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- Category: Rallying
April 21, 2024
Included in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) calendar for the second time in its rich history, the Rallye de Sanair took place this past Saturday at the St-Pie-de-Bagot motorsports complex in Montérégie (Québec) and was claimed by Samuel Joyal and Philippe Poirier in a Test Racing Subaru WRX STI.
Former Canadian co-driving rally champion, Samuel Joyal was contesting his first rally as a driver, on the asphalt of Sanair. 32 years after his father Yvan Joyal also won this event as a driver, Samuel put his skills behind the wheel to the test and came out victorious. With the experience of Philippe Poirier at his side, he had to exhibit patience as he won only two of the fifteen competitive stages but finished in the Top 5 on each.
Despite a thirty second penalty for bumping into chicanes throughout the course, the Joyal/Poirier duo won the rally by a margin of one minute and eighteen seconds over last year’s overall winners Kurtis Duddy and co-driver Danny Hudon, in a Nissan Sentra. This team had received a penalty of one minute and fifteen seconds, which proves how much more intense the battle was than the gaps portray in the final standings. For Duddy and Hudon, the second-place finish overall was in addition to winning the 2-wheel drive class ahead of another Nissan Sentra of team Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy. They finished 34 seconds behind Duddy/Hudon.
Under sunny spring skies which were accompanied by a strong and crisp wind, the 2024 Rallye de Sanair was difficult for many mechanics, starting with those of Vincent Lalande and Matthieu Toupin. Winners of February’s Rallye Perce-Neige, the young (16 years old) Vincent Lalande was hoping to take advantage of his 2023 season on asphalt and in Canadian road racing (Nissan Sentra Cup) to go head-to-head with some of the best rally specialists. Second fastest on the first stage (behind Duddy/Hudon) and fifth on the second, Lalande/Toupin then saw their hopes come to an end on the third stage after suffering mechanical problems with their Subaru WRX STI.
The duo had to miss one competitive stage, which incurred penalties that put them out of contention for the podium, but Lalande and Toupin nevertheless won seven of the eleven stages to finish in 11th spot overall.
Fourth overall and second in 4-wheel drive, Gabriel Monette and Alexandre Sr-Arnaud (Subaru) started the event cautiously before closing in on the leaders. Their consistency and complete lack of penalties, an uncommon feat at this event, was a testament to their performance.
At the wheel of a Mini Cooper S, Olivier Corbeil and co-driver Véronique Di Palma completed the 2-wheel drive class podium and also rounded out the Top 5 overall. This was a promising finish for a team new to the series.
Very impressive throughout the entire rally, Réjean Perron and Alexandre Marcoux drove their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to a sixth-place finish and captured third place in 4WD. They finished ahead of Michel Drapeau/Jean-Sébastien Delisle (Subaru), Carl Damphousse/Dany Plante (Dodge SRT4), Éric Dufour/Cezary Maciocha (Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Philippe Normandeau/François Darcy (Honda Fit).
Eighteen teams were registered in the 2024 Rallye de Sanair 2024. 17 took to the start and 14 completed the event. Included among the teams that did not finish is Olivier David (co-driven by Simon Decosse in a Subaru), winner of the Rallye de Shannonville two weeks ago.
This season, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) is comprised of nine rounds, spread out between Ontario and Quebec. The next event will take place on May 25th as the very first edition of the Rallye Vallée de Beauce, on the south shore of Quebec City. ECRC competitors and fans are already anxiously awaiting these extraordinary gravel roads.
For more information, please visit the site www.ecrc-crec.ca
2024 ECRC Calendar
Date | Event | City (Province) / Club | 2024 Winners |
February 2-3 | Rallye Perce-Neige | Maniwaki (Quebec) Club Rallye Maniwaki | Overall: Vincent Lalande & Matthieu Toupin 2WD: Hans Larose & Alexandre Pesant |
April 6 | Shannonville Stages | Shannonville (Ontario) PMSC + KWRC | Overall: Olivier David & Leah Brisset 2WD: John Hudon & Josée Munger |
April 20 | Rallye de Sanair | St-Pie-de-Bagot (Quebec) Club Autos Sport La Licorne | Overall: Samuel Joyal & Philippe Poirier 2WD: Kurtis Duddy & Danny Hudon |
May 25 | Rallye Vallée de Beauce | St-Victor (Quebec) Club Autos Sport La Licorne | |
June 29 - 30 | Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs | New Richmond (Quebec) Club Rallye Auto Baie-des-Chaleurs | |
August 10 | Black Bear Rally | Catchacoma (Ontario) Maple Leaf Rally Club | |
September 7 - 8 | Rallye Défi Petite Nation | Montpellier (Quebec) Club Autosport Défi Outaouais | |
November 2 – 3 | Rallye de Charlevoix | La Malbaie (Quebec) Club Rallye De Charlevoix | |
November 24 | Tall Pines Rally | Bancroft (Ontario) Maple Leaf Rally Club |
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- Category: Rallying
April 2, 2024
Fan favourite superstar racing driver Randy Pobst will head back to the challenging roads of Targa Newfoundland this fall to defend his win last year.
Targa Newfoundland, the only tarmac car rally in North America, hits the roads of Newfoundland (a.k.a., the Rock) September 12-19, 2024. Pobst, John Hume Sr., and Craig MacMullen claimed the Targa 1 division title in 2023 in a 2013 MINI John Cooper Works GP.
Targa 1 is a competitive division for cars without roll cages. Pobst has raced at every major track in North America, but Targa is something special to him.
"I've always been fascinated with racing on public roads. When I heard about Targa Newfoundland and that they do that for a week I knew I had to do that," said Pobst. "We go tearing through fishing villages at speed! It's a unique thrill and experience you can't find anywhere else. The size of this event is epic and it's in one of the most beautiful places on Earth." "We're thrilled to welcome back Randy Pobst, John Hume Sr. and Team Hume to Targa," said Joe Dowden, president of Targa Newfoundland. "For anyone who watched Randy in action at full throttle in closed sections like the town of Brigus it was simply awe inspiring."
Pobst has won dozens of races in multiple categories over his illustrious and lengthy racing career. "Randy the Rocket" earned factory driving contracts with Porsche, Audi, Mazda, and Volvo. He is a two-time winner of the grueling Rolex 24 at Daytona, winner of over 90 pro road races and a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Hall of Fame.
His impressive racing resume also includes four World Challenge GT Championships, two IMSA driver's championships and two North American Touring Car championships and he finished first or second all six times he raced at the SCCA National Runoffs.
He also set the modified electric production record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid. He's fast in anything with wheels. Pobst throws down the gauntlet - or racing glove - to other drivers to challenge him and Team Hume. "Get a car, come out to Targa, and have an amazing adventure you're not going to find anywhere else."
Targa Newfoundland, the only tarmac car rally in North America, draws professional and amateur competitors from around the world. Competitors in four divisions, both competitive and non-competitive, will cover over 2000 km (about 1240 miles) including about 500 km (310 miles) of closed courses on winding, narrow, public roads through spectacular scenery.
The eight-day event will take teams from the historic capital city of St. John's to the charming fishing outport of Leading Tickles and about two dozen points in between. A shorter four-day event is also an option. Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's easternmost province, is a land of adventure and breathtaking natural beauty. With rugged coastline, towering cliffs, and pristine wilderness, Newfoundland and Labrador is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike.
Read more about Randy Pobst at his website: randypobst.com
About Targa Newfoundland
Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. For more information on how to compete, volunteer, or spectate, visit targanfld.com.
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- Category: Rallying
February 5, 2024
The traditional Rallye Perce-Neige was presented this past weekend in Maniwaki, in the Upper Gatineau region of Quebec as the first round of the 20204 Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC). Victory went to a driver new to the series and to performance rally competition in general, Vincent Lalande. At the wheel of a Subaru Impreza, the 16-year-old was co-driven by Matthieu Toupin and took home his first victory of the season ahead of all the anticipated favourites.
Motorcycle driver and road racer (in the Nissan Sentra Cup last year at the age of 15), Lalande negotiated the sometimes snowy, sometimes dirt covered in treacherous icy patches, with seeming mastery. He not only won the ECRC classification but also set a fastest stage time overall on Friday night, ahead of stars from the North American and Canadian championships.
He is certainly the revelation of this 2024 edition, thanks in part to the work of his co-driver Matthieu Toupin. In the end, Lalande/Toupin won by a margin of over one minute and fifteen seconds ahead of Sébastien Clark and Patrick Lévesque, also driving a Subaru. For Clark, this was a very promising result after a 2023 season plagued with mechanical issues.
The podium was completed by Olivier David and Simon Decosse, ahead of Gabriel Monette/Hughes Bergeron and winners of the 2023 Rallye de Charlevoix, Simon Vincent and Hubert Gaudreau. Behind the Quebec-dominated Top 5, Jonathan Drake and Ian Lantz had a very good start to the event before experiencing some issues with their Subaru RS STI. Two other Subarus rounded out the top eight with Simon Aube/Gabrielle St-Jacques (seventh) and Cédrick Tanguay/Layla Zigby (eighth).
The battle for victory in the 2-wheel drive class was intense until the very end of the ECRC portion of the event. Nicolas Laverdière and Marc-Olivier Lamontagne (Ford Fiesta Production 2WD) led until the final stage Friday night but a transmission problem prevented them from completing the rally. This gave the advantage to Hans Larose and Alexandre Pesant (Volkswagen Golf) who won the category, also finishing in ninth place in overall ECRC standings. On roads where dirt turned to icy in a matter of meters, bringing a 2-wheel drive into the Top 10 is a very good performance.
Rookies Frédéric Gagné and Alexandre Bessette, at the wheel of 2023 series champion Jean-Sébastien Besner’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, completed the ECRC Top 10 while the 2WD podium was completed by Charles L’Estage and Juliette L’Estage (Ford Focus SVT Production 2WD). Nephew and daughter of 10-time Canadian rally champion Antoine L’Estage, this series rookie duo impressed in their first-ever appearance at the event.
Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy (Nissan Sentra) finished third in the 2WD class. In total, 19 of the 22 teams registered in the ECRC finished the 2024 edition of the Rallye Perce-Neige. Antoine L’Estage amd Alan Ockwell (Ford Fiesta Proto R) won the overall classification (North American Rally Cup and Canadian Championship).
This season, the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) is comprised of nine rounds, spread out between Ontario and Quebec. The next event is the Shannonville Stages, taking place on April 6th in Ontario. 2024 will be the first year this event is part of the ECRC.
For more information, please visit the site www.ecrc-crec.ca
2024 ECRC Calendar
February 2-3
Rallye Perce-Neige
www.rallyeperceneige.com
Maniwaki (Quebec)
Club Rallye Maniwaki
Overall: Vincent Lalande & Matthieu Toupin
2WD: Hans Larose & Alexandre Pesant
April 6
Shannonville Stages
www.pmscrally.com/sss
Shannonville (Ontario)
PMSC + KWRC
April 29
Rallye de Sanair
www.rallyedesanair.ca
St-Pie-de-Bagot (Quebec)
Club Autos Sport La Licorne
May 25
Rallye Vallée de Beauce
www.casll.qc.ca
St-Victor (Quebec)
Club Autos Sport La Licorne
June 29 - 30
Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs
www.rallyebdc.com
New Richmond (Quebec)
Club Rallye Auto Baie-des-Chaleurs
August 10
Black Bear Rally
www.mlrc.ca/blackbear/
Catchacoma (Ontario)
Maple Leaf Rally Club
September 7 - 8
Rallye Défi Petite Nation
www.rallyedefi.ca
Montpellier (Quebec)
Club Autosport Défi Outaouais
November 2 – 3
Rallye de Charlevoix
www.rallyecharlevoix.com
La Malbaie (Quebec)
Club Rallye De Charlevoix
November 24
Tall Pines Rally
www.tallpinesrally.com
Bancroft (Ontario)
Maple Leaf Rally Club
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- Category: Rallying
March 14, 2024
- Details
- Category: Rallying
February 8, 2023
Returning to its traditional date in the heart of winter, the Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki, held in the Haute Gatineau region of Québec, kicked off the Canadian national rally season this past weekend. Competing in the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) portion of the rally, this season-launching event was won by two-time series champion (2016, 2018) Jean-Sébastien Besner, in a Mitsubishi Evo Lancer. Co-driven by Yvan Joyal, the Montreal driver was consistent on the icy and snowy roads that made up this challenging rally.
Showcasing excellent speed while avoiding any mishaps, Besner and Joyal claimed victory by a margin of just over 2 minutes and 15 seconds over Simon Aubé and François Joanisse. At the wheel of their Subaru WRX STI, the novice team of Aubé and Joanisse passed the majority of the favoured and more experienced teams by finished second in ECRC and first amongst the novice competitors. Their performance in such a tricky rally contested on very difficult road conditions that left no room for error, demonstrates that this duo has a very promising season ahead of them.
In addition to finishing in third place overall, Vincent Trudel, co-driven by Albertan Michael Szewczyk, also won the Production 4-Wheel Drive Class in a Subaru WRX STI. They finished with a slim lead of 25.8 seconds ahead of the Francophone-American Emmanuel Cecchet and his Quebec co-driver Jonathan Desgroseilliers, also in a Subaru WRX STI.
Back to rally competition after spending several seasons contesting the Nissan Sentra Cup, Simon Vincent’s rally-driving muscle memory didn’t take too long to kick in and bring him amongst the event leaders. Accompanied by his co-driver Hubert Gaudreau, Vincent was poised for victory in his Subaru WRX STI but losing 5 minutes on the ninth stage eliminated those hopes. The Vincent/Gaudreau eventually finished in fifth spot, 4 minutes and 54 seconds behind the fastest team.
The Top 6 in the ECRC overall standings was rounded out by Mathieu Leblanc and Éric Dubé. In their Honda Civic, this team also won the 2-Wheel Drive Class. On the icy Perce-Neige roads, this class victory, coupled with their 6th place overall, is an excellent weekend for a two-wheel drive team. This result puts the team from Gaspé as the early favourites for the ECRC 2WD title.
Finishing less than 5 seconds off the overall Top 6, Gabriel Monette and Danny Hudon (Subaru) ended in seventh, ahead of William Pardiac and Manuel Arsenault (also in a Subaru and second in Novice).
The ninth and tenth overall places went to the teams finishing in second and third in 2-Wheel Drive Class. After a tight battle, Mathieu Royer and Alyssa Voyzelle-Montminy beat defending class champion Kurt Duddy, co-driven by Matthieu Toupin. Both teams were contesting the event in Nissan Sentras.
At the start of this 57th edition of the Rallye Perce-Neige, the recorded temperature was -36 degrees Celsius. Despite these frigid temperatures, this year will go down as one of the least mechanically destructive in history. Only three of the 22 ECRC-registered teams couldn’t finish the event.
The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) consists of eight events this season, spread out between Ontario and Quebec. The next round will take place on Jun 10th, as part of the Rallye International de Mékinac, in Mauricie (Quebec).
The 2023 Rallye Perce-Neige also counted towards the North American Rally Cup and the Canadian Rally Championship. Quebeckers Alexandre Moreau and Ian Guité (Subaru WRX STI) claimed overall victory in those standings, ahead of Jean-Sébastien Besner and Yvan Joyal.
For more information, please visit: www.ecrc-crec.ca
2023 Calendrier ECRC
Date | Event | Town (Province) / Club | 2023 Winners |
February 4 | Rallye Perce-Neige | Maniwaki (Quebec) Club Rallye Maniwaki | Overall : J.S.Besner & Yvan Joyal 2WD : Mathieu Leblanc & Éric Dubé |
June 10 | Rallye International de Mékinac | Lac-aux-Sables (Quebec) Club Auto Défi Outaouais | |
July 1 & 2 | Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs | New Richmond (Quebec) Club Rallye Auto Baie-des-Chaleurs | |
August 12 | Black Bear Rally | Catchacoma (Ontario) Maple Leaf Rally Club | |
September 8 & 9 | Rallye Défi Petite Nation | Montpellier (Quebec) Club Autosport Défi Outaouais | |
October 21 & 22 | Rallye de Charlevoix | La Malbaie (Quebec) Club Rallye De Charlevoix | |
November 25 | Tall Pines Rally Regional 1 | Bancroft (Ontario) Maple Leaf Rally Club | |
November 25 | Tall Pines Rally Regional 2 | Bancroft (Ontario) Maple Leaf Rally Club |
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