The Flemish Rally Challenge traditionally kicks off in Wallonia, at the equally beloved and notorious Rallye Salamandre. It proved to be a very promising start to the season, with fifteen teams on the entry list. Many competitors clearly still remembered last year’s chaotic edition, when the soaking-wet opening loop caused a flood of incidents. This year, we were thankfully spared such treacherous conditions, and even the many newcomers in the Challenge kept their composure.
Everyone started relatively cautiously, although Pex/Preda immediately set the tone. The Quigleys needed a bit more seat time to get back into the Belgian rhythm, while newcomers Davies/Glennerster drove remarkably controlled on their Challenge debut. After the first loop, most crews seemed to hold their positions well, though there was one unlucky driver: Barnes senior had to park his Subaru on the very first stage due to cooling issues. A false start, but one he will undoubtedly make up for in the coming events.
One team that did go flat-out from the start was Tomas and Eurig Davies. Determined to repeat last year’s victory in the historics, and they succeeded with style. On top of that, they blasted into the top of the FIRC standings, taking an impressive fourth place behind the untouchable R2s.
Close behind were Anderson/Martin, who finished second Historic after a flawless run, with Freeman/Williams right on their heels. Newcomers Davies/Jones also joined the pace in their FIRC debut, until mechanical issues forced them to retire.
Another standout performance came from more fresh faces in FIRC: the Dutch crew Coumans/De Jonge. They immediately grabbed the 2WD victory and collected a fine haul of points, especially with a strong sixth place overall in FIRC, ahead of Packer/Thomas in the Fiesta, all during their Challenge debut. Further down the order, we saw logical results for Wood/Baddeley, who took third in the historics, followed by newcomers Yates/Lee in their stunning Porsche. Hands/Dawson and Smith/Purdy completed the field, while regulars Smith/Vincent were very unfortunately forced to throw in the towel on the very last stage when the fuel supply failed.
All in all, it was a relatively smooth rally in the Beaumont region, with predictable results across all categories. Pex/Preda gain confidence, as do the Quigleys, while Davies/Glennerster will undoubtedly show more in the upcoming rallies. From ORC onwards, Weatherley/Layland will also return to action, armed with a wealth of experience from last year. With four R2s, we can expect a great battle. Curious to see who else will join for the opening of the Flemish chapter in ORC and Wervik. See you soon!