Driving in a classic like the Ardeca Ypres Rally is quite an adventure, not only for the international top stars, but also for local drivers. When you can do that at the wheel of a top car, it is even more satisfying.
Bjorn Syx will drive his first kilometres in Ypres with a Citroën C3 Rally2. Syx won the Ypres Historic Rally 2019 as a noble unknown to most spectators at the time. In the meantime, however, the man from Poperinge has grown into a trendsetter and absolute reference point with his BMW M3.
“It will be the first time for me to drive a rally in a four-wheel drive car,” said Syx. “It will mainly be a search for the right braking points. It will be testing where the limit is. The test sessions are certainly welcome for that, because you first have to get a good feeling in the car.”
Bjorn would have driven the Rally van Wervik as an warm up, but he had a good reason to miss the event. Bjorn became the proud dad of Bastien.
“At Toyota and Skoda, they didn’t care about me as a private pilot, so the Citroën seemed like the best compromise to me. I don’t think of a result. I want to get to know the car and make progress. Finishing in particular position is a minimal objective. We’ve had enough trouble with the M3 lately…”
Steven Dolfen on the other hand was at the start of Wervik. “The first introduction to the Ford Fiesta Rally2 went much more smoothly than expected. I came to the start in Wervik with low expectations. In recent years I drove a front-wheel drive car, and now you have to take into account, particulalry without a lot of time to prepare, that part of the transition continues behind your back. More punch, a lot of traction, but especially the brakes are phenomenal in such a Rally2. When you think you’re braking too late, you still have something left over.“
“I hope to be able to constantly improve my times in Ypres. As the day progressed, I saw in Wervik that I was already getting close to Bernd Casier, who was driving with a similar car. Bernd will probably not be a real reference point in the Ardeca Ypres Rally, given his vast experience with the car and his stage knowledge. But it would certainly please me if I could stay close to him, and other West Flemish people such as Steve Bécaert and Bert Coene. Anyway, we definitely want to finish, because the result will be decisive for the future. If our sponsors see that we have not betrayed their trust, then perhaps an extension can be made to the trips with this Fiesta,” says a very motivated Steven Dolfen.
