The Spa Rally, the traditional final of the Belgian Rally Championship (BRC), will again host a VHRS side event this year, aimed at regularity rally enthusiasts and specialists. The race-within-a-race, known as the Spa Rally Classic, will be the final of the inaugural Belgian championship of the discipline, crowning the first national VHRS champions in Spa.
The Spa Rally Classic is the sixth and final event of this new competition, officially recognized by the RACB. Following the Rallye des Ardennes, TAC Rally, Rallye de Wallonie, Omloop van Vlaanderen, and East Belgian Rally, the DG Sport event will conclude an increasingly important championship.
Registrations have been open for a month, and Yves Deflandre, who has already confirmed his presence, is well on his way to winning the drivers’ title. His direct opponents were unable to take advantage of his absence in Sankt Vith, as Deflandre was on his way to victory in the Portugal Historico at the same time! The driver of the Porsche 911 still holds a comfortable lead over Benoit Scheen (Ford Escort Mk2), Sam De Wolf (Porsche 924), Koen Verlinde (Toyota Corolla), Alain Lamberty (Opel Ascona B), and Pierre Louys (MG B GT V8). It is yet to be confirmed if all these contenders will be present for the grand finale.
The situation is different for the co-drivers in VHRS65. Colin Barvaux, Benoit Scheen’s co-driver, leads the standings, but Bjorn Clauw, Baptiste Gengoux, Dominique Lejeune, and Frederic van Rijckevorsel are following closely and can still contend for the title.
In the VHRS 50 category, the Spa Rally Classic is the decisive event, with three drivers separated by only a few points: French driver Jérôme Ambrosini (Audi 80 GT) and the Belgians Nicolas Graeven (Ford Escort) and Mario Varrewaere (Nissan Sunny). All the others have a more difficult task. The intermediate standings for the co-drivers mirror the drivers’ standings, with Yves Thirionet, Michel Graeven, and Pablo Cracco contending for the title.
With the creation of a Belgian VHRS championship, with the associated promotion, regularity rallies are becoming increasingly important. Proof that DG Sport got it right by organising and boosting the Spa Rally Classic. See you on Sunday, December 1st for the final verdict!