In one month’s time, Club Superstage will organize the 54th edition of the Bernard Degroote Monteberg Rally. This ideal test event ahead of the Ardeca Ypres Rally, which will take place less than two months later on June 26–27, is once again attracting strong interest from competitors. Just a few weeks after entries opened, 58 crews have already confirmed their participation, with around twenty more entries currently being processed. Anyone wanting to be part of the action on Sunday, May 3 is advised not to delay.
This year’s rally will once again feature 11 special stages, totaling 130.63 km against the clock, making the event slightly longer than last year. The route consists of three different stages: Busseboom and Monteberg will each be run four times, while Wijtschate will be contested three times. The rally will start on Sunday, May 3 at 8:00 AM in Poperinge. The winner will be celebrated at 6:35 PM on the town’s main square, followed by the official prize-giving ceremony at 7:45 PM at Worldkarts Poperinge.
The Busseboom stage, measuring 8.73 km, has been partially updated with the addition of several new sections. The Monteberg stage, the longest of the rally at 14.89 km, has also been extended with a very technical section previously used in the Heuvelland stage. The Wijtschate stage, 12.05 km long, starts near the local football ground and finishes close to the village center.
More than a month before the rally, several notable names already appear on the entry list. Two-time Dutch rally champion Jeroen Swaanen (2011 and 2012) has entered with a Toyota Yaris Rally2. Swaanen previously competed here in 2019 with a Skoda Fabia. Once again, he will use the event to prepare for his home rally, the ELE Rally, by competing in both Monteberg and the Sezoensrally.
The reigning Dutch national champion Willem Wouter Overbeek will also be on the start line with his competitive Renault Clio Rally3. He will provide a strong benchmark for the other Rally3 drivers already entered: Stefaan Crombez, Olivier Maes and Simon Decru.
Dutch participation is particularly strong this year, with Stefan Ter Reehorst in a Ford Fiesta R5, Martin van Ierselswitching from Hyundai to a Citroën C3 Rally2, Hein Jonkers in a Mitsubishi, Jelte De Boef in a BMW M3, Jochem Huijbregts in a BMW 325i, his father Ben Huijbregts in an original Ford Capri, local driver Bart Ossenblok in his trusted Opel Manta, Ben ten Hove in a BMW, and finally Coen Vink in a spectacular Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
At 60 years old, Coen Vink, co-driven by Hans van Goor, will present his Ford Sierra RS Cosworth in the iconic FINA colors. A fitting reference for Chris Van Woensel, the 1997 Belgian vice-champion, who will debut his newly built rear-wheel-drive Ford Sierra RS Cosworth at the Monteberg Rally. The driver from Schriek, who also turns 60 this year, will use the event as preparation for the FIA Ardeca Ypres Historic Rally.
Alongside Ter Reehorst, local driver Etienne Verbeke has also entered with a Skoda Fabia R5 Evo, while Laury Callenswill once again take on the challenge in a Porsche 992 Rally GT. He will face competition from John de Wilde, Wim Meulders and Alexandre Verbeke, all driving Porsche machinery.
