The Ardeca Ypres Rally 2024 gets underway tomorrow and the so-called “holy week” begins. The 59th edition of the Belgian Rally Championship’s top event can count on a strong starting field with 93 teams in Division 1 and no fewer than 46 entries in Division 2. It is a strong field for Division 2, which is only on Saturday, with the first eight special stages and 102 km of competition being held.
The Ardeca Ypres Rally opens on Friday with an autograph session at 12 noon on the Grote Markt, followed by the ceremonial start on the podium at 3.05 pm. The opening test starts at 3:56 p.m., the 11.97 km Vleteren stage. Westouter (7.32 km) follows with Menen-Wijtschate (15.12 km) and Zonnebeke (10.18 km) ending the loop. After two loops of these four tests, the first car arrives back on the podium in Ypres around 10:00 p.m. Another 10 stages are scheduled for Saturday. Two loops of four stages await the drivers, namely Kemmelberg (13.72 km), Dikkebus (13.65 km), Watou (13.17 km) and Zillebeke (12.47 km). In the final loop see Kemmelberg and Dikkebus tests completed a third time. The Dikkebus stage will therefore be the BRC Powerstage.
The top drivers got their eye for what the stages will be like, yesterday in Wervik. It was a successful test for Jos Verstappen, who was the fastest with his Skoda Fabia RS, and undoubtedly, it will give the Dutchman confidence. Teammate Roger Hodenius had too many small problems and with two flat tyres, it is clear that one must be very precise to avoid the same fate in Ypres.
All eyes were on Freddy Loix and Pieter Tsjoen who were driving their first kilometres with the Toyota Yaris GR in competition. Despite a scary moment at high speed after brake problems, Loix was hopeful after this introduction: “This is a car that immediately feels good. It has clearly improved significantly compared to my first test with the Yaris in April. We have to make some more refinements, which makes sense. I’ll be ready for the start!”
Bernd Casier also clocked good times in his introduction to the Skoda Fabia RS: “Compared to my Ford, this is a Rally2 of the new generation. A huge step forward. I am still far from the limit of the car, because I drove it for the first time today. Fortunately, I received assistance from Yannick Willocx, who, as an engineer, helped me analyse the data. This allowed me to make rapid progress.”
Davy Vanneste had a little more difficulty finding his way behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. A series of Porsche pilots, including Tim Van Parijs, Glenn Janssens, Melissa Debackere and Tuur Vanden Abeele, also came to prepare for the big appointment in Ypres next week.
The countdown has begun. Make sure you are there from Wednesday evening in Boezinge for the Noël Franklin Shakedown (more than 80 participants) and on Thursday for the Clarebout Potatoes Qualifying Stage and Shakedown in Nieuwkerke, where you will have the unique opportunity to see Thierry Neuville in action in his own country.
