Śmiechowski wins again in Clio Cup Bohemia; title fight stays open

Julian Śmiechowski claimed his third victory of the 2026 Clio Cup Bohemia season at Brno, extending Polish representation at the front of the grid. The third-placed driver in the championship standings won the second race of the weekend, ahead of Rafał Paprota and Alan Kluza, with Polish drivers occupying five of the top six positions.

The race began with Dawid Babraj, a series debutant this year, starting from pole position after his first-race result was revised to 12th place. Babraj led from the start, but Śmiechowski moved into second immediately and passed his JTS Racing Team teammate on the opening lap to take control. Babraj's early pace attracted pressure from title contenders Bartłomiej Mirecki and Tomáš Pekař. Mirecki gained four positions on lap one, which would have moved him ahead in the championship standings, but the two collided on lap two when Mirecki suddenly slowed and changed line, putting himself directly in Pekař's path. Both drivers ran off track, triggering a safety car period. Mirecki rejoined with a lap penalty, while Pekař retired to the pits.

After the restart, Śmiechowski maintained his lead over Babraj, who came under sustained pressure from rivals. Paprota, Kluza and Filip Dziwok all passed the debutant in quick succession, allowing Śmiechowski to build a gap. Paprota eventually broke free from the chasing group and began closing on the leader, but a second collision—between Matej Preša and Valter Nežič—brought out another safety car. With both cars stranded in the gravel, the race ended under yellow flags.

Śmiechowski crossed the line first, securing his third win and keeping alive his mathematical chances of finishing second in the championship. However, only Mirecki and Pekař can now fight for the title, separated by 49 points with 55 still available at the season finale on the Hungaroring.