather conditions and circumstances”. “Unlike other brands we only introduce new products once not just us but mainly our customers are fully satisfied with the performance of the product”. “It took us almost 1 year to say that the XERAMIC® label can be placed on this product”. Successfully launched on the KartMesse Exhibition in January this year

Ton Koebolt says “Proudly we can say that this is the best chain lube we have ever produced and therefore the best chain lube in the world”.

2018 7

A SLOVENIAN REVOLUTION It was in the year of 1969 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, that a new name appeared on the brake production market: Sinter. Founded by Jože Krapež, the once small rented business has developed over the last 45 years to become one of the world’s biggest karting brake pads manufacturers, producing brake pads, discs and clutches for a variety of applications including motorbikes, bicycles, agricultural and industrial application and of course karts.

Investments in manufacturing, research and development, and a modern and organized production plant are just a few of the ground compounds that make Sinter a first class supplier for numerous kart manufacturers around the globe.

Away with the ordinary As every kart driver can tell, racing is just as much about speeding as it is about breaking. Accordingly, choosing the right brake pads and brake discs can draw the line between the winning podium and an early race end, so it is of crucial importance for a racer to choose the best and avoid a (literally) tough break. At Sinter, it is their focus to provide drivers with just that.

A recipe for success Sinter ranks at the top as one of the largest racing brake pad manufacturers globally. Characterized not only by a wide pro-

duct range but also by a constant evolution of brake mixtures, they manufacture pads by means of a process called “hot molding” where special powders of different types (i.e. fibers, fillers, binders, friction modifiers, and solid lubricants) are pressed and “fused” together at a high temperature in order to get compact and resistant brake pads, whose properties vary in accordance with the materials used (carbon, ceramics, metals, and polymers). This leads to a list of brake pad models, which are to be used differently, the most important for a kart racer being the 220, 222, and 214 models.

shop online: shop.sinter.si

2018 8

LONGNEWS

2018 9

Rotax Grand Finals:

PRAGA KARTS

will be there!

IPK has been among the official partners of the Rotax Grand Finals, one of the most important and spectacular events of the international karting scene, for well over 8 years.

In 2017, in Portimao (Portugal), IPK was present with a considerable amount of 108 Praga chassis which were the protagonists for the 125 Micro Max and 125 Junior Max classes. Now, it is already looking forward to the 2018 finals with the support to the same categories, but in a new and fascinating location: the Circuito Internacional Paladino, in Brazil.

2018 10

LONGNEWS 2017

Rotax Grand Finals are one of the most important dates in international karting. Certainly, the main one for the non-professional racers and absolutely among the most spectacular experiences in which any enthusiast can participate. IPK knows this very well, as for 8 years it has been actively collaborating with Rotax by supplying its chassis to one (or more) of the categories engaged on the track.

For those who are not aware of it, Rotax Grand Finals are the appointment for those drivers, who qualified themselves at championships as they race around the world. But, if for the local leagues the choice of chassis is free, and racers can choose which one to associate with their Rotax engine, in the Finals, the chassis are the same for everyone and are provided by the manufacturers which officially collaborate from year to year. Not a simple commitment, which requires a great availability of resources and personnel, given the large number of racers present on the track and the locations of the races. Each season they are organized in a different kart circuit, in a different country.

Rotax Grand Finals 2017 were held in Portimao, on Portuguese ground, from the 4th to the 11th of November and, as always, they generated an incredible show. On the 2017 occasion, Praga

PO

Kart supported two categories: the 125 Micro Max and the 125 Junior Max. The Micro’s very young racers were 36, while those on the Junior entry list counted double, in the amount of 72. In all, therefore, the competitors who employed a Praga chassis were 108, while the total amount of vehicles brought to Portugal by the IPK brand, considering the replacements, were 114, a significant investment.

To transport them, 3 containers and 1 truck were used, a real “migration” towards the south-western offshoot of the Iberian Peninsula.

Yet, being partners of the Rotax Grand Finals does not only mean bringing the vehicles to race with to the track, but also providing the assistance and actively collaborating so that every aspect of the event takes place in the best possible way, ensuring for everyone’s safety and, above all, ultimate entertainment for the fans.

A mission to which Praga has participated with great enthusiasm, bringing to Portimao a team of 14 people who made their customary professionalism and the knowledge mechanical available to all racers, and even more which encompasses most aspects of the karting’s highest level. >>

2018

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11

ORTUGAL

2018 12

LONGNEWS

The sporting event was, once again, a complete success in all respects: competitive and energetic, first of all, but also full of enthusiasm and entertainment, ending with the more “professional” side that for a company like Praga Kart, one of the major Kart Manufactures in the world, is seen as one of the most important aspects.

So important that… it will be repeated this year once again. Praga, in fact, is a partner also of the 19th edition of the Rotax Grand Finals 2018, which will take place in the great venue of Brazil. It will be on the Circuito Internacional Paladino in Conde, a municipality in the state of Paraíba, in the northeast region of Brazil from November 24th to December 1st, 2018.

The categories which Praga will provide materials and assistance for are the same as those supported in 2017 in Portimao, being the 125 Micro MAX and the 125 Junior MAX. The trip is certainly challenging, yet the destination extremely captivating and charming, in one of the countries in which the tradition of engines and karting in general is most passionately felt. The enthusiasm at IPK is already very high and the preparations to be, once more, at the height of the event have already begun.

2018 13

See you very soon in Brazil!

2018 14

LONGNEWS

PRAGA CHASSIS 2018

W E N e Th KE A R B 2 V .

R T S M E T S SY

IPKarting is constantly researching for the best solutions and the very best materials for the development of its chassis and accessories.

2018 15

2018 16

LONGNEWS

When the time came for the approval of the official authorities (homologation) that validates it for the 2-year period from 2018 to 2020, IPKarting presented its new STR.V2 brake system, designed for the categories with gear shift and are designed in the front by a caliper concept with four compact pistons. This offers a more aggressive braking system while being, at the same time, modular: these are the guidelines which have accompanied the entire design of the new STR. V2 system.

Following a path of research and development which was also able to count on the continuous exchange of information between the Racing Teams of Praga Karts Formula K and OK1 and the technical office in charge of putting on paper, and into use the drivers’ suggestions.

FRONT CALIPER The caliper is completely made from a solid aluminum mono-block ingot by C.N.C machining. Afterwards, it undergoes a process of anodization during which it obtains its final color. The pistons, with a diameter of 19 mm, are designed to improve the ventilation of the caliper thanks to its cooling. Further confirmation of how detailed and in-depth the development executed by IPK has led them into considering every and each detail no matter how small it might be.

The new caliper allows the installation of pads with larger dimensions. This, together with the presence of four compact pistons, allows the driver to increase the amount of pressure put on the surface of the pads and on the disc itself. On the practical side, this technical choice has transformed into an advantage both the braking power as well as being modular: the four pistons exert a more evenly distributed pressure on the pads, decreasing the problem of the disc locking while increasing the awareness of the driver when braking aggressively. Furthermore, the front caliper, always with a radial attachment, increases the grip while approaching a curve. Not a secondary advantage, thanks to a more evenly dispersed braking due to the increased surface size on which the braking force is applied. From an aesthetic point of view, the new front caliper of the STR.V2 system denotes a very particular look: many of the externally visible processes, beyond improving the appearance, have the function of reducing the weight while facilitating better cooling

REAR CALIPER The rear caliper which equips the STRV. V2 brake system is obtained from a solid piece of material that the front system uses. It consists of an aluminum mono-block worked with a computer numerical control machines which guaranteed uniformity and very exact precision. The braking force of the pads onto the disc is exerted by two compact pistons with the diameter of 28 mm.

Compared to the previous version, the flection points are diminished, so as to increase the total durability and diminish the deformation which manifest itself on the keyway created by the brake disk.

The caliper can accommodate two different disk diameters: 187 mm as a standard supply and 195 mm upon request.

2018 17

2018 18

s r e l a De

K A L U M FOR A I L A R AUST

Kartzone in New Zealand is a great representative of the Formula K products. Blake Corin won the 2018 cadet ROK championship and Ryan Bell finished 3rd. All drivers were guided by Kartzone over LanceFisher and Formula K Karts representative Adam Lindstrom“ ryan kennedy „ Ryan Kennedy has won 2 of the first 3 rounds of the Australian Rotax Pro Tour Championship rounds including 2 state championships in his Formula K EVO 32 DD2 chassis. photo credit-coopers photography“ kristian janev „ Kristian Janev leading the way at round 1 of Australian Rotax Pro Tour Championship in his Formula K monster EVO mini max chassis. Kristian Janev sits 3rd after 3 rounds of the Australian Rotax Pro Tour Championship.“ joe fawcet „ Joe Fawcett has started the year exceptionally well in his Formula K Monster Evo in the Cadet 12 class. Joe fawcett has had his best result finishing 3rd in round 3 of the Karting Karting Championships and sits 5th in the championship. Joe also recently dominated round 2 of the VCS series in Ballarat against 40 of the best cadet drivers in the country. photo credit-pace images “dd2 1st and 3rd „Australian Rotax championship round 3 DD2 podium held at Ipswich

was dominated by Formula K kart driver. 1st Ryan Kennedy, 3rd Jordie Lindstrom“ jason pringle „ Jason Pringle had his first event in Formula K kart colours in TAG heavy at the Round 1 of Victorian state championships.

Jason finished a solid 2nd and collected the fastest lap in the final in Formula K kart. photo credit-pace images“ adam lindstrom „ Adam Lindstrom did not stand back at the podium with the 3rd place at round 1 of the Victorian state titles in TAG light in his Formula K kart.photo credit-pace images“ STATEMENT Formula K Kart Australian and New Zealand has enjoyed a great first 6 months of 2017. Our products have shown that we compete and beat other manufactures repeatably. Currently we have drivers leading Australian Championships and putting there Formula K karts on podiums at a national level a number of times. With the success of the start of the season we are currently having our best sales since our first collaboration with Formula K karts back in 2012. This is the true statement of our hard work we put in with our young and older drivers on and off the track.

2018 19

Dealers

PRAGA AUSTRA LIA

IPKarting Australia is growing from strength to strength, dominating another round of the Australian Rotax Pro Tour.

In 2017 IPKarting Australia achieved many great results.

And now in 2018 they are Dominating!!!!

Mini Max 1st Junior Max 1st Rotax Max 1st Pole Position in DD2 Master, Junior Max, Rotax Max

Thanks to the fantastic new range of 2018 Praga chassis, IPKarting Australia have been on the top step of the podium in every round of the Rotax Max Challenge.

Matt Greenbury & Scott Auld are the Australian Agents for Ipkarting products based in Queensland, Australia. The close friends joined partnership in 2015, however they have been karting from as far back as 1992.

Over the years Matt & Scott have worked with many Kart brands but when the opportunity came to Import the IPKarting brand into Australia, it was a dream coming true!!!

However their retail kartshop is only one of the many important key factors to their success as a dominant force at the race track.

The boys are well known for their driver coaching, tech support & chassis tuning. They have become highly respected mentors for young drivers looking to further their racing career.

Early this year IPKarting Australia welcomed Cash Van Belle & Praga Factory driver Jorge Pescadore to the team. Matt & Scott thoroughly enjoyed having the boys over, taking in Cash’s knowledge of the brand & celebrating Jorge’s victory in the opening round of the Rotax Max Challenge in DD2.

IPKarting Australia would like to thank the ongoing support from IPKarting S.R.L. We would also like to thank our loyal Dealer network, tech support team & Drivers for continuing to follow us on our journey to even more success.

2018 20

A POSITIVE FIRST PART OF THE SEASON FOR IPK

The victory by Formula K Racing Team’s top driver, Jeremy Iglesias, in the European Championship at Salbris represented the exclamation mark on a first part of the season that saw the drivers and materials of the Praga and Formula K makes play a starring role in each class.

2018 21 The 2018 karting season still has a long way to go, but, with summer on the doorstep, you can start taking stock of how the initial months of the year have panned out. The overall situation is positive, thanks to the impressive results achieved by the drivers of the Formula K and Praga Racing Teams and, more in general, the excellent performances registered by the chassis manufactured by the IPK Group.

The most prestigious event so far was the FIA Karting European Championship which, as far as the KZ and KZ2 classes are concerned, disputed its first round at Salbris.

Jeremy Iglesias won, taking his Formula K chassis to the front in a final that never saw him drop outside the leading places. Francesco Celenta also put in a good performance, demonstrating the reliability of the Praga chassis, climbing 9 places in the final and finishing 9th.

Salbris also signalled good news in KZ2, with Loubere (Praga) and Pollini (Formula K) vying at the top for the whole weekend. Pollini finished 3rd after the heats and 6th in the final. Loubere was 4th after the heats and achieved a convincing 2nd place in the final, less than a second behind the winner.

Good news also arrived from the non-shifter classes, where Sami Meguetounif (FormulaK) stood out, in particular in the second round that took place at PF International, where he posted the 5th fastest time in qualifying and was 14th after the heats.

Also the exploit represented by the 4th place by Alex Lloyd (Formula K) at the PF International is worth mentioning, that was achieved thanks to an excellent final which saw him climb 9 places.

Regarding Meguetounif, the French driver also fared well in the Lonato Winter Cup, where he seized a splendid second place, and in the WSK Super Master Series, the main event in the first part of the international karting season, he recorded a double 6th place (in the pre-final and in the final) in the 4th round in Sarno.

In the Winter Cup, there were excellent performances in KZ2 by Francesco Celenta (Praga Racing Team), who finished 4th, and Jeremy Iglesias (Formula K), who finished 6th after climbing an impressive 11 places in the final.

Speaking of the WSK Master Series, it must be said that the Mini class drivers in the top teams Formula K Official Junior Team by ASD Serafini Racing and Praga Karts Official Junior Team by Muolo & Lotito were the most outstanding. A further sign that the material provided by IPK is competitive in every class. In Formula K, Ariel Elkin and Joel Bergstrom particularly distinguished themselves, with the latter making the podium in the pre-final in Round 4 and finishing 4th in the final. In total, in the last round of the series, which took place in Sarno, an impressive 6 IPK chassis made it to the final.

During the same weekend, Formula K Racing Team’s top driver in KZ2, Jeremy Iglesias, also impressed, finishing in 4th place in both the heats and the pre-final. It was a pity that bad luck forced him to abandon the decisive race early.

However, in the first round of the series, the MINI class saw Francesco Pulito drive his Praga chassis to victory in the pre-final and 5th place in the final. Pulito also managed a top ten finish in the WSK Champions Cup, the first major event of the season.

At national level, the ACI Karting Italian Championship also produced some excellent performances.

During the first championship weekend, in Siena, the clean sweep by Tommaso Chiappini (Formula K) stood out, finishing first in the chrono, heat, final 1 and final 2.

However, in the second round at Muro Leccese, IPK materials, used in the competition by the Formula K Italia – NGM Motorsport and Praga Karts Italia – ASD Bassano Corse Karting teams, starred in several classes. The KZ2 class was literally dominated

by Giacomo Pollini, first after qualifying, heats, race 1, and 6th at the end of race 2, in which he posted the fastest lap (and in which he started from 8th place on the grid due to the inversion of the first 8 places with respect to the order of arrival in race 1).

In KZ3 Junior, Edoardo Tolfo was always among the leaders and went on to win race 2, even managing to post the fastest lap. Riccardo Nalon also managed the same result in KZ3 Under.

Lastly, Davide Vuano and Massimo Santin, two team-mates, duelled throughout the weekend in the Rotax Max, with Vuano in “cannibal” mode, not giving up first place for even an instant.

All the races disputed so far, both nationally and internationally, have not only show-cased the excellent performance of the Praga and Formula K chassis, but also demonstrated a positive trend, which can only bode well in terms of confidence and enthusiasm for the next decisive races in this season of top-level karting.

2018 22

PETR PTÁČEK JR. claims first F4

VICTORY IN VALENCIA Petr Ptáček Jr. claimed his first outright Formula 4 victory and a maiden pole position after a dominant weekend in the F4 Spain Championship at Valencia.

The Czech driver was on the pace from the first test session on Friday afternoon as he led the field in his Formula de Campeones car.

His speed and confidence at Circuit Ricardo Tormo continued into qualifying as he achieved one of his main objectives for the season – claiming pole position. He was denied a second pole because his laptime in the first session was deleted for exceeding track limits.

“I’m really happy to get the first pole position with the fastest lap time of the weekend,” Petr explained. “I know how important it is to get the pole position in F4. If you don’t get a good start it is tough to overtake and it can affect the races.”

Starting P2 for Saturday’s 26-minute race, a small jump start – the legacy of a minor clutch problem – led to Petr being given a drive-through penalty. Rather than use up a set of tyres, his team decided to retire the 15-year-old from the race and save some valuable rubber for Sunday’s pair of races.

It was a strategy that paid off as Petr secured his first podium in F4 Spain with P2 in Sunday’s opening encounter. Losing out after

2018 23

“My aim is to keep the momentum going during the next round of the Italian F4 Championship in Imola at the end of July.”

his rival on the front-row got a marginally better start, Petr set the second-fastest lap of the race but couldn’t quite steal the lead.

“Once you are behind someone on this track it is really hard to overtake. You get a lot of understeer following another car and there aren’t as many passing opportunities so it can be a struggle,” the Corum Watches-backed driver explained.

In the final race of the weekend, a great start from the pole position allowed Petr to quickly establish a gap to the chasing pack and he didn’t come under any pressure as he took his first win in the F4 category.

Petr said: “I’m delighted to get my first victory in F4. During the race, I was focused on setting consistently quick laps and after three laps I managed to break the slipstream to the drivers behind.

I was just watching the delta time on my steering wheel and using that as a target to stay consistent.

“The confidence I had this weekend is something I’ve had at all the races this year, and I’m pleased that I’ve managed to use that to take the win this weekend. It was great to have some help and support from one of my Italian engineers who came to Valencia with me.

2018 24

HAT-TRICK of overall F4 podiums at MISANO

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Petr Ptáček Jr claimed a trio of overall podiums – and a clean sweep of Rookie Cup wins – during the fourth round of the Italian F4 Championship at Misano this weekend.

The Czech driver headed to the Adriatic circuit on a high after demonstrating his front-running pace at Monza earlier this month. His confidence was given a further boost by a successful pre-event test at the 4.2km track, allowing Petr to fine-tune his car’s set-up ahead of the race weekend.

His slick preparation immediately paid off as the 15-year-old secured the best qualifying result of his season with P2 out of 28 cars for race one – just 0.036s off pole position. He then followed that up by securing a pair of P4 starts for Sunday’s races.

“I missed out on pole in both sessions which was annoying,” the Corum Watches-backed driver explained. “On the other hand, P2 is still my best result of the season and I’m feeling a lot better about my qualifying performances.

„My aim for the next round is to take pole position, it’s a big target for this season.”

Petr made his grid position count during Saturday’s opening 30-minute race. Getting a fast start from the front row, he quickly slotted in behind the race leader going into turn one. Despite being unable to exactly match his rival’s pace, he impressively opened up a gap to the chasing pack and comfortably finished in P2, securing his first overall podium in the Italian F4 series and a fourth Rookie Cup win of the season.

“I was generally happy with the race and it’s good to get another Rookie Cup win. I seemed to be losing a bit of speed on the straights to [race winner] Enzo Fittipaldi. I don’t know why because I was running quite a low downforce set-up. That’s something to look at in the future,” Petr explained.

Sunday morning’s first race was another illustration of how quickly Petr has adjusted to the F4 category. He made another fantastic getaway from the line in his BhaiTech Racing car to gain a position at the start.

As the race developed, Petr was lapping faster than his more experienced team-mate who filled P2 just ahead. Petr applied heavy pressure and his pace eventually told as he squeezed through, courtesy of a great late-braking manoeuvre just before the mid-way point of the race.

P2 also gave Petr his second Rookie win of the weekend and his impressive all-round performance was topped off by him setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:35.490 tour of Misano.

Petr rounded off the best weekend of his fledgling F4 career with more success in the final race. After losing a position at the start, he stayed patient and fought hard to reclaim two places – and secure a hat-trick of outright podiums and Rookie Cup wins.

Petr’s success at Misano has moved him up to fourth in the drivers’ championship and his impressive haul of six Rookie Cup wins for the season means he now leads the support category standings by 72 points.

2018 26

PRAGA R1T EVO: The fastest Praga R1 yet Photo: Petr Frýba Text: Hannes Danielsson

At Autosport International 2018 PRAGA Cars will launch the new Praga R1T EVO, the fastest Praga R1 yet. The Autosport show takes place in Birmingham, England in January, with trade days on 11-12th and public days 13-14th. Praga will be on stand 6510 in the Autosport hall. Praga will start taking orders for the R1T EVO immediately with cars being delivered well in advance for the start of the 2018 race season. Current customers have already ordered the upgrade kit for the current R1T. Customers will be eligible to compete in race series such as Dutch Supercar Challenge, DMV GTC, FARA and more.

The R1T EVO will start at €159,000 with the conversion kit costing €15,000 from R1T to R1T EVO and €20,000 from R1 or R1S to R1T EVO, maintaining Praga’s philosophy of affordable, competitive racing. No other race car offers a better price to performance ratio allowing customers to go head-to-head with the elite of GT3 race cars and still come out ahead.

2018 27

Praga is constantly developing and engineering improvements for our customers’ cars and the R1T EVO is no exception. This time Praga has made a large improvement to Praga’s own turbo system on the R1T. The power has been increased by 20bhp up to 380bhp but more importantly the new system will allow drivers to electronically adjust the power output of the car from the full 380hp down to as low as 330bhp. The car comes with three mappings at 330bhp/370nm, 360bhp/390nm and 380bhp/410nm. This becomes beneficial for a number of reasons. Firstly, amateur drivers and owners who are looking to rent their R1T, are now able to tame the beast slightly for an easier driving experience. But even for experienced drivers the adjustable power output will be welcomed during wet and tricky racing condition where it can be hard to get the full 380bhp to the ground without breaking traction.

The improvements start right from the beginning where the cool outside air enters the roof scoop. The new design allows for a more optimised airflow to the intercooler improving the ram effect. A new shark fin integrated into the intake adds stability in high speed corners just as we have seen in recent F1 cars. As the air reaches the intercooler we quickly get to the next upgrade in the system. Not only is the new intercooler more efficient it is also more than twice the size of the previous one. This allows the car to maintain air temperatures of around 55°C even during the hottest races. This lower air charge temperature will maintain a higher power output to the wheels and a smoother delivery of torque.

On top of this we see a 5°C drop in water and oil temperatures.

Moving through the system we notice a much shorter route from the intercooler to the intake which is now half the length, therefore building boost quicker, reducing the already minimal turbo lag and improving throttle response. Praga has developed their own carbon fibre intake manifold weighing only 1.7kg, compared to the 8kg of the OEM Renault Sport intake manifold. Finally the new exhaust manifold uses a v-band connection for quicker and easier replacement when needed. Despite the added weight from the intercooler and air intake the new R1T EVO manages to shed 5kg of weight over the previous model, now down to only 620kg curb weight. Additionally Praga have tested new lightweight forged rims which save 8kg of rotational unsprung mass compared to the standard rims. These will be offered as an option for all new Praga R1s in 2018 for €3,699.

During testing at Slovakia ring Praga factory test driver, Aleš Jirásek, recorded a new personal best lap time for Praga with 1:56.08 beating the old lap time of 1:58,40. Over a 2-minute lap the new Turbo system offers a 1.4 second improvement per lap. Despite launching the new R1T EVO in early 2018, Praga are already developing further improvements which can be implemented incrementally throughout the year. These include Praga’s own Anti-Lag system, ABS, Traction Control, dual-speed wiper, new brake and upright system and more. Look out for the new Praga R1T EVO at a track near you in 2018!

2018 28

Praga Cars debut in The Middle East Text and phot: Hannes Danielsson

In the pursuit to expand Praga Cars’ global presence, Praga Cars has now made it’s debut in The Middle East. In partnership with AUH Motorsports, the Praga R1 makes its first visit to Dubai Autodrome in the form of the Praga R1S. It arrived at Dubai Autodrome in late March where it has attended track days and test drives and will continue to be available at Dubai Autodrome for interested customers over the three months it will be in the Emirate. The Praga R1S, although not the fastest of the Pragas, is an ideal car for amateur racers and track day enthusiasts looking to learn the skills of driving with downforce. The Praga R1S uses a Renault Sport 2.0L producing 235bhp and weighing only 592kg and producing, a high downforce, high safety. As with all Pragas the R1S offers a value to performance ratio unheard of in the racing world.

Dubai Autodrome and motorsports in general are relatively recent concept in The Middle East. Yet track days are hugely popular at Dubai Autodrome with the track being fully booked up until the summer with temperatures reaching 45°C. At this temperature the drivers begin to feel the effects of the heat before the cars do and driving becomes possible only for very short stints before the heat becomes unbearable. For this reason the race season in The Middle East ends just as the season in Europe is starting and vice versa.

This means that many drivers can use racing series in The Middle East to stay on top of their game even during the off season. The Dubai Autodrome offers multiple configurations, the National configuration used often for track days is a 3.56km long circuit that offers many long high speed turns and omits some of the longer

2018 29

straights seen during the 12H races, this layout is where the high downforce nature of the Praga R1 really comes alive.

AUH Motorsports had previously been the Radical dealer for The Middle East region running the Radical Middle East cup and also run cars in the Yas Marina Toyota 86 and Dubai Autodrome NGK series. Over the next two months they will be running the Praga R1S at Dubai Autodrome.

PRAGA CARS FACTORY

team at the Dutch Supercar Challange at Spa Text: Hannes Danielsson Photos: Edwin Nieuwenhuis and Hannes Danielsson

The Praga Cars factory team took part in the Dutch Supercar Challange championship at Spa Francorchamps the last weekend of September. Aleš Jirásek in the Praga R1T won both of one-hour races in the CN class and finished fifth and sixth over all. The weekend saw the attendance of five Praga R1 cars!

Praga took part in the penultimate race of the Dutch Supercar Challange series at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. In addition to the factory team, the race weekend, called the “Racing Festival Spa”, was also attended by three Praga customer teams – VR Motorsport, Edeka Aschoff Racing and Blueberry Racing. In total, three Turbo and two atmospheric Pragas were set for the start.

In the 27 car field, LMP3 cars, CN prototypes and GT3 cars were also battling for the win.

Friday’s trainings proved that under better circumstances the Praga would be able to be competitive even among the more powerful LMP3s. Saturday’s heavy rain fall meant everyone would be out of position on Sundays race. Aleš Jirasek started for the factory team of Praga. He qualified 7th overall and second in the CN class. “Saturday was crazy due to heavy rain. Almost zero visibility on such a fast circuit was perhaps my biggest racing challenge in recent years. You drive 240km/h into a wall of water, just a few dozen meters in front of you. I’ve been asking myself a few times what am I doing here? Luckily, we have come home in one piece and beat a couple of LMP3 cars, so we have to be very happy” Jirasek said after finishing in sixth in the first race.

“After the start, it was pretty tight, but I was lucky enough to make the first few turns without a collision and even gained one position.“ The Sunday race stated in much better conditions as the track had dried overnight. Aleš started on the third row. “After the start, it was pretty tight, but I was lucky enough to make the first few turns without a collision and even gained one position. I was able to keep pace with cars in front of me, and before I pit in I was doing great. I had a hard fight with an LMP3 and finally I finished in fifth position overall and first in class, which is the result we wanted, “said the factory driver of Praga after Sunday’s race.

The large attendance of Praga cars was welcomed by Jan Martínek, team manager. “It was great to see such a large Praga family. Especially on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. We even had a sixth car lined up that we were ready with, but unfortunately the customer canceled last minute. Extreme conditions on the Saturday and really beautiful weather on Sunday made the weekend a real experience for all the drivers involved. For us, it is important that at the end of the weekend all teams are satisfied with their race. Spa is a circuit with long straights, and the fact that one of the cars was able to climb between the LMP3 prototypes is a truly amazing result. In the second sector, which is a very technical section of the track, Aleš consistently showed the fastest times and beautifully demonstrated the potential of Praga R1.”

2018 32

TECHNICALFEATURES

SAFETY FIRST Photo: Praga cars Text: Hannes Danielsson

The Praga R1 has three key performance elements; Light-weight, High-downforce and High-safety.

Safety is always of vital importance in the world of racing. Safety standards within racing are at an all time high and for a good reason. At the heart of Praga’s philosophy of safety is the Praga R1 monocoque.

As opposed to many of its competitors the Praga R1 offers an enclosed cockpit, similar to that of an LMP car, that not only increases safety in the rare event of a rollover and increases overall rigidity, but also protects the driver from debris similar to the “halo” that we have seen recently introduced into F1 and other formula categories.

2018 33

curing process is complete, the excess carbon is cut away and the monocoque is finished and polished. This process is very labour intensive and uses exotic materials, hence the high cost for such components.

Many of the safety precautions taken in development of the Praga R1 are made using advanced methods and materials that mean larger manufactures are unable to implement them into everyday consumer cars. Therefore it becomes the responsibility of small manufacturers such as Praga to be at the forefront of developing these types of methods and materials, and bare the costs of their early development. The Praga R1 uses a 100% carbon fibre monocoque built using pre-preg carbon fribre with an aluminium honeycomb centre, as seen in the carbon tubs of F1 cars. Carbon fibre as a material offers numerous benefits, including minimising weight, enabling the Praga R1 to reach as low as 592kg, the complete monocoque weighs in at only 57kg, lowering emissions, but in terms of safety the value of added strength and rigidity is unparalleled. It allows Praga to create a safety cell many times lighter and stronger than a traditional steel tubular space frame. The R1’s monocoque is composed of three main parts, which are bonded together, with additional strengthening ribs throughout. The pre-preg carbon layers are hand laid at the C2i factory, located only 5km from the Praga Cars factory. It is then prepared and cured in an autoclave where it bakes for many hours. Once the

Fore the monocoque, the front crash box or nose cone is mounted. This is designed with internals consisting of many layers of carbon all spaced in a form that is calculated to prolong the deceleration time in the event of a head on collision.

The crash test reveals a spectacular spray of carbon shards thrown from the impact zone. The crash box is designed to do exactly this, in order to disperse the energy from the impact away from the monocoque and the occupants. At the sides and rear of the Praga R1 we find similarly constructed components designed to fulfil the same functions.The FIA approved fuel tank sits enclosed within the monocoque, the safest location that poses least risk of puncture and fire in case of an accident.

The monocoque crash tests were done at Cranfeild Impact Centre in the UK. Tests were done in accordance to FIA CN category safety standards. Tests done on the roll hoop not only met these standards but went on to far exceed the required loadings. All totalled, eight different crash tests were conducted at the facility, all passed successfully. Including test on the roll hoop, steering column, side and front crash box. A testament to the safety and build quality of the Praga R1.

2018 34

2018

ARRIVE & DRIVE

With Praga’s Arrive & Drive packages, the only thing you have to think about is driving.

Included in the package is; Transport to and from race location, Entry fees, Pit Box, Consumables (Fluids, Brakes, Tires) and Praga race mechanics.

If you would like to book our Arrive & Drive package or require more information please contact hannes.danielsson@pragaracing.eu

2018 35

FIA-CEZ

DMV GTC + Dunlop 60 Hockenheim Dijon Red Bull Ring NĂźrburgring Monza Hockenheim Zolder Hockenheim

13th-14th April 27th-28th April 18th-19th May 8th-9th June 29th-30th June 27th-28th July 31st August - 1st September 5th-6th September

13th-14th April 18th-20th May 29th-30th June - 1st July 28th-30th September 19th-21st October

Knutstorp Anderstorp Falkenberg Karlskoga Rudskogen Mantorp

4th-5th May 16th-17th June 7th-8th July 18th-19th August 8th-9th September 21st-22nd September

Carbonia Cup

Le Series Brno Brno Brno Brno

27th-29th April 18th-20th May 1st-3rd June 15th-17th June 3rd-5th August 17th-19th August 31st August - 2nd September 10th September

Swedish GT

GT & Proto Challenge Spa Francorchamps Zandvoort

Zolder Spa Francorchamps Assen

Hungaroring Red Bull Ring Cerklje Poznan Grobnik

Slovakia Ring Usce Brno

9h 4th April 5h 4th April 9h 24th-25t 5h 24th-25th

Most Pannoniaring Silesia Ring Slovakia ring Most Hungaroring Most

15th April 14th May 15th June 18th July 15th August 24th September 14th October

2018 36

AERODYNAMICS

PRAGA R1 Aerodynamic development of Praga cars Photo: Icon & Praga cars Text: Zbyněk Hrnčíř

2018 37

Why aerodynamics?

Aerodynamics is a discipline which significantly affects characteristics of racing or super-sport cars. The car must be carefully shaped to respect air flow physics and to use the energy of air as much as possible in the positive way.

The shape of race cars is influenced by aerodynamics notably more than the shape of normal production cars we see every day on the street. While the commercial success of a production car depends mainly on the balance of styling, price, passenger comfort and available equipment, race cars must demonstrate different qualities. The attention of potential clients of a race car is focused mainly on the cars performance and to operational costs. Aerodynamics has a direct and strong impact on key performance parameters like maximum speed, cornering speed, acceleration at high speed and engine cooling capability.

All these parameters together with the powertrain and the pilot affects the success at the track and consequently the success in the highly competitive market of race and super-sport cars.

2018 38

2018 39

How aerodynamics acts on the car?

Any solid object moving in the atmosphere interacts with surrounding air.

Race cars are not an exception. As the car moves it pushes and carries surrounding air aside and away from its original position. Billions and billions of “calmly sleeping” molecules of air are suddenly accelerated by the car and relocated to their new position. Although the air is invisible to the human eye, it still has some weight and viscosity. It is well known from Newton’s laws that acceleration of any weighted object needs force. If we add the force we need to overcome the friction between the viscous air and solid car surface, the aerodynamic drag is born. From Isaac Newton we also know that any action produces a reaction. We can expect the same when we “wake up” many billions of air molecules by the moving car. If the car accelerates the air forward, the air will act backward. If the car accelerates the air upward, the air will act on the car downward and vice versa. That’s the moment when downforce and its brother lift are born. How many billions of molecules “woke up” due to the car, how fast and where are they relocated will influence their reaction on the car and consequently the car’s performance. The air acts on the car via tension.

It is common practice to divide the tension according to its direction to normal tension (Pressure) and tangential tension (Friction). The total effect of the air on the car is represented by the aerodynamic force. For practical reasons the aerodynamic force acting on a car is usually divided to two components: Aerodynamic drag and Aerodynamic downforce. Aerodynamic downforce then divided between axles to the front downforce and rear downforce.

What tools are used for aerodynamic development?

Aerodynamics is extremely complex discipline which requires experience, know-how and sophisticated tools if done properly. The traditional tool for aerodynamic design is a wind tunnel. Wind tunnel is a laboratory where the car (scaled models or full scales car) is exposed to the wind.

Aerodynamic forces acting on the car are measured through balances located under wheels or at special struts. This technique is intensively used by all production car manufacturers as well as by race or super-sport car developers. Some of them have their own wind tunnel, others use commercially available facilities. The main problem with the tunnel is the enormous initial investment, operational cost and limited availability. Despite of these drawbacks we see huge investments and activity in this field in recent years which is clearly advocated by extreme importance of aerodynamics in the current automotive and motorsport industry.

An alternative to wind tunnels is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

A modern approach which merges complex physical models with sophisticated mathematical methods and with impressive power of current supercomputing farms. All of this allows to compute the movement of air around a car quickly and accurately. It allows the simulation of real road conditions which are not really available in the real traditional wind tunnel. CFD also brings an impressive insight into the flow field which helps to understand all relevant phenomena much more easily than using traditional

2018 40

wind tunnel visualization techniques, for example smoke probe.

It also gives a nice opportunity to the designer-aerodynamicist to try many alternatives and modifications without the need for prototype fabrication, time consuming transport to wind tunnel facility and expensive wind tunnel hours.

Although CFD has many advantages over traditional wind tunnel laboratory, it has also disadvantages. At first it is a complex science which needs a lot of theoretical background, know-how and experience to achieve reliable and accurate results. Moreover, the industrially ready CFD package is an expensive software which must be accompanied by very powerful computer to make it useful and productive. This makes CFD technology cost intensive for small car manufacturers or small motorsport teams.

Revolutionary technology in this field, which brings CFD to smaller companies, has been introduced by ICON Technology & Process Consulting Ltd. The solution is a cloud based Digital Wind Tunnel accessible through user friendly App at a web browser using any smart device. It is called iconCFD Platform (www.iconcfd.com/platform). This technology has been recently implemented in PRAGA Cars’ development process. The main advantage of this solution is that PRAGA needs neither expensive CFD software license, nor powerful computer resources or CFD and IT personnel. CFD software is installed at a supercomputing farm with virtually infinite number of processors. The CFD experience and know-how is provided by ICON and is integrated in best-practice templates available for PRAGA Cars in the Digital Wind Tunnel. By this approach PRAGA Cars save a lot of time and lower costs in developing its own CFD experience. The Digital Wind Tunnel is flexible and is used by PRAGA Cars’ development team only when needed.

The usage can be massively scaled at moments of aerodynamic work peaks (thousands of processors can be used in parallel) and it is of zero cost when not used.

Picture 2: Working environment in ICON Digital Wind Tunnel available via a web browser from any smart device. Contours of near wall velocity variable on PRAGA R1 shown at this moment.

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How accurate is the ICON Digital Wind Tunnel?

The ICON Digital Wind Tunnel is carefully validated on many race and super-sport cars. Many years of systematic comparison and calibration of CFD results with available wind tunnel data makes it reliable for aerodynamic design. PRAGA R1 aerodynamic characteristics measured in MIRA wind tunnel (UK) have been compared with results coming from the ICON Digital Wind Tunnel. The comparison shows impressive agreement.

What is the experience with Digital Wind Tunnel?

ICON Digital Wind Tunnel allows PRAGA Cars engineers to use the state-of-the-art CFD technology which was traditionally only affordable for large car manufacturers and rich motorsport teams.

The Digital Tunnel can be used from an engineering office, home office, as well as directly from the workshop where the clay model of a new car is created. The lack of hardware and software purchases allows the use of the Digital Wind Tunnel immediately.

The flexibility of the Digital Wind Tunnel is a great advantage.

PRAGA Cars pays only when the tunnel is used. No payments for a software licenses on yearly basis. On the other hand, if needed PRAGA Cars can aerodynamically evaluate many variants in only a few hours. The digital Wind Tunnel has no limits there.

Picture 3: Difference between aerodynamic characteristics of Praga R1 car from a real wind tunnel (MIRA, UK) and data characteristics predicted by ICON Digital Wind Tunnel.

(Note: Different setting of rear wing flap was used.).

2018 42

AVIATION

PRAGA ALFA

the Multi-Purpose, STOL performance aircraft.

Reliable and Low Cost maintenance WORKHORSE. Photo: Petr Kolmann

The SM-92T(E) PRAGA is an multi-purpose single engine high wing all-metal turboprop aircraft with fixed landing gear according to EASA CS-23 and FAA FAR 23 requirements. The SM-92T(E) PRAGA with unpressured cabin can accommodate up to 7 persons including a minimum crew of one.

The power plant is a Walter M601 F turboprop engine mounted in the nose of the aircraft fuselage with three-blade all metal propeller AV-803 (Tractor Type).

The aircraft is conceptually designed to satisfy the requirements for easy operation and maintenance service, including service in the difficult climatic conditions of the Arctic Circle or in the desert. The airplane does not need to run on the approved areas (airports), can operate in any area without hindrance around with sufficient load capacity ground. The aircraft is so designed, that it does not need hangaring.

Specially designed high quality aerodynamic wing profile P-301 M-15 allows aircraft to use a huge range of speed, sufficiently large control surfaces enable the operation of aircraft central part with huge range of values, which are reflected in a very positive evaluation of user-friendliness and above all safety. The aircraft is equipped with large sliding side doors, which enable considerably more efficient operation of the airplane.

Type of avionics will be determined by the priorities of individual customers, in the simplest variant on the classic analog devices together with navigation and GPS, better-equipped aircraft will offer a modern glass cockpit systems.

"I am not designed to come second or third.

I am designed to win."

Ayrton Senna

MADE IN EU

shop online: SHOP.SINTER.SI

2018 44

HISTORY

PRAGA

in the post-war period

In the years of the Second World War, the production of Czech and Slovak factories was devoted almost completely to manufacturing of armoured vehicles, war machinery and ammunition.

Factories formerly used for production of various products were all transformed for one sole purpose: to win the war. Luckily, the Third Reich’s forces were defeated by the allies in the end and this meant that factory life could slowly return to the standard production. Praga – among many other factories – was to return completely to civilian production. However, there was one exception – the popular light tank AH-IV which was manufactured before the war and exported to Romania, Sweden and Iran was now ordered by the Ethiopian army.

As mentioned in the previous issue, AH-IV was in high demand because of its flexibility and ability to stand their ground even in rugged and muddy terrains. What is more, we know that these models were actually used in combat during the war between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Find out more about Praga history at

www.pragaglobal.com/history

2018 45

Praga’s main production facilities were heavily damaged in 1945 and they had to be moved from ČKD (Českomoravská-Kolben-Daněk) to former Junkers factory. The difficult post-war economic circumstances combined with the rise of communism threatened especially larger Czech and Slovak companies which were soon to be nationalized with two main goals: state control of production (heeding the call of Marx and Engels) and participating on massive profits of these companies. Unfortunately, this was the fate of Praga as well. And while the communist coup d’état took place in 1948, Praga’s factories were nationalized much sooner – in fact during 1945, several months after the end of the Second World War. Former private factories considerably altered their production and started to manufacture locomotives, cranes and individual mechanic and electronic components. Factories and their workers continued with their good work and the production was very effective – but this focus meant the end of the glorious days of Praga as a predominantly automobile manufacturer. From now on, Praga brand’s main focus was the manufacture of trucks.

This turn can be also described as returning to the roots, for trucks and automobiles were the first products to leave Praga’s manufacturing lines during the first decades of the 20th century. We are going to focus on three Praga trucks in this issue: RN, RND and A 150.

Praga RN and RND (Czech acronyms for “Rapid Freight” and “Rapid Freight Diesel”) were medium-sized trucks whose production started before the war and continued successfully after and even during this very conflict meaning that RNs and RNDs were produced over a period of 20 years.

It is hard nowadays to pinpoint the total number of manufactured units, because the numbers vary in thousands.

However, we can be sure that the number moves somewhere between 20.000 and 40.000 vehicles in total. Another 50.000 models were also manufactured in Yugoslavia once the local car manufacturer TAM had bought the licence for this model. Although the truck option is the original, RNs and RNDs were also produced as buses, fire trucks, damp trucks and other specialized alterations.

RNs and RNDs are therefore the most typical representative of Praga’s first post-war years. Another representative is Praga A 150: originally a Škoda truck, A 150’s production was moved by the government to Praga’s factories in 1947.

Though Škoda provided our new manufacturer with a solid starting point, Praga added many original alterations and A 150s were produced as an ambulance, military vehicle, fire truck or even a mobile dental vehicle.

Next issue will focus on Praga’s V3S truck whose popularity and versatility is legendary and which can be seen on the streets of Czech towns and cities as well as in the countryside even today.

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