The 2025 Ardeca Ypres Rally will be an exciting one with three separate competitions with the FIA European Historic Rally Championship joining the rally. Club Superstage is excited that the European Historic competition will join the Ypres Historic Rally, which will be run for the first time since 2019. They will run alongside the Ardeca Ypres Rally and the Ardeca Ypres Rally Division 2, the latter only being held on the Saturday.
The strong historic competition also gives a nod to the history of the event, which turns 60 this year. Club Superstage did not want to let these rich 60 years of Ypres Rally pass unnoticed. To emphasise the close bond with the City of Ypres, a unique sticker book about 60 years of Ypres Rally will be published. The sticker book will focus on the rich history of the Ypres Rally, a rally which has become synonymous with Belgian Rally and the only rally in the country that was part of the FIA World Rally Championship. It will also celebrate the 30 years of the Ypres Historic Rally.
The sticker book can be purchased from May to the end of June for €15 at 16 local outlets in Ypres and the surrounding towns. The stickers will be available free of charge from a network of participating outlets. In addition, swap meets will be organised to give collectors the opportunity to fill the gaps in their sticker books. During the Ardeca Ypres Rally 2025, a swap meet will also be organised in the tent on Saturday.
The Ypres Rally is unique in our country. It was first held in 1965, and became a part of the European Championship in 1974. After a few years, the 24 Hours of Ypres, as it was known then, was promoted to the ERC’s highest coefficient, a status that was retained until 2016. From 2006, the Ypres Rally belonged to the IRC, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, a championship promoted by Eurosport. In total, no fewer than 12 World Champions, who have a tally of 23 world titles, have driven over the ramp in the historic Marketplace. The world’s best drivers. ranging from the Swede Björn Waldegard, who drove the Historic event three times, to Colin McRae and Sébastien Ogier and our own Thierry Neuville have all attacked the stages here. Thierry Neuville with Martijn Wydaeghe and Ott Tänak with Martin Järveoja, took the outright honours when the world came to Ypres, and Ypres entered the living rooms of people around the world.
For years, the victory record stood at 4 victories. A record shared by Gilbert Staepelaere, Robert Droogmans and Patrick Snijers, until a certain Fast Freddy Loix blew them all away. He is, undoubtedly, the King of Ypres, with the record of 11 victories.
The Ypres Rally is a unique event with a rich history. Noy you can collect this history in the unique sticker book “60 Years of Ypres Rally”.
