The second leg of the Spa Rally 2024 was an emotional one! There was a lot at stake, not least the outcome of the Belgian Rally Championship 2024. Cédric Cherain (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who started as leader on Sunday morning, crashed out on SS12 Trois-Ponts 1, allowing Jos Verstappen (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) to take control. However, second place was enough for Cédric Cherain and Damien Withers to clinch their first national title. In their wake, Maxime Potty and Renaud Herman (Citroën C3 Rally2) put on the pressure to push the leaders to the limit.
By the time of the eagerly awaited Power Stage, the top 3 was unchanged, and in the end Cherain and Withers completed the final section with a second best time, allowing them to celebrate a crown that had remained in doubt right up to the end! At the age of 41, the driver from Liège was able to celebrate more than two decades spent on the special stages. Our strategy was the right one,’ commented Cédric Cherain just after the finish of the Power Stage. I wanted to attack from the outset on Saturday, and we succeeded. We always drove intelligently, even though the route was really tricky. We lost a bit of time on the last loop, but the team was able to intervene. This title is the culmination of many years’ work. Thank you to everyone who supported me.
While Cherain and Withers were crowned Belgian champions, Jos Verstappen and Renaud Jamoul won this 2024 Spa Rally, which was more spectacular than ever. In the Belgian competition the battles are always very intense, especially with Cédric Cherain,’ explained the father of the four-time Formula 1 world champion on the podium. We’re obviously delighted to end the season in this way, and I can already confirm that we’ll be back next season…’
Maxime Potty and Renaud Herman completed the final Spa Rally podium, having done everything in their power to try and make it a one-two finish for the BRC. In the end, they finished ahead of John Wartique, who was extremely efficient at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 that he likes very much, and Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who was just one second ahead of an excellent Tom Rensonnet (Citroën C3 Rally2), who impressed on his debut at the highest national level. Charles Munster (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who wasn’t in top form on Sunday morning, Thibaud Mazuin (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), RGT winner Romain Delhez (Porsche 991 GT3) and Roger Hodenius (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) completed the final top 10.
While Pierre Hubin (Renault Clio Rally3), winner of the RC3 class, stepped up the pace on Sunday, Maxim Decock (Opel Corsa Rally4) didn’t let the opportunity to win the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux pass him by, especially as Tom Heindrichs (Opel Corsa Rally4) had to settle for first place to take the title from Pierre-Manuel Brasseur. The Dutch Nard Ippen (Renault Clio Rally5) clinched the Clio Trophy Belgium crown, but was outclassed by young Limburg driver Thomas Martens towards the end of the rally, while Leny Cols also made it into the top 3.
Geoffrey Leyon (Ford Escort Mk1) won the Historic BRC by a wide margin, ahead of the two BMWs driven by Guino Kenis (325i E30) and Olivier Breittmayer (M3 E30). As for Christian Jupsin (Ford Escort RS Cosworth), he emerged victorious from his duel with Julien Henry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) for the win in the popular RC1 class. Geoffrey Horward (Renault Clio RS) won by a whisker from Jean-Michel Dumont (Ford Fiesta R2000) in the smaller cars
The good weather over the weekend encouraged the public to flock to this tenth edition,’ comments Florian Jupsin on behalf of DG Sport. And despite this exceptional attendance, the spectators behaved very well, which is to be congratulated. Not a single stage was delayed by spectators in forbidden zones! We already have many ideas for improving the Spa Rally even further next year. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on this eleventh edition of this great event