NO SPA BREAK FOR YPRES RALLY
There will be no away day at Spa-Francorchamps when the Ypres Rally returns to the World championship schedule this August.
Motorsport News included details of Belgian media reports in its February 17 issue suggesting the track, which hosted the final leg of the first WRCcounting Ypres Rally last August, was unavailable one week ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Instead Ypres, the replacement for Rally Northern Ireland, will be based entirely within the Westhoek area of Flanders in the northwest of the country with the iconic Kemmelberg, essentially a hillclimb on cobblestones, hosting the deciding powerstage on Sunday August 21.
With no trip to Wallonia in the southeast for the closing leg, organisers have cut out a liaison section of some 190 miles with around 40% of the new compact route featuring competitive action.
The event begins with the traditional ceremonial start in Ypres’ market square on the afternoon of Thursday August 18, with shakedown following at 1600hrs local time.
Friday’s leg consists of two loops of four stages, including Langemark and Westouter, which crosses the French border at one point.
Legendary stages such as Dikkebus and Hollebeke are among four repeated stages on Saturday August 20, while two runs through Watou and Kemmelberg form Sunday’s itinerary.
Event boss Alain Penasse said: ‘It was not only the long liaison to Spa that played a role in this decision to stay in
Ypres, it was practically impossible to finish [at Spa] as the preparations for the grand prix will have already started.”