The 61st edition of the Ardeca Ypres Rally is heading for a full entry list and an esteemed name from the past is making a come back. The event is designed so that 180 cars can compete, and it looks like that target will be reached, with many venerable names on the list. Fans can expect plenty of entertainment.
Now, one former Ypres Rally ace has signalled his intention to return to the legendary event. Two-time European Rally Champion Simon Jean-Joseph is returning to the start line of the Ardeca Ypres Rally for the fourth time, nineteen years after his last appearance. This time he will be driving a Porsche 992 Rally GT.
“Let me start by saying how delighted I am to be returning to Ypres in two weeks’ time. I have wonderful memories of the Ypres Rally. It is a very compact event, with stages all located close to Ypres, meaning drivers don’t have to cover endless road sections. The atmosphere in the city centre, on the Grote Markt, with its many outdoor terraces and historic setting, is truly unique. I’ve competed in rallies all over Europe and the world, but no other rally can match that atmosphere. That’s why I’m certainly going to savour every moment of it,” Simon Jean-Josep said.
It is more than the atmosphere that holds good memories for the 57-year-old driver from Martinique. “My first outing in 2004 in a Renault Clio Super1600 earned me a fine second place. I actually finished third, but Peter Bijvelds was disqualified in his Mitsubishi. That moved me up a spot to second, behind Larry Cols. I finished sixth in 2005, and in 2007, after briefly going off-track early in the rally, I could manage no better than seventh in the Citroën C2 Super1600. What stands out in my memory is how treacherous the stages were. Grip levels were constantly changing, and there was very little margin for error due to the deep ditches lining the narrow roads.”
It was back then, while driving as a Renault Sport factory driver, the Frenchman met engineer Lionel Hansen. This time, he will be driving the Porsche 992 Rally GT, a car developed by Hansen. The Porsche is familiar territory for the driver from Martinique, as he serves as a Porsche ambassador for the French Caribbean, specifically Martinique and Guadeloupe. “I’ve already competed in several events in a Porsche 991 GT3. To me, the Porsche 911 remains an absolutely iconic model. Everyone, young and old, instantly recognises the silhouette of the 911. In that sense, the model is unique; its silhouette remains instantly recognisable even after 60 years. It remains a truly special car for rallying. Driving a 992 Rally GT on the fast stages of Ypres will certainly be a challenge,” Jean-Joseph concluded.
