The 2025 season has only just concluded, but Club Superstage is already hard at work preparing for 2026. The edition of the Ardeca Ypres Rally will take place on June 26 and 27. It promises to be another spectacular event, as in recent days three one-make cups have confirmed their participation in Ypres, securing their spots on the key fixture on the Belgian rally calendar.
The Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux was launched recently, and rally fans have something extra to look forward to on the final weekend of June. Ypres will serve as the second round of this new international one-make series, following the Rallye de Wallonie. After Ypres, the championship continues with the GTC Rally in the Netherlands, the Saarland-Pfalz Rally in Germany, and the East Belgian Rally. Last year, fans in Ypres were impressed by the Porsche 992 Rally GTs driven by Dani Sordo, Cédric Cherain, Glenn Janssens, and Patrick Snijers. The 992 Rally GT proved capable of taking the fight to the fastest Rally2 cars, with Dani Sordo narrowly missing out on a podium finish.
A second new one-make series being presented this week is the BRC GR Cup. This promotional formula will feature identical Toyota GR Yaris cars, prepared and run by i4Race under an “Arrive & Drive” system. The BRC GR Cup will include six rounds — starting with the Rallye de Wallonie, followed by the Sezoensrally, the Ardeca Ypres Rally, the A&D Omloop van Vlaanderen, the East Belgian Rally, and the Spa Rally. By the time the Championship reaches Ypres, the Toyota Yaris GR drivers will already be well accustomed to their cars, which feature 226 hp under the bonnet. The Cup winner will be awarded a drive in a Rally2 car for one BRC event. If the winner is a Junior driver (under 29), they will even receive three BRC 2026 rounds at the wheel of a Rally2. Drivers will be rewarded with a point for every stage win, and with such a prize at stake, fierce competition on every stage is guaranteed.
That’s not all, because the Ardeca Ypres Rally is also part of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup calendar, which will feature both Rally4 and Rally6 categories. Ypres will be the third round of the five-event series, after the Rally van Haspengouw and the Ardenne Rally Festival, and before the East Belgian Rally and the Spa Rally. In the Rally6 category, which also includes the Junior BRC, the Cup winner will receive a Rally4 drive as a prize.
“The prospects are very promising — that’s clear,” said Alain Penasse, chairman of Club Superstage. “Last year, the Porsche 992 Rally GTs already showed they are highly competitive on the Ypres stages, and within the new Trophy we expect even more GTs on the start line. The GR Cup is an excellent initiative to help young drivers make the step up to four-wheel drive, and the prize fund is very attractive. The Stellantis Cup continues to showcase quick rally talents year after year. We’ll be offering a packed program at the Ardeca Ypres Rally, with the FIA European Historic Rally Championship also returning to Ypres. This time, they’ll contest more stages on Friday — more details on that soon!”
