Ardenne Rally Festival Demo and D2 ensure a jam-packed Saturday!
In addition to the relocation of the competition's HQ from Vresse-sur-Semois to Alle-sur-Semois, the major novelty this year is that the Ardenne Rally Festival is also a round of the Belgian Rally Championship Division 2. It promises to be a very explosive Saturday, where fans won't know where to look first.
The common point between the historic demo runs and the D2 competition is the course: the four demo stages for the former become the timed stages for the latter! On May 30th, these stages are on the program in the region around the Semois: Rochehaut (14.49 km), also known as the former Vivy stage which is now run in the reverse direction; Bellefontaine (15.34 km), with two passes through the triangle formed by Bellefontaine, Monceau-en-Ardenne and Petit-Fays, after which the second part heads towards Les Hautes Roches; the Circuit of Gedinne (18.53 km), featuring an initial show section on the famous track – no fewer than three passes! – followed by a finish in Sart-Custinne; and Bourseigne (10.35 km), one of the most important new features this year, starting in Vencimont and following a route that winds towards Bourseigne-Neuve.
For historic car enthusiasts, this constitutes 112.98 km of demonstration runs and a 242.94 km road section. Not bad! Two passes are scheduled on each of the stages, with a return to Alle-sur-Semois in the early afternoon (podium at 14:21), and the finish for the first participants around 19:00.
The Ardenne Rally Festival program in BRC2 mode is even more packed, featuring the Circuit of Gedinne and Bourseigne twice, but also… three times Rochehaut and Bellefontaine! At 8:30, the first car crosses the podium in Alle-sur-Semois, followed by a first return to the service park at noon (podium at 12:48). The second loop ends at 17:51 (podium), followed by a final half-loop and the celebratory finish at 20:16! By then, the names of the first winners of the Ardenne Rally Festival in speed rally format will be known.
For the fans, it promises to be a jam-packed day! Some will prefer the legendary rally cars, others pure competition, and still others a combination of the two… before everyone heads to Alle-sur-Semois for the festive closing of an event that promises to be as intense as it is spectacular!
