Photographing the 2023 Ardeca Ypres Rally

Report by David Harbey Image by David and Madeline Harbey

4 July 2023

Regular PistonClick readers will know that rallying and, of late, Belgian rallying has a special place for this correspondent. Thus, when the chance to re-visit the Ypres Rally as part of a summer road trip emerged, accommodation was booked with the speed of a flat-out BMW M3 down a Belgian country lane …

You can read about our experiences in 2019 here  - Ypres Rally 2019 – and it was a very similar format this year. Rounds of both the Belgian and British Rally Championships ran together although this year there was no separate historic event, they were simply a class in the main event. Sadly, however, we must record 2019 winner Craig Breen’s sad passing earlier this year – not forgotten, however.

The event programme contained the same high level of detail – stage maps, where to park and any special features. Specific viewing points are all sign posted on colour coded arrows.

We did note that there seemed to be less in the way of catering and “facilities” where we watched from this year. The latter is less of a problem for the blokes as you do what the local do, more so though for the ladies amongst the spectators.

Shakedown and qualifying was set for Thursday evening south of Ypres near Nieuwkerke. An F1 style three phase qualifying had been introduced to determine the top ten starting order - which in the end had the top five seeded crews in the top five places. Thereafter, any other competitors could take a shakedown run through the stage. We found a nice left, right combination.

With a mid-Friday afternoon ceremonial start in Ypres market place, we headed out to Westouter for stage 1 and a fast-downhill left right combination. We had decided to watch all the cars through here. It became apparent that some fans were already off to the next stage after the first 15 or 20 cars had come through, but we took a more relaxed approach to proceedings.

Among the modern Peugeot 208s with their all mouth and less trousers 1200cc, 3 cylinder turbos popping and banging away were some thoroughbreds – Porsches, BMW M3s, a Ferrari 308GTB and a couple of Escorts. Of course, the level of commitment tends to reduce further down the field, but it is good to see old school cars alongside the latest equipment.

For our second stage of the day, we drove a handful of miles to Kemmelberg. Fans of cycling may know this cobbled climb from the Gent-Wevelgem Spring Classic. A fast ninety-degree left turn onto smooth cobbles would be a challenge.

A healthy crowd brought some nice atmosphere to the stage – sometimes slightly lacking when we stood in a line in a field of potatoes earlier in the day.

The reverse shot up the hill under the trees could be interesting too as some of the rear wheel drive cars sparked and fishtailed their way up the cobbles.

Saturday morning dawned bright with a 30 degree day in prospect (just like our last time here). There’s little in the way of shade on most of the stages although a gentle breeze did assist from time to time. First stage was just down the road at Hollebeke near a former monastery. A tight left followed by a right into a long left with an option to cut on the final element.

The marshals had left what seemed to be a huge run off area should any competitor not make the first left. In the event, only one failed to make the corner, but only needed a minor detour onto the grass – but captured for posterity !

Having studied the programme, we decided that the jump on Dikkebus should be our afternoon stage. Arriving in good time we found a good spot in a corn field with a head on shot of the cars as they jumped - or should that be yumped ?  With Media tabards either side of us, it seemed as if we were in the right place.

As we left, we also discovered a rather decent side on shot for next time …

That concluded our Ypres Rally; we decided to forgo the podium in the centre of Ypres preferring our air-conditioned Airbnb. Adrien Fourmaux (2) went on to win by 17 seconds from Chris Ingram (5) and Maxime Potty (3).

The real stars of the show for me though were Paul Lietaer in his Ascona 400 and various Porsches and M3s. Perhaps I am just getting old …

Madeline was using her Nikon D3300 and kit lenses; I was using my Nikon D850 with 70-200mm zoom occasionally supplemented by a teleconverter.

Footnote

We stayed in Sint Elooi just south of Ypres. Outside our accommodation were the two trees you see below, one with a red frame, the other blue. These, as you will see from the map, represented the British and German front lines and are - I walked it - a mere 50 paces apart.

It's sometimes hard to reconcile watching the rally - generally standing in a potato, maize or wheat field on a sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze blowing - with the grainy black and white pictures of the same area when it was a muddy, cratered battlefield with death and destruction all around.

Lest we forget, indeed ...