During a jovial press presentation of the Ardeca Ypres Rally in the Aarova Village, some top driversshowed their cards. It is clear that there will be a fierce battle for the places in the leading group.
Chris Ingram – VW Polo GTI
“Ten years ago I rallied in Ypres for the first time and this is by far my favourite rally. The stages are so fast and challenging. Moreover, the atmosphere in Ypres is fantastic and the fans are very enthusiastic. Last year I had the enormous honour of reading a poem during the Last Post ceremony. It was an emotional moment. I really want to win the Ardeca Ypres Rally. Only during the test session with the VW Polo it turned out that we may still have some adjustments to work on. We’ll see.. .”
Stéphane Lefebvre – Citroën C3 Rally2
“Last year I probably drove one of my best rallies ever in Ypres. I had a lot of rhythm then. This year I have driven less, but I do have the advantage that I know the C3 well and that I know the stages in Ypres. I’ve been coming here since childhood as a spectator.”
James Williams-Ford Fiesta
“I’ve driven here three times already, in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The first time I made some mistakes because I got to know the stages. The second and third time I won class RC4. I think this is a very beautiful and challenging rally. This is the first i compete in Ypres with a Rally2. It will be a challenge, because it will go a lot faster. Still, I want to stay as close as possible to Chris and Stéphane…”
Freddy Loix – Skoda Fabia RS
“The times with the new Skoda were very good in Wervik, despite the fact that we had not tested beforehand. So something is possible, although I expect Stéphane to be very fast. I will not drive the Qualifying Stage myself. I leave that honor to Pieter Tsjoen…”
Davy Vanneste – VW Polo GTi
“After the Monteberg Rally we had a lot of confidence and I have a very good feeling in the Polo. When I saw the times of Freddy and Niels Reynvoet, I realised that we will have work to do. You know, anything can happen in Ypres. We see where we can get.”
Niels Reynvoet – Citroën C3 Rally
“The victory in Wervik has given us confidence. We have gained a lot of confidence in recent rallies with the Citroën C3, which I think is the best car at the moment. Only I have less experience in Ypres than some of the other drivers. Stéphane Lefebvre will also start in the Orfys colours. We are a partner of the organisation and this was a great opportunity for us to pull this off.”
Paul Lietaer – Opel Ascona 400
“I started in Ypres for the first time in 1979. This is my 44th entry. I have already won the Ypres Historic Rally 9 times. This time we are not running a separate race, but I still want to score my 10th victory in Historic That won’t be easy against Maeyaert’s BMW and Stouf’s Ford Sierra.”
Benoit Verlinde – Renault Clio Rally3
“This will be our big debut with the Renault Clio Rally3. A step into the unknown for us. From the first few metres the car gave me a lot of confidence and with traction on the rear wheels you can get out of the corner a lot faster. After a few corners Anton and I already had big smiles on our faces. This is going to be fun!”
Nicola Stampaert – Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo
“I come to the start with appropriate expectations. The starting field is impressive. Thanks to the tips of PTR Racing, we have made great strides and progress in recent races. The top 10 in qualifying will be too ambitious for us. are not going to take excessive risks there either, because it is a long race. We are going to enjoy this great event this weekend.”
Tim Van Paris – Porsche 997 GT3
“We haven’t driven much this year, but the automatic reactions at the steering wheel of the Porsche will soon return. I have been active for almost 20 years together with Kurt Heyndrickx and we have been driving a Porsche since 2005, in my opinion a rally car for “real men”. My goal? Victory in the GTs!”
