ERC A FULL 2014

High-paced action guaranteed: Geko Ypres Rally ERC 2014

Ypres, 21March 2014
FIA European Rally Championship 2014 – 50th Geko Ypres Rally

For the 50th anniversary edition of the Geko Ypres Rally, the sixth round of the FIA European Rally Championship, organizers present an extremely compact, high-paced route. In total 53% of the itinerary will be run against the clock, leaving drivers little time to catch their breath.

Action on this classic round of the European Championship will start on Thursday 19 June, when competitors tackle the Qualifying Stage in Nieuwkerke. Last year this qualifier marked a first in the history of the European Rally Championship, when the Geko Ypres Rally was the first ever tarmac rally to have a qualifying event.

Qualifying Stage

«The action will start in Nieuwkerke at 18h00. The drivers elected for the qualifying stage will have two training runs during the free practice from 18h00 until 20h00. Immediately after the practice they will tackle the qualifying stage with two minute intervals, in their efforts to take ‘pole position’. From 20h45 onwards, all other teams can join the shakedown, just like in recent years,» explains Route Manager Yves Qvick. «In contrast with previous years, the 4.88 kilometer long Nieuwkerke qualifying stage, will not be part of the rally itself, and it is for now also the last time that the shakedown will be held in Nieuwkerke, as major infrastructure works are planned there for the years to come.»

On Friday 20 June participants to the qualifying stage will choose their starting position at 13h00, and the first car will on the podium at 16h15, ready to tackle no less than seven special stages, totaling 105 kilometers.

«The rally starts with a series of four stages: Dikkebus, Wijtschate, Mesen and Langemark. The Wijtschate special stage has been slightly shortened, whereas the Mesen stage is a completely new one for all participants. For the second round on Friday, the first three stages are repeated, and we expect the first car back on the Ypres market square at about 21h30,» continues Qvick.

History revives in Reninge

With 13 special stages, covering 218 competitive kilometers, Saturday 21 June will prove the ultimate challenge for drivers and their co-drivers.

«The show stage in Wasquehal, where we always have had a warm welcome from the local council, is no longer on the itinerary,» explains Marketing Manager Jan Huyghe. «As a result, the liaisons have been drastically shortened, and the pace of the event will be more intense. The Reninge special stage is the opener on Saturday. This classic stage returns to the rally after an absence of 25 years, to mark the anniversary of the Geko Ypres Rally. After the Vleteren-Krombeke stage there is a regroup on the Poperinge market square, the perfect time for fans to have a chat with their heroes. The stages of Watou and Westouter complete the first round of four stages. Especially the Westouter stage could well be the surprise of the rally, as we plan to start in Belgium and have the finish across the French border in Boeschepe…After the service in Ypres come Kemmelberg and the 28 kilometers of Hollebeke, the longest stage of the rally. Before taking these two stages, competitors will tackle the afternoon special stage Lille-Eurométropole in Lincelles, just across the French border.»

A high-paced event, a five-star itinerary, and an international battle for glory on the Ypres road. That’s all it takes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Geko Ypres Rally in style.

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