The 4th Ypres Historic Regularity route in detail
The Ypres Historic Regularity is eagerly anticipated after the recent Portugal Historico, which was won by Yves Deflandre ahead of Christophe Berteloot. These two top drivers have seen success in Ypres as the crews eagerly await the next important European appointment on the calendar. As promised, the Ypres Historic Regularity will present a robust course for both driver and codriver from November 25 to 27 in Ypres.
The competition will be a sportier challenge this year, thanks to a new concept. “In addition to the classic regularity tests on public roads with an adjusted average speed, this year we are adding five closed regularity tests with an average length of 10 km per test. These tests will be completed at a higher average speed (up to 65 km/h). It is a known principle from VHRS regularity rallies, with regularity stages on a combination between closed stages with a significant distance and public roads is unseen in Belgium. It will guarantee a ‚muscular‘ sporting program!,” says Bjorn Vanoverschelde.
But there is more… When you think of the origins of rally driving, you think of secret routes. The regularity discipline harks to the past. This year, the front runners are Bjorn and Jens Vanoverschelde, who will experience an extra touch of nostalgia with the added ‘secret regularity stages’. With such a ‘secret regularity stage’, the navigators only get the route… five seconds before the starting gun!
Naturally, we want to keep the course as secret as possible, but we can already reveal that the race will start on Friday 25 November with a ‘closed road stage’ of just under 10 km. The crews will then face the challenge of diving into the night with eight other challenging regularity tests, including 1 ‘secret regularity internship’. During the second day of competition, the caravan traditionally heads for Wallonia, but this year on Saturday morning we will serve the participants two Ypres classics in the form of a ‘closed road stage’. Between these two tests there is a stamp check in Kemmel, another Ypres classic.
Only then, does the road book guide the participants towards Braine-le-Comte with a route that consists of 80% new regularity tests! We will once again conclude the long Saturday stage with a closed road stage near Ypres, the third of the day. The Saturday stage will therefore be more challenging than ever with three closed road stages, two secret regularity stages, where the crews will be challenged by the new roads. On Sunday, the engines roar early, because at 7 a.m. the first participant already leaves the Grote Markt in Ypres to start the ‘early bird stage’ just a few minutes later. A unique experience in which participants are presented with a regularity test before sunrise. And this year, this test is about 28 km… In short, enough ingredients to provide suspense until the end!
Registrations are flowing in quickly. The registration list now contains about 70 participants, but more about that soon. If you want to experience this unique competition in Ypres, you can register until 1 November.