The long summer break that began after the Ypres Rally is ending. The Opel Corsas Rally4 and Peugeots 208 Rally4 of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux will return to action on Saturday, 28th September as part of the East Belgian Rally. Following events in Wallonia and Flanders, the East Cantons will now set the stage for the continuation of an exciting title fight.
Sankt Vith is the home base of regional drivers Tom Heindrichs and Jonas Schmitz. Currently third in the standings, they aim to make a strong showing in their home race to bolster their title ambitions and keep their chances alive until the end of the season, at the finale in the Spa Rally. Heinrichs, along with Brasseur, Thiele, and Depotter, has yet to use his Rally+ bonus, meaning the championship is still wide open.
Pierre-Manuel Brasseur, the only double winner of the season, goes into the East Belgian Rally as the solid leader. However, he will need to be wary of potential challenges from Jonas Dewilde, Tom Heinrichs, or even Maxim Decock. A third victory would ease the pressure on the son of Félix-Marie Brasseur heading into Spa.
After demonstrating their speed in the Omloop van Vlaanderen, Jonas Dewilde and Maxim Decock head to Sankt Vith with a good rhythm of competition. Will this be enough to stay ahead of Brasseur and Heinrichs?
Lander Depotter, who made a spectacular debut in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux with a victory in the Sezoensrally, is understandably behind in the standings with only two results. However, he will certainly be in contention for the win.
The entry list for the East Belgian Rally is completed by Manuel Merlevede, the German Lukas Thiele, and Steven Spittaels. While Mark Skulj will be competing in Slovenia, Niall O’Sullivan’s car is being repaired, and Steve Fernandes is entered with a Rally2 car, they will not be participating in the Rally Cup debates in Sankt Vith. Nevertheless, the entry list is still impressive, and the battle for victory is expected to be intense, as in all previous rounds!
